FAKM MANAGEMENT IN THE OZARKS. 5 



farms for many years. Of the lowlands the choicest are the bottoms. 

 From this the quality grades down, until in many instances what is 

 described and known locally as valley land is no more desirable than 

 the highlands with a topography sufficiently level to admit of cultiva- 

 tion. 



The bench lands, when they occur, are generally in the vicinity of 

 the streams. They lie at a higher altitude than the bottom lands, 

 but are lower than the typical highlands and are usually comparatively 



Fig. 4.— Typical phases of Ozark "uplands." The upper view shows the general character of land described 

 in the text as "rolling upland." The lower view is of the more rugged, mountainous country. 



level. The area of these lands is small and in point of desirability 

 they class with the valley lands. 



HIGHLANDS. 



The highlands comprise the great bulk of the land in the Ozark 

 region. A large part of this land, and in some sections the great 

 majority of it, is too rough and stony for cultivation. The topography 

 varies from level to rolling and very steep. (See fig. 4.) In almost 



