CAROLINE COUNTY. 



Caroline County lies well in the central part of the eastern shore 

 peninsula. The land is comparatively flat, the average elevation vary- 

 ing only from about 10 feet along the Choptank River to 75 in the 

 northern end of the county. The soils are for the most part sandy 

 loam, with a large acreage suitable for farming, as well as much that 

 is capable when rightly handled of producing excellent stands of 

 merchantable pine. 



The Forests. 



At the present time forest lands are somewhat evenly disti"ibuted 

 over the County, with the exception of the central part at Denton, 

 Ridgely, and Goldsboro, where there has been extensive clearing of 

 land in recent years. The total wooded area is now but 30 per cent. 

 The northern third of the County lies in the hardwood belt, while in 

 the remainder pure stands of pine predominate, with frequent areas 

 of pine and hardwood forests in mixture. The hardwood forests are 

 made up principally of several kinds of oak, red and black gum, tulip 

 poplar, and hickory. The gums and maple, with willow and pin 

 oaks, occur in the swamp lands, while the white and red oaks and hick- 

 ory are found on well-drained soils. Although only two are abundant, 

 several species of pine occur in the County. Of these, loblolly pine 

 is easily the most valuable as well as common, the next in importance 

 being scrub or spruce pine, which is found in the central part of the 

 County and, to a limited extent, in the southern part as well. 



The great progress which this County has made in agriculture 

 within the last decade has had a marked influence upon forest dis- 

 tribution. The better soils have been, and are still being, rapidly 

 cleared, and the local demand for timber has caused severe culling 

 and a heavy drain upon the forest. In the mixed pine and hardwood 

 stands, which form so large a part of the forest throughout the central 

 and southern portions of the County, the pine has generally been 

 taken. Less valuable hardwoods are left, and this process has natur- 

 ally and very materially changed the composition of the forests, and 

 brought about in them a marked deterioration. It is probable that 

 when the new young stands of hardwood mature and are cut, that 

 pine will very generally return, as it is a species which quickly re- 

 seeds openings where soil is suitable. Outside of the swampy areas 

 where gum, maples and water oak predominate, the soil is usually well 



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