106 THE MOUNTAIN. 



much more important, giving, as usual, an increase of value 

 to the soils of those districts, and a corresponding change to 

 the whole surface of the country. 



As a general thing, then, the soils of the mountain heights 

 are sandy and clayey, but have, withal, a susceptibility of 

 improvement through the application of the principles of scien- 

 tific agriculture, which has not attracted sufficient attention 

 and examination. 



On the highest knobs the sand soil prevails, and is bar- 

 ren, except to plants which affect such soils ; but some dis- 

 tance off these heights, the coal rocks of the western side 

 give good soils, and the slates and shales of the eastern base 

 of the mountain are also susceptible of successful cultivation. 

 Of course, there is a gradual modification and amelioration 

 of ALL these soils of the mountain and its slopes going on, 

 as has been since the elevation of the rocks to the surface, 

 and the fracturing, wearing, softening, and pulverizing of 

 the same, with the gradual intermingling of the more com- 

 plex pabulum of plants derived from the atmosphere, namely, 

 water, carbonic acid, ammonia, with the mineral soil nourish- 

 ment also of potash, soda, lime, magnesia, silica, alumina, 

 iron, sulphuric acid, phosphoric acid, etc. This is shown by 

 the natural succession of plants, the lichen, the moss, the 

 fern, the conifers, and, lastly, catkin-bearing trees and Rosa- 

 ceae. The gradual succession, change, and death of forests can 

 now be seen, as parts are dying while other portions are 

 green and flourishing, showing a gradual surrender of the 

 pioneer forest-trees, and their supercession by trees with 

 membraneous leaves, or those requiring a richer or more 

 compound soil. Different parts of the mountain, then, show 

 all the geological changes and soil metamorphoses from 

 bare rocks with lichen and moss, to sand soil with pine-tree 

 and huckleberry, or clay and loam with the oak, walnut, and 

 apple-tree. 



It would seem to be a habitat adapted to a variety of the 

 gramineae or grass family. These include nearly all of the 

 common starch-bearing, introduced and naturalized plants or 



