184 FORESTS OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



abundant trees, while with it in a few localities is found the 

 small shag-bark. 



Beneath the taller trees, no matter what kind, especially where 

 the cover is somewhat open, are the hornbeam with the thorns and 

 haws, and often papaw. 



To the eastward a few broad flats occur, the soils of which 

 remain moist or even wet, but are rarely inundated, and these 

 are covered with a growth of water oak, overcup oak and willow 

 oak, and fringed with white and black oaks. The broad flats of 

 Little river in Union. Stanly and Anson counties, and those 

 along some other streams in the same section of the State, are of 

 this description. 



All open banks where there is full sunlight are lined with river 

 birch and black willow ; and some flats which are subject to 

 frequent and periodic overflow are covered with compact groves 

 of willow or birch; or if the inundation is more prolonged, and 

 this is })articularly apt to be the case eastward, with thickets of 

 small ash and elm. 



Besides these lowlands may he added the mud or clay deposits 

 in depressions on the crests of ridges, usually found in sections 

 where the soils are shallow, often where slates are the country 

 rock. They are very M^et during rainy weather, and for some time 

 afterwards, as there is little subsoil drainage ; but during the sum- 

 mer and autumn become exceedingly dry. The growth on such 

 deposits is usually entirely of willow oak, black-jack oak and more 

 or less ]-)ost oak. 



Many of these l)ottoms with a loamy soil, particularly where the 

 growth was the white oak and poplar, representing some of the 

 most fertile land, have been cleared. Some, however, after being- 

 cleared, have been found untenable on account of the overflow- 

 ing, and have been finally abandoned. Such lands are usually 

 covered (juickly by heavy thickets ol birch, sycamore and elm, 

 while mai)les and gums, whose seedlings grow well in a shade, 

 soon a})]iear beneath them. 



Where lumbering has been going on along these bottoms or 

 staves gotten out, the debris, which is carried off by the streams, 

 often collects at shallow points so as to block the channel of the 



