
          477.

free from dust was to-day very dusty, so much so, that the branches
when rubbed against left long streaks of dirt on our clothes.

We made a circuit of this cleared area,  reaching the railroad
near the road to Marley.  Looking across the cleared space we
saw one of the piles of brush ablaze.  We now kept along the
tracks until we reached the first ravine in which is the crooked
tree, and where we first found Gentian Andrewsii last fall. We followed
the stream, keeping on its left bank. About 500 ft. from the 
railroad close to a white oak which had a large triangular piece
of bark removed near its base,[note at top of page: So many trees were here found with large portions of bark removed that we wondered what caused it.  We concluded that no doubt a fire had raged through the forest and had burned
these large scars near the base.] we found several dried up specimens of Gentian
Andrewsii. These specimens were marked by tying a small bit of
red cloth to a small shrub.  About 6 ft. from the tree was
another pretty specimen which was marked by tying it to a stick, on
which was attached the cloth.  Another large plant was found
at the base of the <s>large</s> white oak only 10 ft from the first.  This specimen
was tied also to a stick.  The reason for marking these plants was
to find out if the plants are perennial.  We now kept on up the
stream, taking the left branch at the point where it is met by
another.  On our way we passed a nice pit, quite dry, its sides
and bottom nicely lined with dry leaves.  In it was growing one
        