464 



NATURALIST'S GUIDE TO THE AMERICAS 



The hills are covered with almost un- 

 broken forests of the beautiful, but 

 rapidly disappearing, longleaf pine 

 (Pinus palustris); while in the narrow 

 valleys, adjacent to the streams, are 

 splendid growths of magnolia, beech, 

 oak, holly, cypress, etc. In fact, with 

 the exception of two or three, every 

 tree native to Louisiana may be found, 

 and some species attain their maximum 

 size in this locality. Wild flowers grow 

 in profusion, among which are some 

 species that are rare in Louisiana, such 

 as white ageratum and closed gentian. 

 The entire flora of the region is 

 luxuriant, varied and beautiful. 



The wild life is highly interesting, 

 deer, fox, wolf, raccoon, opossum, 

 squirrel, rabbit, skunk, and mink being 

 found in abundance; also wild turkeys, 

 woodcock, and other rare birds, as well 

 as all the common species. The streams 

 are well-filled with a variety of fish, 

 such as black bass, striped bass, pike, 

 buffalo, cat and perch. 



For two years the Louisiana Federa- 

 tion of Women's Clubs has been agitating 

 the question of a State Park and Wild 

 Life Refuge in this region. The lumber- 

 men of the state have taken it up, and 

 may give about 20 sq. mi., a large part 

 of which will be preserved in a natural 

 state, to Louisiana. 



In sand hills of this type, the soil is 

 entirely unfit for agriculture, except 

 in the little valleys along the streams; 

 so, it is highly desirable that these hills 

 be kept growing trees. 



The territory described is isolated, 

 aqd, following heavy rains, almost 

 inaccessible, the only means of travel 

 being by team. In ordinary times, 

 however, it may be reached in an auto- 

 mobile from Natchitoches or Leesville. 

 Both of these towns may be reached by 

 rail from Shreveport or New Orleans. 

 At present the roads are very poor, but a 

 model highway from Natchitoches to 

 Leesville is contemplated, and this will 

 pass through the Kisatchie Hills. The 

 most desirable way to visit this region 

 is to camp, as there are very few places 

 where accommodations are obtainable. 

 Caroline C. Dormon. 



13. Bayou Pierre. (C3.) A fish and 

 mussel stream skirted with swamps, 

 coniferous and deciduous forest. In the 

 parishes of Red River and DeSoto; a 6 

 mi. strip. 1\ mi from Westdale, La. 

 A. D. Howard. 



14. Bogalusa tract. (C3.) Location: 

 This area is located in Washington 

 Parish in southeastern Louisiana on the 

 lands of the Great Southern Lumber 

 Company. It lies in Townships 1, 2, 3 

 and 4 South, Ranges 11, 12, 13 and 14 

 East. 



Area: 53,267 acres are included in this 

 tract. 



Altitude: Elevations average around 

 45 ft. above sea level. 



Conditions: This land is under con- 

 tract with the State of Louisiana for 

 twenty years. The Great Southern 

 Lumber Company has agreed to protect 

 the land from fires by employing five 

 patrolmen and erecting a 70 ft. fire tower. 

 The original timber was longleaf pine 

 but it has been cut clean within the last 

 fifteen years. Very little natural reseed- 

 ing has taken place. Thirteen thousand 

 acres are under fence, and already 

 several hundred acres have been planted 

 with loblolly pine and slash pine 

 seedlings. 



Animals: Raccoon, opossum, mink, 

 rabbit and fox are present on this area, 

 and the birds listed above as occurring in 

 the longleaf pine region probably occur 

 here. 



Accessibility: The Bogalusa tract may 

 be easily reached from the city of 

 Bogalusa, as it lies within 6 mi. Boga- 

 lusa is a city of 15,000 population on the 

 New Orleans and Great Northern R. R. 

 It is about three hours distant from New 

 Orleans. Bogalusa has an excellent 

 hotel. 



12. ARKANSAS 

 BY JOHN T. BUCHHOLZ 



I. PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS AND 

 GENERAL GEOGRAPHY 



There are two main physiographic 

 regions in Arkansas, the coastal plain 

 lowlands and the mountain or upland 

 country. Most of the uplands belong 

 to the mixed hardwood forest area 

 (Carolinian), while some of the lower 

 hilly lands, their valleys, and all of the 

 lowlands belong to the southern mixed 

 coniferous and hardwood forest area. 

 If one should begin at the northeast 

 corner of the state 8 to 10 mi. east of 

 longtitude 91, and draw a line in a 

 southwestern direction to Little Rock, 

 continuing it nearly to Arkadelphia and 

 thence westward to the Oklahoma 

 boundary, the fraction of the state north 

 and west of this line, considerably more 

 than one-third of its area, is upland, and 

 the remaining southern and eastern 

 part of the state is lowland, a broad 

 coastal plain. 



The Arkansas River with its broad 

 valley divides the upland portion of the 



