256 



on a mountain summit, but these could be renewed from time 

 to time and the garden could be started under trees to shield it 

 from our August sun. 



Fig. 3. Chestnut Grove, Apple Orchard Mountain, Virginia. 



Here are the principal plants seen on the summit, none of 

 which would seem to present any great cultural difficulties if 

 shade and water were forthcoming. The top of the mountain 

 is not a peak, but a slightly flattened ridge running nearly east 

 and west, with large boulders of granite separated by plats of 

 grass, Dicksonia, and shrubby thickets. Stunted red oaks and 

 Rhododendron catawhiense grow around and among the rocks, 

 while Alleghany birch and a few trees of mountain ash and 

 mountain holly grow on the north side just beyond the crest of 

 the ridge. Chestnut, white oak, wild cherry, P. serotina, and 

 witch hazel are also represented. 



Shrubs are more abundant, mostly in dense thickets west of 

 the larger rock masses. The two species of hazelnut, a willow, 

 a gooseberry, Crataegus neofluvialis, and Cornus paniculata 

 represent most of the species, which should be kept separate. 



