362 AGRICULTURAL REPORT. [11796, 797. 798 



796. It is not the province of this Report to suggest municipal regulations by 

 which the burning of the woods at improper seasons might be prevented, or at 

 least, rendered of less general occurrence ; the evil, however, is a crying one 

 to the mind of every candid observer, and the destruction of national wealth 

 caused by it is so enormous as to deserve no less attention certainly, than the 

 improvement of soils. However convenient and effectual may be the burning 

 of the dry gras in order to render the young growth accessible to cattle, that 

 advantage is certainly purchased very dearly at the cost of its total destruction 

 within a few years — a policy little better, in fact, than cutting down a fruit-tree 

 for its fruit ; and which appears more especially irrational when we consider 

 how easily the advantage could be reaped without incurring the enormous 

 waste, by a regular system of burning at times when, as after the first autumnal 

 rains, and more especially in early spring, the ground is too wet to allow of 

 injury to the roots, while yet the grass and weeds may be burnt off low enough 

 to serve all practical purposes, and to destroy, at the same time, the Black Jack 

 and Post Oak undergrowth, which is equally fatal to the range, with the fire 

 itself. For the latter purpose, the burning in early spring, when the sap is 

 rising, would be the most favorable time. 



71)7. Waters of the Long leaf Pine Region. — In a region of 

 such vast extent, a considerable variety in the conditions of the 

 supply of natural and artificial water, may be expected ; and it 

 would be tedious as well as unprofitable to rcord, in this place, 

 more than the general features in this respect, of the districts 

 examined. 



The streams deriving their supply chiefly or altogether from 

 within the Long-leaf Pine Region, generally maintain a brisk and 

 almost even current throughout the year. Even heavy rains do not, 

 in general, affect them nearly as much as is the case elsewhere, 

 in consequence of the great perviousness of the sandy soil and 

 Orange Sand strata (1T77), which occupy the surface of the region, 

 and greatly diminish the surface waters — even so that branches 

 below a certain size are rarely met with, or arc very short ; because 

 the water on the ridge lands sinks and then causes copious springs 

 and large streams to form at once, at the foot of the hills, or where 

 an impervious stratum arrests the waters ; while the hollows in 

 the uplands are of a shallow, rounded form, and mostly without a 

 water channel (1132 ; 77). 



As remarkable instances of springs furnishing an unusually large supply of 

 clear, cold water, one near Old Hickory P. 0., on S. 8, T. 10, R. 17 W., Simp- 

 son county, which forms a branch of the Okachicama Chitto ; and another near 

 Mr. James Wethersby's, on S. 7 or 8, T. 8, R. 20, Lawrence county, which forms 

 a short branch of Crooked Creek, may be cited. Similar springs are mentioned as 

 existing in Marion and Covington counties. While, however, there is no lack 

 of spring water at certain levels, these are often very far below the hilltops, 

 especially on the dividing ridges ; and wells require to be sunk to great depths 

 to reach water. 



798. Such is more particularly the case east of the waters of Pearl River, on 

 those of the Bowie, Okatoma, and Leaf River ; where the water of wells is 

 generally freestone, being obtained in the colored clays of the Orange Sand 

 (1J32). In the bottoms and hammocks, however, the saline clays of Grand Gulf 

 Group are often struck — thus near Jaynesville, and Leaf River (11243) ; the 

 waters are then sajine and magnesian (1T314, ff.). The same often happens on 

 the Chickasawhay and Pascagoula (1T244, ff.), yet on the whole, mineral springs 



