1905] LIVINGSTON- RELATION OF SOILS TO VEGETATION 27 
lected by the author in Roscommon and Crawford counties. The 
determinations were made in this laboratory. By “surface” is meant 
the first 5 to 6°™, by “subsoil” the next 15 to 20°™. 
TABLE II. 
SHOWING THE WATER CAPACITY OF ROSCOMMON AND CRAWFORD SOILS. 
WATER CAPACITY VOLUME 
PER CENT. 
— Township Soil type See Forest type 
Subsoil Surface 
I 21.4 Clay loam Plain Hardwood 43-5 74.1 humus 
2 22.4 Clay loam Ridge Norway 45.9 40.0 
3 25.4 Plain Jack 37.0 
4 22.4 Loamy sand Plain Norway 43.8 oe 
5 22.4 1 P) Hardwood 56.9 Mainly humus 
It is noticeable that the subsoil of sample 1 has the same water 
capacity as that of sample 4, but the surface humus of the former 
brings its water-retaining power up to a point far above that of the 
latter. The surface of sample 4 was apparently like the subsoil, 
containing very little humus. 
| TYPES OF VEGETATION. 
_ The vegetation of the region may be subdivided into several types 
or plant societies. These grade more or less into one another, but 
there are a few places where an observer would be puzzled to deter- 
mine any particular type. There are to be distinguished four types 
on the upland and three on the lowland. Practically all of the area 
under discussion has been lumbered. A virgin pine forest is almost 
entirely unknown now, though some of the finest pines of the state 
were cut from here. The hardwood areas have been left almost 
untouched, excepting for the removal of the white pine originally 
scattered through them in many places. The hardwood is now 
tee rapidly removed, however, and it will not be long before there 
be none left. In the lowlands, the merchantable arbor vitae 
has very largely been removed, as has been also much of the spruce 
and even considerable quantities of the tamarack. In the present 
: wee there will be presented first a characterization of the 
original vegetational cover, as well as this can be determined at the 
¥ present time; then will follow a description of the present conditions. 
aA 3 
