68 REPORT 4, UNITED STATES ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 



a. The alluvial region of the Mississippi and other large rivers. — These 

 lands have a dense growth, consisting of sweet-gum, water, willow, red 

 and swamp chestnut oaks, dogwood, ash, elm, maple, hackberry, &c. 



These alluvial lands constitute a nearly level plain intersected by 

 numberless bayous. The highest lands are nearest to the water-courses, 

 whence they slope gently towards the cypress swamp, which commonly 

 occupies the central parts between two contiguous bayous. Where the 

 alluvial plain is very wide, islands or low ridges of uplands, with char- 

 acteristic oaks and short-leaf pine, break the monotony of the other- 

 wise level plain. Crowley's Eidge in Arkansas may be cited as an ex- 

 ample. 



The typical bottom soil is the so-called '^ buckshot clay," named from 

 the circumstance that in drying it breaks up into small fragments about 

 the size of buckshot. This soil appears to be the sediment which forms 

 the ancient river i>lain, and it is most profusely fertile. 



Near the larger streams the soil is more sandy, and this sandiness 

 decreases towards the cypress swamps, which in general have a heavy, 

 clayey soil, somewhat like the buckshot soil, but which, from liability 

 to overflow, are very little in cultivation. 



The cultivation of these bottom lands is mostly confined to the narrow 

 strip usually above overflow, lying contiguous to the streams, and called 

 the frontland. The haeUand intervening between this and the cypress 

 swamp is sometimes also in cultivation, but is rather liable to overflow. 

 . The quality of the soils varies between wide limits, the buckshot soil 

 representing the one extreme, while light, siliceous, silty soils represent 

 the other. 



b. The marsh lands. — These are usually devoid of large trees, but 

 are occupied by rushes and sedges. They are comparatively little in 

 cultivation and need not be further described. 



2. THE L0V7ER PRAIRIE REGION. 



Under this heading are included, besides the lower prairies of Lou- 

 isiana and Texas, the savanna and prairie lands of Florida, and the 

 llano estacado and gypsum lauds of Texas and the Indian Nation. 

 These latter have very little in common with the preceding except the 

 absence or great scarcity of timber. 



With the exception of the coast prairies, they are of no importance 

 in the cultivation of cotton, and require no special notice. 



a. The central and coast prairies. — In Louisiana these are of threefold 

 character — black calcareous prairies, brown loam prairies, and gray 

 silt prairies. In Texas the coast prairies are chiefly of the first sort, 

 but in the eastern part of the State there are also some of the gray silt 

 or pine prairies. 



In these i)rairies the soil varies from a black, calcareous loam to a fine, 

 light- colored silt. They are usually nearly level and devoid of trees, 



