144 FORESTS OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



i 



economic forests. The influence of the two first factors is through 

 the temperature and relative humidity of the locality affecting 

 the length of the growing season, the average annual temperature, 

 and the amount of heat, or the extremes of heat or cold. 



The conjoined effects of these factors separate the forests of the 

 coastal plain region into three parallel zones or belts : (1) The 

 maritime forests, lying to the eastward along the coast, and under 

 the influence of the sea ; (2) the forests of the pine belt ; (3) the 

 transitional forests lying along the western border of the region. 



MARITIME FORESTS. 



The maritime forests, extending northeast and southwest along 

 the entire coast-line, rise from high-water mark, cover the narrow 

 islands, the so-called banks skirting the coast, and on the main- 

 land extend inland for a short distance, fringing the margins of 

 the numerous streams, bays, and inlets about as far as tidal effects 

 occur. This area is only a few hundred square miles in extent, 

 having a length of about two hundred and fifty miles and a 

 breadth in this State rarely exceeding four or five. 



THE SOILS OF THE MARITIME DIVISION. 



The upland soils of the maritime forest belt are of sand or ex- 

 ceedingly loose sandy loams, in a few places calcareous or limy ; 

 being sea beaches, or the remnants of former beaches lying within 

 the existing one, and bordering the sounds and the narrow inlets. 

 There is scarcely a differentiation into soil and subsoil, except 

 occasionally in the larger proportion of organic matter contained 

 in the superficial layers. Both upper and lower layers are 

 identical in consistency, formed of large-sized and even-grained 

 sand, with a small proportion of lime, in the form of calcium 

 carbonate, from the weathering and disintegration of marine 

 shells. The land surface rises usually only a few feet above high 

 tide, though in a few places there are altitudes of 40 feet or more. 

 Where the soils are fine-grained they are continually moist from 

 water suspended by capillarity ; where coarser and porous, they 

 are soon dry, superficially, even soon after rains. The surface is 



