fi6 



ECONOMIC BOTANY OF ALABAMA. 



LIST OF TREES— Continued. 



About 45% of these trees are evergreen, which is a 

 little larger proportion than in any region previously de- 

 scribed. Nearly all bottom-land trees are of course con- 

 spicuous by their absence. The (mountain) birch, 

 Bctula J en fa, is in Alabama almost confined to this re- 

 gion, and the chestnut oak is more abundant here than in 

 any other part of the state. The red bay, Vs^hich is more 

 abundant near the coast, here reaches its highest eleva- 

 tion. The same might be said also of the common bay 

 and the long-leaf pine. (There are some reasons for be- 

 lieving that this part of Alabama v^^as the original home 

 of the latter.) 



Economic features. — At least 90 Vc of the Blue Ridge 

 region has never been cleared, the ground being too 

 steep and rocky to offer much attraction to the farmer. 

 Cattle have had free range here, at least until very re- 

 cently. 



A great deal of long-leaf pine has been cut for lumber 

 and charcoal, but the other timbers have not suffered so 

 much from civilization. Some post-oak cross-ties and 

 doubtless some chestnut oak tan-bark have been gotten 

 out. 



