CONDITION OF THE FORESTS. 221 



buckeye. The characteristic trees which are to be found 

 on the northern slopes and hollows are : hemlock, ,^reat laurel, 

 sweet birch, yellow birch. (Plate XXIII.) 



On the southern slopes and alons^ the gravelly crests of the hills 

 the growth is less varied, being largely composed of chestnut^ 

 white oak, red oak, black oak, and chestnut oak. The forest on 

 southern slopes is less dense than on northern and the trees are 

 smaller. 



CONDITION OF THE FOKESTS. 



The cover of these forests has scarcely been broken, the tops of 

 the trees presenting a nearly uniform surface throughout, the 

 crowns closely interlocking and forming a dense shade. Beneath 

 them is a good floor, usually free from grass and weeds and gen- 

 erally with a deep humus. 



On the best soils along the lower slopes and bottoms the forests 

 attain an average height of from 90 to 120 feet, with clear shafts of 

 60 to 90 feet, bearing narrow crowns. On the poorer and thinner 

 soils, particularly towards the upper slopes, the forests become 

 low and less dense, the cover often thin and open, the boles of the 

 trees shorter, generally crooked and knotty, bearing great spread- 

 ing crowns. 



In very many places there are two groups of trees represented 

 in the forest : a dominant arborescent growth of large trees varied 

 as to species and forming the commercially valuable timbers ; 

 beneath tliem a group of evergreen shrubs or under-trees, often of 

 great density, formed of the great rhododendron and laurel. In 

 most-places there is present a vigorous young growth of the domi- 

 nant group of trees if they are shade-bearing species : beech, 

 birch, and hemlock on the wetter soils ; sugar maple and occasion- 

 ally red oak on the drier, the young growth forming thickets, 

 sometimes of pure growth, beneatli the parent trees ; but where 

 the cover has been broken by trees being removed in lumbering 

 or by windfalls, irregular thickets of light-loving species spring 

 up : chestnut, encumber tree, yellow poplar, white ash, white and 

 red oaks, which can endure a deep shade only for a short time. 



Browsing cattle have damaged young growth to a great extent, 



