300 THE FORESTS OF CECIL COUNTY 



fully-stocked brash lands means a loss to the owner of from $1600 

 to $2000. 



SHORE TIMBER. 



This second type of forest has an area of 15,000 acres distributed 

 as indicated on Plate XXV. It occupies the depressions along the 

 streams, or occurs as thin fringes on the bay-shore (Plate XXVII). 

 The greater part of this shore-timber is found in the best agri- 

 cultural regions of the county, and the soils upon which it grows 

 are often similar to those of the surrounding farm-lands. The fact 

 that these timbered areas are at certain seasons too wet for grain 

 crops, or so steep that they gully when under cultivation, accounts 

 for their remaining in forest. These forests, mainly hardwoods, 

 have been constantly culled by the farmers and others for all kinds 

 of material for domestic use and for sale. We find here defective 

 old Oaks and Chestnuts (Plate XXVIII, Fig. 1), remnants of the 

 virgin forest, and associated with them, sprouts and seedlings of many 

 species. The sides of the depressions and the moist bottoms, where 

 the drainage is good, are capable of supporting a very vigorous tree 

 growth (Plate XXVIII, Fig. 2). Chestnut and White Oak do well 

 on the slopes, while Tulip-tree and Black "Walnut thrive nearer the 

 streams. The growth of all these species is especially good in the 

 southern part of the county, where the greater part of the shore- 

 timber is found; the streams in the north (Plate XXIII, Fig. 2) have 

 little or no timber along their courses. 



The varied character of this type and its distribution over the 

 county in small patches make the cost of gathering sufficient meas- 

 urements for an estimate of the present stand, prohibitive. The fol- 

 lowing table is the result of the measurement of a number of the 

 better stands (Plate XXVII, Fig. 1) and may not be applied to the 

 15,000 acres of the type. 



