154 



COXDITIOXS BY COUNTIES. 



stated, however, that much land considered almost worthless in 

 the past has been found in recent years to be well adapted to 

 fruit-growing. 



The trees most commonly found on the dry, wooded hills 

 at present are scrub pine, chestnut oak, scarlet oak, scrub oak, 

 and black oak. With these grow scattered locusts, pitch pines, 

 table mountain pines and a few chestnuts. The lower lands now 

 produce such timbers as white ash, black and white walnuts, 

 white and slippery elms, cucumber, basswood, sugar maple, and 

 many others. 



HANCOCK COUNTY. 



Location and Area. 



Hancock, the most northern and the smallest county of the 

 State, was di^dded from Brooke in 1848. It-s area is 86 square 

 miles or 55,040 acres. 



Topography. 



The surface of the county is hilly but smooth and well 

 adapted to farming and fruit growing. The least elevation is 

 666 feet at the Ohio river and the greatest is 1.337 feet at the 

 summit of a high hill near Chester in the northern end. 



The Ohio river and its tributaries, of which the chief are 

 Kings creek and Tomlinson creek, furnish ample drainage for 

 the county. 



Early Timber Conditions. 



The excellent hardwoods of this county were white oak, 

 black walnut, locust, hickory, cherry and sugar maple. There 

 were good stands, also, in the original forests of beech, white elm, 

 sycamore, basswood, and many others usually associated with 

 these species. There were scattered trees of white pine and 

 hemlock and a few red cedars. 



