4. THE BLUE RIDGE. 



the ridges are steep and their summits narrow and undu- 

 lating. There are very few cliffs high enough to over- 

 top the trees so as to be visible from the neighboring 

 lowlands. Many swift clear streams course down the 

 mountain slopes in ravines of moderate depth, but with 

 few waterfalls of any size, Talladega Creek, which rises 

 in Clay County and flows into the Coosa River, has cut a 

 deep gap in the ridge a few miles from Talladega, which 

 now affords passage for a railroad. 



Climate. — No climatic data are available, as the re- 

 gion is almost uninhabited. But as a whole it is un- 

 doubtedly cooler and probably wetter than the regions on 

 either side of it, on account of its greater altitude. 



Forest types. — The principal forest types are those of 

 dry ridges and slopes, and of damp ravines. Below 1,900 

 feet the long-leaf pine is a common tree, especially on 

 the south side, but at higher elevations other pines take 

 its place. The trees on the highest ridges are rather 

 stunted, averaging perhaps ten feet tall. 



Fires are rather frequent here, as in all other places 

 where long-leaf pine is common. 



LIST OF TREES. 



