REPORT ON THE BOTANY 
OF 
BARREN AND EDMONSON COUNTIEs. 
By JOHN HUSSEY. 
TERRITORY COLLECTED OVER. 
My collections were made in the western part of Barren 
county, or that part west of the Louisville and Nashville Rail- 
road, in the Cave region, and in the county of Edmonson. My 
observations in Barren county would lead me to the conclusion 
that the traditions which are current as coming from the settlers 
are true; that is to say, that when the whites first came to these 
parts, it was, indeed, a barren region, destitute at least of trees. 
On the more level parts of this county the trees are yet small 
in size and few in species. The size of the trees alone would 
settle the question as to the length of time in which the present 
forest has stood, especially when taken in connection with the 
absence of the remnants of an older forest in the matter of 
fallen trunks and stumps. On the line of sandstone-capped 
hills seen rising between the line of the railroad and Green 
river are to be found larger trees than any in the more level 
portions of the county, showing that when the rest of the 
county was bare of trees, there were some crowning these 
hills. The limited number of species found in Barren county 
would itself be conclusive of the question of the recent intro- 
duction of forest growth into this region. The most of the 
oaks are of the following species: Quercus, coccinea, rubra, 
nigra—the latter species very numerous. A/éa is found, but 
not abundant; also zwbricaria and obtuszloba, about the numer- 
ous sinkholes. I saw no poplars, no tulip trees, linn, beech, 
black walnut, or butternut. 
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