128 ECONOMIC BOTANY OF ALABAMA. 



In the Tennessee valley there is little uncertainty 

 about where to draw the line between trees and shrubs, 

 but as we go southward the difficulty of making this 

 distinction increases. In the coast region especially 

 there are several species which become small trees far- 

 ther inland or in other states, but are here nothing but 

 shrubs. Among them may be mentioned the following: 



Probably at least 90% of the trees of the coast region 

 are evergreen. One species, riuiis cluusu, is in Alabama 

 confined to this region, and the few trees of it in the 

 southern part of Baldwin County are the only ones 

 known outside of Florida. 



Economic features. — Practically none of the area is 

 cultivated, and the dunes are uninhabited except for a 

 few summer cottages, fishermen's shacks, etc. In days 

 gone by some of the live oak was used in shipbuilding, 

 but the forests at present seem to be of little economic 

 importance. The cedars are mostly too gnarled or too de- 

 cayed to make pencil-wood, but they may be used in a 

 limited way for fence-posts and small parts of boats. 

 There are no restrictions on the ranging of cattle, and 

 small herds eke out a scanty existence on the islands, 

 where the forage is at least green throughout the year, 

 if nothing else. 



A little honey is made in the southern part of Baldwin 

 County, and doubtless some of it comes from the flowers 

 of trees and shrubs growing on and near the dunes, par- 

 ticularly the saw-palmetto and tyty. 



