X PREFACE. 



In mentioning the vegetation of the several regions, I have 

 throughout made use of the popular names, as far as such exist ; 

 when, however, characteristic plants requiring mention possessed no 

 English name, I have given the systematical botanical term, which 

 conveys the meaning to some persons at least. I must observe, 

 however, that in reference to the popular names of the Oaks, there 

 exists a great confusion in our State ; those generally adopted in 

 the United States, and which have already passed into systematic 

 botany and text-books, having partially, in Mississippi, been trans- 

 ferred to different species. Thus the Quercus falcata, everywhere 

 else called Spanish Oak, is generally designated as " Red Oak" in 

 Mississippi ; the true Red Oak (Q. rubra) of the Middle States, is 

 either not distinguished here from the Black Oak (Q. tinctoria), 

 or is by many thought to be a " kind " (variety) of the Q. falcata 

 (the " Red'' Oak of the Mississippians, or Spanish Oak proper.) 

 On the other hand, the name of " Spanish Oak " is popularly 

 applied, in Mississippi, to the Q. cocinea, the Scarlet Oak of other 

 States. To use the other nomenclature by itself, would involve, 

 either throwing the student of botany into inextricable confusion 

 as to the trees of the State, or else a misunderstanding on the part 

 of the agricultural population, which would be the more serious, 

 as these several Oaks indicate very essent'al differences of soil. 

 To avoid these inconveniences, I have throughout, in the text, used 

 the names as adopted in botanical text books, but have introduced 

 after them, in parenthesis, quotations, and italic type, the corres- 

 ponding name3 as usually used in Mississippi. Thus, Spanish 

 (" Red'') Oak implies the Quercus falcata, commonly termed " Red 

 Oak" in Mississippi. The "Poplar" (Liriodendron tiiUpiftra — 

 Tulip-tree of the text-books), also, I have placed in quotations, 

 because the name properly belongs to the Lombardy Poplar and 

 Cottonwood (Populus) tribe of trees. 



To those familiar with the sciences, it is proper to state, that the 

 methods I have pursued in the quantitative analyses of soils, etc., 

 are essentially those described by Dr. P. Peter, in the third volume 

 of the Kentucky Geological Report, which yield results very uni- 

 formly satisfactorywith a great variety of materials. The time 

 during which the soils were digested with acid of uniform strength, 

 was in most cases, as uniformly as possible, five days. Want 

 of time and proper arrangements have hitherto compelled me to 



