REPORT ON FORESTS. 247 



The swamp lands* being moist, have naturally not suffered 

 from fire as much as the uplands. They often consist, therefore, 

 not only of a great mixture of species, but are a semi-tropical 

 tangle of wild grapes, and other vines and bushes. The decid- 

 uous or hardwood swamps usually contain a mixture of the 

 following trees of more or less importance : Acer rubrum, red 

 or swamp maple ; Liquidamber styraciflua, sweet gum or 

 bilsted ; Nyssa sylvatica, black or sour gum, and Magnolia 

 glauca^ or brewster, are the commonest. In some swamps there 

 are beeches (Fagus latifolia), tulip trees (Liriodendron titlipi- 

 fera), swamp white oak (Quercus platanoides), willow oak (Q. 

 phellos), holly (Ilex opacd), sassafras (S. sassafras), and now and 

 then a pitch-pine (Pinus rigida), a smooth-bark pine (Pimis 

 echinata), a white cedar (Chemczcyparis thy aides) or even a white 

 pine.f 



Fire and the axe have converted many of these swamps into 

 sorry looking thickets and cripples,! which are little more than 

 tangles of saplings, bushes and vines. It is easy to imagine how, 

 in the course of time, fire, burning over land of heavy nature or 

 land which is usually moist, will gradually kill even swamp trees 

 and shrubs, until nothing remains but herbaceous plants among 

 charred stumps. These swamps often become very dry in sum- 

 mer, and the natives, to improve the quality of the berries (or 

 very rarely the pasturage), set fires. This must be done, however, 



* It is in these swamps where the animals of the woods take refuge, especially the deer, which, at a 

 certain time of the year when the law allows, are remorselessly chased by packs of hounds. The extinc- 

 tion of this animal in New Jersey is only a matter of time unless the use of dogs is absolutely prohibited 

 at all seasons. It is the prevailing opinion in the Adirondacks that the wisest move in the protection of 

 deer was the prevention of hounding by law. The meat of a hounded animal is poor in quality, to say 

 nothing of the cruelty which the nagging of dogs occasions. Hunting at best is an immoral sport, and in 

 America is everybody's privilege. In every backwoods town there are local social gypsies or pothunters 

 who love sport and hate work, who spend their days wandering in the woods with dog and gun, and their 

 evenings in the country store or tavern relating their experiences. Several animals in South Jersey arc 

 hunted not for their pelts or for food but for the bounty which the townships very foolishly pay for the 

 heads of certain so-called " depredatory animals," among the worst of which the fox is classed. 



f The white pine was at one time quite abundant in Manahawken swamp. These pines towered high 

 above the cedars of the swamp. This suggests the possibility of growing the white pine in such districts 

 either alone or mixed with white cedar. The choppers whom I consulted at the time of my visit called 

 the white pine " white wood." 



t The term " cripple " is a localism used in South Jersey and on the Chesapeake peninsula. It is 

 applied to a thicket or bushland. It is interesting to note that the Germans use the word in the same 

 sense. For instance, a stand of trees which has been abused by careless cutting, etc., is called a " Krup- 

 pelbestand." Underbrush is sometimes called " Kruppelholz." 



