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I lie > il. :i» in.^lit I. - i vp'CUil. j> vei y ]<• ii'))- ; im grain crop could be :i "ii land like ill1', without st:il)li--mai:mji- or iis f*juivtili-nt. Hut tlie "i - a ter portion ol any >urli manure would l>e t hi own away on a stnl so extremely -andy, and having a su^oi! o!' lloating .-and.-,.	4'-
Al least, 111is land can lie of u-e only as pa-Une: and tlie question arises, wheth-r its present growth of >our grasses might not, with little expense, be ■"hanged into one of nweet grass.
The brown colors of the waters draining from tlieso lands, proves that the soil is in an acid condition < • -1<m;;; the remedy for this property, as has l>cen stated (Agricultural Iu-port, General I’art T 031'. ft.) is lime or iishes. The former substance would pioUibly l>e most available, and in the present instar.ee, it would lie best to use it in the freshly burnt state, and to sow it broadcast oa the surface, during a moderately wet season.
Ashes have Ix-en mentioned as an alternative, for the same purpose. The ( IT, I t of’tlieir application in the present instance, is well illustrated by the fact, which is very apparent eren to a .sii|>erficial observer, that wherever the dead grass has U-en burnt otf (and consequently its ashes given to tile soil), the Cord-ru'h and X'jri* have almost disappeared, while a Soft, appetizing growth of good grass now covers the ground. The ell'ect of lime would probably be similar,, and more lasting.
830. Along the water courses, where the soil is heavier (sometimes, probably, derived immediately from the potter’s clays which underlie those glades), and more productive, the application of lime as a corrcctive for the sources of the soil, might enable the settler to raise a part at least of the vegetable necessaries of life. In dry seasons, the last mentioned soils crack open an 1 U-come very hard, not so much from any clay they may contain, as oa account of the sour, gelatinous condition of their vegetable matter. This also, w oiiid, to a great Silent, be corrected by the application of lime. It is said that (he railing of stock by pasturing in these regions, is a business somewhat uncertain. on account of the variability ol the winters; which sometimes, when mil 1. allow the cattle plenty of pasturage through the year, but when severe, by killing the grass, will starve mit the stock, which cannot, of course, lie profitably supported on ls,ny!,t corn or hay.— At present, the making of hay on these nn-adows would sr-ain'ly |1(. practicable: but it could undoubtedly be done in many of the /•<<’■)..' spots w hich I have seen : and thus the application of lime might	enable the st'-ek rai-cr to	make hay enough	for the	support of	his cattle
i	w inter, i:i cy-e fund.
'ii. A- u<* :iji|in>;if!i \\ itlsin about a	mile of tin?	beach, the
I’ ii-	t rnlx-r r:i|i; i!y i;i;;k-.>\in quality	: tho	same	is	the case
>’■ :ii:':i :ib-'iit :i;i:f ;; :i:;! • ,,f 1 ’n~i ;il;i>u!;i river. The trees arc •I" ii'- . i.iit iMi \ ■ •!'\ !.h!- :iiiiI iniv<.'<i with iln‘ Long-h-al’pine
'	:	-	> I-- -I t :• ■ T	■	...	,	,c	I	•	i	i	w	■	;;]	!	;j	]	|]g I !iC Coast,
:•••*? !"." '.in- 111111 * -1 • v' •!. I-!. ;!.•• I.ifj- r limber u!‘ t !n* Islands of
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1
'IIKLI. HUMMOCK PLANT-:
the Mississippi Sound. It is .generally distinguished lroui tlie Long-leaf pine, in being called “Pitch Pine ”, on account ol the extreme “fatness ’’ ol' its wood. It is probably identical in species with the common “ Bottom Pine ’’ (P. tmiln), of ‘South Mississippi.
Within a quarter to half mile from the beach we lind other timber mingling with the Pine', to-wit: Live Oak., and Spanish ("Rid") Oak. A part of the land thus timbered, which extends inland from the beach in strips and bands, has for its undergrowth the Gill berry (“ Prinos glabcr); such constitute the “ Gallberry Hats ” of the coast, which are said to be very poor, and not to produce without manure.
832.	Nearer to the beach, we lind the‘sand hoinmoeks ’characterized by a growth of the “Pitch Pine" (P. tatdaj) together with Live Oak (Q iC'Tus vim\si, Barrens Scrub O ik (Q. Cates’>aeij generally called “ Black Jack ’’in Mississippi, as well as the Q. Itrrtiffined), and the narrow-leavM Black Jack (Q. cinerea—“Upland Willow Oak”) and oftentimes some Magnolia. The soil of these “sand hoinmoeks” is generally very sandy, and will produce, but for a few year3, without manure ; but in most cases the subsoil is “ufficiently compact to allow of permanent improvement.
833.	Shell Hammocks.—The soil most esteemed all along the coast of Missis- ^ sippi, is that of the “ Shell hommock,’’ lying, in most cases, immediately contig-mous to the beach, or at least, in such localities on the inlets and bayous as are Msily accessible by water. In these we find irregular heaps and sometimes Urge masses of sca-shells—“shell banks”—olten extending like ramparts, four to seven feet high, along fha shore. The shells are only of two species, vix : the edible oyster now common on the coast, and the Gnathodon, popularly ■known as the “clam-shell". The only other species occasionally, but rarely, found accompanying the two above named, are the Dalanut (Barnacle), and the Mytilus hamntus, a small shell now usually found adhering to the shell of the living oyster, like the barnacle. In clearing away these shell banks for the purpose of burning lime, bits of pottery, Indian arrow-heads, and charcoal, are frequently found among the shells ; and the surface of the ground, when cleared of tho shells, is found to be on • lorel with that of the “sand-hommocks.” There can be no doubt, therefore, that these shell banks are the incidental work of human hands, and have been formed in consequence of the consumption of the edible shells by the Indians. In fact, the only difference between the soil of the sand hommock, and that of the “shell hommock”,
is such as would be expected in consequence of the pressure, and decay of calcareous shells (1T851, tf.). The soil is of a dark tint, to the depth of six to ten inches, but not, as a general thing, less sandy than that of the "sjnd hom-inocks”; its subsoil also is apparently the same ; and it bears the same growth as the latter, with the addition of a numlier of lime-loving trees and shrubs. The following plants are found on a spot from which a specimen of soil was taken, on Mrs. McRae’s land, at West Pascagoula :	Live Oak. very prevalent ;
lied Cedar, Wiv Galls (Lnnrut carolui'niit, in trees of unu-'.ii! s::w):
Spanish (“ Hr}”) (>ak (V-	Water	Oak	;	Holly	; some 1 logwood: Sweet
Gum; “ Pitch I’ine”; Wild Plum; Iron-wood; French Mulberry: Prickly Ash	Hercules’ (,'lub (Jr.</	commonly
termed “ Prickly Ash" in the interior of Mississippi): agre-u many vines of the Muscadine (1/7/* /'ftt//nihand i't>rihj,,lt<t}. Among the herbaceous plants common on these “shell hoinmoeks'’, one of the Sunllower tri'ie. with opposite leaves (Artinnmeris?—not seen in bloom ), deserves atleniinn: it is called by