RECOGNITION OF CHARACTER OF SOILS. 



509 



Other Loivland Trees. The lowland hickories, like their 

 brethren on the highlands, seem on the whole to prefer the 

 lighter or loamy bottom soils to those of a heavier character. 

 This is especially true of the Pecan. The latter, as well as the 

 shell-bark hickory, is especially indicative of the highest class 

 of bottom soils. The black walnut, while apparently also best 

 suited in loamy soils, is also more or less found on heavy bot- 

 torn lands, provided they are sufficiently calcareous ; and the 

 same is measurably true of the tulip or white-wood tree. The 

 most frequent occupants of heavy bottom lands, however, are 

 the black gum and sweet gum, so that "' gum swamps " are 

 usually found to be of that character. 1 But in the prairie 

 region, where the bottom soils are very calcareous and heavy, 

 as well as in corresponding soils of the " buck-shot " lands of 

 the great Mississippi Bottom, the chestnut-white (cow- or 

 basket- ) oak sometimes occupies such ground almost exclu- 

 sively. Among the accompanying trees are especially the 

 honey locust, the crab-apple, mulberry and sweet gum, as well 

 as ash. 



General Forecasts of Soil Quality in Forest Laiids. While 

 the oaks and pines mentioned as forming the bulk of the timber 

 constitute in the cotton states the prima facie evidence, as it 

 were, of the general character of the land, there are numerous 

 other trees and plants which serve the discriminating land- 

 seeker as a guide for the quality of the soils in different locali- 

 ties. While everywhere, well-developed black, red, Spanish 

 and white oaks are considered as signs of a high quality of 

 land, the tall, thin scarlet, the upland willow, and the bar- 

 rens scrub oak are considered as indications detracting mate- 

 rially from the producing value wherever they prevail. The 

 various hickories are throughout considered as indicating good 

 land when mixed with the oaks, or by themselves ; while the 

 presence of walnut, linden and tulip tree will usually raise the 

 estimate of uplands to the highest class. On the other hand, 

 the occurrence of small black-gum trees and short-leaved pine, 

 with low huckleberry, among the oaks of whatever kind, ac- 



1 Hence perhaps the vernacular name "gumbo " for heavy, adhesive clay soils 

 in the north central states ; which may also, however, be derived from a compari- 

 son with the " gummy " pods of the cultivated okra or gumbo plant. 



