PREFACE. 



This is the first of a series of papers on " The Vegetation of Long Island," 

 which it was intended should be issued under one cover. To issue them 

 as separate parts, as they are completed, now seems the better plan as not 

 much has ever been written on this phase of Long Island plant life, and 

 practically nothing at all upon the environmental factors which determine it. 



Studies of the well-nigh world wide contest between grassland and 

 forest are so common that it should be said that the peculiar climatic and 

 topographic conditions at Montauk alone make necessary the publication 

 of another such paper. As will be seen, the response of the vegetation at 

 Montauk is in many ways unique. 



The attempt to put into plain English what appears to be the vegetative 

 history of Montauk, without using the multitude of terms that etymologic- 

 ally adroit ecologists have given us, may seem to demand some apology 

 from my colleagues. But a glance at recent ecological literature shows 

 that many of the.se terms are not yet free from confusion or controversy, 

 whereas English still possesses the incomparable advantage of being under- 

 stood not only by most ecologists, but by others. 



In gathering instrumental data, in the identification of critical species, 

 and in other ways, I have had assistance from various people whose special 

 services are acknowledged in the different sections of the book. I am 

 particularly pleased to make grateful acknowledgment to my friend and 

 colleague, Major Harrington Moore, who has shown constant interest and 

 helpfulness during the work, and especially during several trips to Montauk. 

 To my assistant Helen Smith Hill I am under great obligation foi efiicient 

 help in carrying through most of the details of instrumental work, of ex- 

 perimental cultures for testing the moisture-holding capacity and wilting 

 coefficient of many soil samples, and in many other ways. The photo- 

 graphs, except where noted otherwise, were taken by the writer. 



Norman Taylor. 



