68 REI^ORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 



where the road runs through, with its white bridge spanning the 

 dark tea-Hke water of the stream; the refreshing draught of the 

 water itself, always palatable in spite of its dark color; the 

 fragrance of the magnolia, azalea and clethra, and the beauties 

 of the ever attractive pine barren flowers, all tend to obHterate 

 the memory of clouds of mosquitos and dripping perspiration 

 and draw the naturalist back again and again to this wonderful 

 wilderness. 



The streams of the pine barrens are navigable by canoe, and 

 many a trip has been made over their dark waters. One of these 

 is admirably described by Henry Vandyke in his delightful 

 sketch "Between the Lupin and the Laurel," and in it the reader 

 will find an excellent account of the pine barrens in spring time.* 

 As one enters the Pine Barrens from the agricultural region 

 of Western Jersey, the most striking feature, apart from the 

 Pines themselves, is the continuous shrubby undergrowth of 

 Bracken Pteridium aquilinum. Sweet Eern Comptonia aspleni- 

 folia and Chain Fern Woodwardia virginica. Then the absence 

 of such familiar trees as the Wild Cherry Primus serotina, Sweet 

 Gum Liquidambar styraciflua. Willow Oak Querelas phellos, etc., 

 and the presence of White Birch Betula alba, and the abundance 

 of Sassafras Sassafras sassafras, Sour Gum Nyssa sylvatica. 

 Chestnut Oak Quercus prinus and the Scrub Oaks Q. ilicifolia, 

 marylandica and prinoides. The White Oak Q. alha. Black Oak 

 Q. velutina and Post Oak Q. stellata, occur in the outlying por* 

 .tions of the Pine Barrens or locally throughout, but the first two 

 are often rare over large areas. 



The abundant pine is the Pitch Pine Pinus rigida. The Yellow 

 Pine Pinus echinata occurs, locally, sometimes in large tracts, but 

 in other sections is absent. 



The forests O'f the Pine Barrens to-day present considerable 

 diversity, due to the inroads of fire and axe, and my efforts to 

 ascertain from old residents just what the primitive condStion was 

 have resulted in such contradictory information that I am in 

 doubt as to just what should be said on the matter.f 



*Cf. also Gustave Kobbe, "The New Jersey Coast and Pines." C. C. 

 Abbott, "Days Out of Doors." 



t Cf. for detailed discussion of N. J. Forests. Cf. Reports in Ann. Rept. 

 State Geologist. 



