But although the growth of timber usually denotes the sort of soil on which it grows, yet it sometimes happens that the soil varies materially in different places where the same sort of timber grows; and it is observed in some parts that the growth of the young timber is of a different sort from the old. Lands on which the growth of timber almost entirely consists of maple, basswood, and beech, appear to be attended with a scarcity of timber most suitable for fences ; although a quantity of oak, elm, ash, &c., is usually found on land of this description, sufficient for the purpose*- of fencing and building, and basswood rails, when the bark is taken off, are tolerably durable.

1174 PAPERS RELATING TO

The most useful sorts of timber are, the sugar maple, oak, pine, vellow poplar, (here called white wood) wild cherry, white and black walnut, chesnut, hickory, wild plumb and dogwood. Of shrubs and plants the most noted are, sassafras, wild hops, fox grapes, in some parts, elder, sumac, raspberry, ginseng, sarsapariila, snakeroot, spikenard, mandrakes, in taste and flavour much resembling a pine apple, strawberries, whortleberries, cranberrie,,, and wild gooseberries. The sorts of trees and shrubs which a-tf most scarce, are hemlock fir, cucumber tree, white poplar, wb *t and black birch, turmeric tree, spruce pine, locust tree, prick *■ ash, spice wood, hazel nut, willow, and alder. Fruit, asappl -, peaches, plumbs, cherries &c. grows to much advantage, and ;i some parts are orchards that were raised by the Indians ; but frui; trees, in this country, were mostly destroyed in the expedition oi General Sullivan against the Indians in the revolutionary wai = This country is very favourable for the raising of grass, the upla-wd usually producing from a ton and a half to two tons an acre, and sometimes three tons.