348 AGRICULTURAL REPORT. [T760, 761 *, 7S1 2 



THE LONG-LEAF PINE REGION. 



Embracing most of the Territory given on the Map as Occupied by the 

 Grand Gulf Group (1T230), lying South of the "Central Prairie Region", 

 (^721 to 759), East of the "Southern River Counties", (1J674 to 720), 



AND NOT INCLUDED WITHIN THE "SEA-COAST COUNTIES" (l[804 ; 884). 



700. Extensive as is the district circumscribed as above, it ex- 

 hibits, nevertheless, a great uniformity of character both in its 

 surface conformation, its soils, and its vegetation : and its promi- 

 ent traits may be briefly stated. The surface is generally undula- 

 ting, not unfreqnently hilly, especially where the uplands fall off 

 towards the larger water-courses ; between these, however, we 

 frequently find dividing plateaus or table-lands, which are but 

 gently undulating or almost level — such being the case more 

 especially where the Orange Sand formation, (which forms the 

 surface of the whole region — 177) is composed only of pervious 

 sand with no water-shedding strata, in consequence of which, most 

 of the rain-water sinks into the ground, instead of (as elsewhere) 

 washing out deep valleys and ravines. The surface soil of the 

 uplands is almost throughout, very sandy — partly pebbly or inter- 

 mixed with coarse sand, or, more generally, a fine, grayish-white, 

 "ashy" material, very siliciousand unretentive. The depth of this 

 soil varies, on the dividing plateaus of Simpson and S. Smith, for 

 instance, from 10 to 18 inches, at which depth it is generally 

 underlaid by a yellow sandy loam ; at times, when the land is very 

 poor, by the strata of the Orange Sand directly. 



76 1 1 . The prominent forest tree of the region is the Long-leaf 

 Pine — (Pinus australis Micx, P. palustris L.), which near its borders, 

 occupies only the higher ridges (lo48), but gradually descends until 

 we find it on the very verge of the bottoms, although it very rare- 

 ly occurs in the latter themselves. It is accompanied, in the 

 uplands, by the Post Oak and Black Jack (either or both), and 

 almost invariably, especially on the hillsides, by some Black Gum 

 (Nyssa multijlora) ; also, most generally, by some Dogwood 

 (Cornus Jiorida). 



76 1 2 . The frequency, size and shape of these concomitant trees 

 (as well as, though less markedly, that of the Long-leaf Pine itself), 

 mark the variations in the fertility of the soil where, as in the 

 most southerly portion of the region, the Short-leaf Pine (Pinus 

 rigida) is absent. In its northern portion, however, the partial 

 or entire replacement, on the ridges, of the Long-leaf Pine by the 

 Short-leaved species, is the most common intimation of an improve- 

 ment of the soil, which generally consists in the nearer approach 

 to the surface, of the sandy loam subsoil before mentioned. In 

 this case, simultaneously, the Black Jack and Post Oak increase 

 in frequency and improve in aspect, and the Spanish (" Red ") and 

 Scarlet (" Spanish ) Oaks also often appear ; and it is chiefly in 



