WASHINGTON, AND MARION COUNTIES, 2 1 



woods do well ; by themselves or isolated, they give little 

 promise of future value. The beeches seem to reproduce 

 less than any other species in proportion to their original 

 numbers. Moisture-loving trees, their fruit appears to blight 

 b)- the increasing dryness of the summers. Other species, 

 as chestnuts, hickories, etc., have their seeds more largely 

 destroyed by insects than formerly. The destructive influ- 

 ences at work are many. Over some thin or exhausted soils 

 there arc species, like sassafras and sumac, which come up in 

 dense thickets, and exclude every other species. This feature 

 is evidently the work of nature to restore those soils for the 

 growth of other trees ; for no such conditions exist in old 

 forests. 



Red ceilar has spread from its former restricted limits ; but 

 confines itself nearly to places with dry conditions and with 

 limestone rocks. The ailanthus has spread more extensively 

 than any introduced tree, partly because it seems well adapted 

 to the soils, and partly because the seed are easily scattered 

 by the wind. The American holly is seen here only in small 

 bushes on the Black Slate, and in limited numbers on re- 

 stricted arras. The catalpa, though introduced here many 

 years ago, has not reproduced itself over the country. It 

 spreads from its roots occasionally, but seldom otherwise. 

 The Chickasaw plum has scattered over parts of the Lower 

 Hudson River beds, and grows and produces well. It seems 

 remarkable, that of all the trees and shrubs introduced here 

 since the settlement of this region, the ailanthus as a tree, 

 and the Chickasaw plum as a shrub, are the only ones that 

 have? adapted themselves so as to appear native, unless it 

 be the willows on the streams, some of winch have probably 

 been introduced. It would seem from these facts, the orioinai 

 dissemination of species required much more time than merely 

 for tin; distribution of seed. The presence of some of the 

 pines, of birches, of azaleas, and rhododendrons, within a score 

 or two of miles of this region, and their entire absence here, 

 where the same conditions appear to exist, is an unexplained 

 problem. 



