ticularly so in the eastern section, that they empty into the 

 ocean through a subterranean flow which drains to a consider- 

 able extent the whole country. 



Monk's Hill in Kingston is the highest elevation in the 

 county. 



The soils of the northern part of Plymouth County are 

 mostly a light to heavy fine sandy loam, with outcroppings of 

 granite, gneiss and schist. Much of this soil is forested, but 

 that which is cultivated produces good and various crops. The 

 sandier and stony types are found mostly in pastures. 



Although the larger part of the soils of the central and south- 

 ern sections are also sandy loam, they are coarser than those of 

 the northern section, and carry a considerable amount of gravel 

 and fine pebbles. Through Plymouth, Wareham and Middle- 

 borough deposits of muck occur. This soil is used extensively 

 for growing cranberries, and, as shown in the tables, quite a 

 sizable area is under cultivation. 



Forest Conditions. 



In the reports of the overseers of the earlier Plymouth County 

 settlements reference is often made to the forests, but such ref- 

 erences contain very scanty information as to their composition. 

 It is probable, however, that at the time of the landing of the 

 Pilgrims the greater part of the county was forested with large 

 and thrifty virgin stands of white and pitch pine, oak and 

 maple, pine in uplands, oak and maple in lowlands. 



We know that much of the pine was cut and shipped to 

 England to be used for masts for the English navy, and also 

 that England depended to a large extent upon New England 

 pitch pine for her naval stores. 



The original forest types exist to-day, but in a much depleted 

 condition. Over large areas fires have swept repeatedly, burn- 

 ing off the humus the forest floor covering and greatly im- 

 poverishing the soil in many sections. Erom these fire-swept 

 areas the original white or pitch pine stands have disappeared, 

 and in their places are growths of scrub pitch pine and oak. 



Throughout the greater portion of the county, however, white 

 pine can be grown, and areas now given over to scrub oak 

 should be reforested. On the sandier areas Scotch and good 



