84 ECONOMIC BOTANY OF ALABAMA. 



reach their inland limits a few miles north of Mont- 

 gomery. 



Economic features. — The population of this region is 

 doubtless denser than in most other parts of the central 

 pine belt, but about two-thirds of the area seems to be 

 still wooded ; perhaps not more than half with virgin for- 

 est, though. The virgin forest is chiefly confined to 

 swamps and bottoms. The forest products are much the 

 same as in the short-leaf pine belt. The region is fairly 

 well supplied with railroads and navigable rivers. 



For this belt the Southern Lumberman lists 22 saw- 

 mills, with an average capacity of 13,600 feet a day, and 

 7 other wood-working establishments, most of the latter 

 located in Montgomery. Ten of the mills cut long-leaf 

 pine, 15 short-leaf, one "spruce" (Piniis glabraf), 2 cy- 

 press, 3 hickory, 2 beech, 8 white oak, 5 red oak, 10 pop- 

 lar, 5 sweet gum, 3 tupelo gum, and 2 ash. 



7. The Black Belt. 



(Figures 35-39.) 



This well-defined region, also known as the cane-brake 

 or prairie region, embracing about 4,300 square miles in 

 Alabama, extends northwestward through Mississippi 

 and a short distance into West Tennessee, making a cres- 

 cent-shaped area. There is nothing at all resembling it 

 anywhere farther east, but there is some very similar 

 country in southwestern Arkansas and eastern Texas. 



References.— Bartram (398-400?), Gosse, Hale, Lyell 

 (41-42, 75-76), Mohr 8 (97-105)*, McGuire, Smith 6 (55- 

 58, 68, 128-140), Smith 7 (265-272, 295, 459-492), Smith 

 8 (276-285, 350-352, and county descriptions). Smith 9 

 (13, 131-132, 144, 191), Tuomey 1 (122-137, 140-142), 

 Tuomey 2 (134-135, 234-236; the last by E. Q. Thorn- 

 ton), Webb. 



Geology and soils. — This region coincides exactly with 

 the outcrop of the Selma Chalk (formerly called Rotten 

 Limestone) one of the Cretaceous formations. The rock 

 is a soft gray argillaceous limestone, remarkably uniform 



*This also covers regions 6C and 8. 



