DODGE COUNTY. 369 



Elevations. Trees and shrubs.] 



of the prairies. The valleys in the northeastern part of the county are 

 from one to two hundred feet below the average level. They are some- 

 times precipitous and rocky, but not generally. About in the center of the 

 county these streams pass from the drift deposits onto the rocky structure. 

 Above this point their valleys are shallow and broad, and below it they 

 change rather rapidly to the features that^ prevail, but more character- 

 istically, in the "driftless area", and become narrow and rock-bound. 



Elevations. The townships of Hayfield, Ripley and Ashland rise over 

 thirteen hundred feet above the ocean. The valley of the north middle 



branch of the Zumbro descends from twelve hundred feet to slightly less 







than one thousand feet above the sea in crossing the county. The south 

 middle branch descends from about twelve hundred feet to ten hundred and 

 fifty feet in crossing the county. From the contour-lines of the map (plate 

 13) the townships have the following estimated average elevation, viz: 

 Westfield, 1300 feet above the sea: Hayfield, 1340; Vernon, 1300; Ripley, 1310; 

 Ashland, 1310; Canisteo, 1260; Claremont, 1250; Wasioja, 1225: Mantorville, 

 1190: Ellington, 1200; Concord, 1175, and Milton, 1140. This gives an aver- 

 age for the county of about 1250 feet above the sea. 



According to the engineers of the Winona and St. Peter division of the 

 Chicago and Northwestern railway, the elevation of Byron, in Olmsted 

 county, is 1250 feet above the ocean, Kasson 1252 ft., Dodge Center 1288 ft., 

 Claremont 1280 ft., and Havana, in Steele county, 1246 ft. 



Timber, trees and shrubs. Along the streams in the eastern portion 

 of the county is found considerable heavy timber, but the most of the 

 county is natural grassland or prairie. In addition to the woody species 

 named in the Olmsted county report, the following, not observed there, 

 occur in Dodge county, and probably also others: 



Menispermum Canadense, L. Moonseed. 

 Ceanothus Americanus, L. New Jersey tea. 

 Cratsegus coccinea, L. Scarlet-fruited thorn. 

 Cr. Cius-galli, L. Cockspur thorn. 

 Ribes Cynosbati, L. Wild gooseberry. 



Cornus circinata. L'Her. Large-leaved dogwood. Found in cold woods and on bluffs. 

 Fraxinus viridis, Michx. Green ash. 

 Celtis occidentalis, L. Sngarberry. 

 Ostrva Virginica. Willd. Hop-hornbeam. 

 lietula lutea, Michx. f. Yellow birch. 



Piuus Strobus. L. White pine. A few straggling specimens were seen iii Olmsted county. 

 There is a grove of the trees near Mantorville. 



Abies balsamea, Marshall. Balsam fir. With the preceding. 

 Juniperus communis, L. Common juniper. 

 J. Virginiana, L. Red cedar. 



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