DISTRIBUTION OF AMERICAN FORESTS 
these resources, and the assiduous ax 
and the fire that follows in its train 
have invaded even the most secluded 
regions. The resulting barren spaces, 
where they have not become cultivated 
land, have either reverted to the young 
white pine itself or have been trans- 
formed into oak barrens and open 
forests of broadleaf trees. Thus the 
aspect of the region has been altered, 
though many a limited spot may be 
found in which the tall majesty of the 
primeval forest still finds its full ex- 
pression. 
Extending from southern New Eng- 
land along the entire range of the 
Appalachians, sloping toward the At- 
lantic, and spreading far westward to 
the Mississippi and beyond, the region 
of the eastern broadleaf forests covers 
89 
