822 PLANT LIFE OF ALABAMA. 
sandy loam, rich in vegetable matter on the surface, underlaid by a 
more compact subsoil of great depth, and at a short distance beneath 
the surface damp throughout the year, but not deficient in drainage. 
A soil of this character, in this low latitude, unites all the require- 
ments for the rapid growth of the pecan tree, yielding nuts of finest 
quality. The presence of the mesophile herbaceous plant asso- 
ciations, forming the original plant covering—that is, such as prefer 
a soil of a moderate amount of moisture and a good drainage—points 
to the fitness of the soil for the cultivation of early vegetables in the 
field during the fall and winter seasons, where, in this part of the 
Louisianian zone, the proximity of the sea offers greater protection 
against the injuries caused by sudden aud extreme changes of temper- 
ature, followed by light frosts. Among the fruit trees most successfuliy 
grown in the coast region the fig is to be included, which, in the closer 
and damper soil, is less liable to suffer from the causes mentioned. 
In the region of the Lower division of the Coast Pine belt or the roll- 
ing pine hills (dry pine barrens), the long-leaf pine reigns supreme, 
with a scanty undergrowth of black jack, blue jack (Quercus mary. 
landica, (). brevifolia), and downy yellow haw (Crataegus elliptica). Her- 
baceous xerophile associations form a dense carpet beneath, consisting 
of a variety of panic grasses and Paspalums, broom sedge (Andropogon 
scopartus) and many species of the pea family—tick trefoils (Meibomia), 
bush clovers (Lespedeza), prairie clovers (Cuhnistera), goat’s rue (Cracca 
smallii, C. hispidula, C. virginiana)—Dblazing star (Lacinaria elegans), 
vanilla plant (Trilisa odoratissima), golden-rods (Solidago puberula pul- 
verulenta, S. odora, etc.), golden asters (Chrysopsis mariana, C. pilosa), 
asters (Aster patens, Ionactis linariifolius), suntlowers (Helianthus 
radula). These give character to the flora and indicate a soil of warm 
sandy loam, with a somewhat clayey subsoil capable of retaining 
moisture. The pine lands where such conditions prevail are particu- 
larly adapted to the growth of pears of Asiatic origin, such as the Le 
Conte and the Keiffer, and the scuppernong grape, and the growing 
of the peach gives much promise. Watermelons are raised in large 
quantity and of best quality. The sweet potato, under the application 
of proper fertilizers, yields large crops, and throughout the pine belt 
forms one of the most important food products. Treated in the same 
way, corn, particularly the white variety, yields satisfactory crops, and 
the tropical sugar cane is grown with equal success. 
In the Upper division of the Coast Pine belt with its arboreal vegeta- 
tion of a mixed growth of coniferous and hard-wood trees, particularly 
where the short-leaf pine mingles freely with upland oaks, upland 
hickories, and the chinquapin chestnut, a light sandy loam of a grayish 
or pale buff color frequently prevails, underlaid by a retentive sub- 
soil. This class of soils, particularly where they cover the low undu- 
lating hills, is found especially favorable for the cultivation of the 
strawberry. Soils of a very similar character, and equally adapted to 
