the flora of the Alleghenies, and which recur again only in the Ozarks, or moun- 

 tains of the Far West. The red cedar, the juniper, the white, red and yellow 

 pines, are scattered over this district, and give a distinctive character to its flora. 



Immediately bordering the region occupied by the coal basin is a comparatively 

 narrow belt of country in which the Hamilton and Chemung groups form the sur- 

 face rocks. To the northeastern extension of this belt I have before referred. 

 In the central and southern portions of the State, the Chemung and Portage rocks 

 become much more sandy and massive than on the Reserve. The topographical 

 features, and the soil to which they give rise, exhibit corresponding differences, 

 being closely assimilated to those of the adjacent conglomerate and coal measure 

 surfaces. Hence it becomes impossible to draw any botanical line between the 

 Waverly sandstone belt and the carboniferous area which it borders. The Ham- 

 ilton shales, however, continue the same highly argillaceous and bituminous strata 

 wherever exposed. The outcrop of these rocks has been planed down to a nearly 

 uniform level surface, now generally covered by a tenaceous clay soil, sustaining 

 its characteristic flora. The belt occupied by the soil derived from the Hamilton 

 shales is quite irregular, and much more extensive than the outcrop of the parent 

 rock. It includes nearly all the Lake shore east of Sandusky, a large part of the 

 counties of Cuyahoga, Lorain, Medina, Erie, .Huron, Crawford and Delaware. 

 Farther south, the line of outcrop is narrower, the evidences of drift action not 

 discoverable, and the overlying Waverly sandstones more largely developed, and 

 hence the Hamilton clays are much less conspicuous. 



The characteristics of the surface, soil, and flora of this district may be well 

 studied in making the trip from Cleveland to Columbus by rail, a great part of the 

 line of the C. & C. R.R. running through it. Though surrounded by a highly culti- 

 vated territory, it is yet, for the most part, in the state of nature — its dense for- 

 ests of elm, maple, beech, linden, etc., stretching for miles along the track without 

 interruption or variety. Though cold, wet and difficult of subjugation, the soil 

 must iiUimately be regarded as among the most valuable in the State ; as with 

 judicious treatment it will yield to the farmer more certain, if not constantly, lar- 

 ger returns than that of the most productive grain growing districts. There are, 

 perhaps no plants which, within the State, are absolutely restricted to the belt of 

 country under consideration ; but the grouping both of forest trees and under- 

 growth upon it is such as to render it one of our most distinctly defined botanical 

 districts. 



The western half of the State is almost entirely based upon the cliff limestone, 

 which includes representatives of the Corniferous, Onondaga, Helderberg and 

 Niagora limestones of New York. The surface is generally level and monotonous. 



