REPORT ON THE BOTANY
                           OF

 BARREN AND EDMONSON COUNTIES.

                 By JOHN HUSSEY.


               TERRITORY COLLECTED OVER.
  My collections were made in the western part of Barren
county, or that part west of the Louisville and Nashville Rail-
road, in the Cave region, and in the county of Edmonson. My
observations in Barren county would lead me to the conclusion
that the traditions which are current as coming from the settlers
are true; that is to say, that when the whites first came to these
parts, it was, indeed, a barren region, destitute at least of trees.
On the more level parts of this county the trees are yet small
in size and few in species. The size of the trees alone would
settle the question as to the length of time in which the present
forest has stood, especially when taken in connection with the
absence of the remnants of an older forest in the matter of
fallen trunks and stumps. On the line of sandstone-capped
hills seen rising between the line of the railroad and Green
river are to be found larger trees than any in the more level
portions of the county, showing that when the rest of the
county was bare of trees, there were some crowning these
hills. The limited number of species found in Barren county
would itself be conclusive of the question of the recent intro-
duction of forest growth into this region. The most of the
oaks are of the following species: Qutercus, coccinea, rubra,
nizgra-the latter species very numerous. Alba is found, but
not abundant; also imibricaria and ob/usiloba, about the numer-
ous sinkholes. I saw no poplars, no tulip trees, linn, beech,
black walnut, or butternut.
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