New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-07-16
THE JERSEY PINE BARRENS.
SANDY WASTES ALTERNATE WITH HUCKLEBER
BY PATCHES AND CRANBERRY BoGs-THE
CACTUS FIOURIsHES-PLANTs FOUND
ONLY IN NEw-JRRSEY.
ONLY IN NEw-JRRsEY.


CACTUS FIOURIsHEs-PLANTs FOUND
ONLY IN NEw-JERsEY.
Those who have gained their knowledge OF
ne New-Jersey pine barrens" from a few
weeks sojourn al Barnegat, Toms River or
other towns along the coast. supplemented by
sundry glimpses from the car window as the
train PUSHES along. may yet have but faint
idea Of what the real pine barrens are like. To
see them at their best-whch in this case is
also their wOrst-one must get further away
from civilization than the railway Will carry
him But before one leaves it indications OF
what is to come not wanting The road
dwindes from four tracks TO two, and finally
20 one; the stations become smaller and draw
further apart and the vegetation steadily grows
more detected il appearance. At the last
change o. cars-nobody can get into the heart
o: the pines" without several changes-one
nnds q train OF two OF three cars drawn by
wheezy engine which. after some miles Of jolt
ing over uneven track finally comes 10 a stand
stin. as II too tired and discouraged 10 20 fur
Their This IS the end Of the road. ana the few
houses which constitute the last village are
clustered about in spot whose fertility. al
though only slightly above that OF The sur
rounding country IS stil sufficient 60 make Il
a veritable oasis IN this all bat desert and In
al directions from It's borders the gray sand *
tenos. tenanted by stuntei specimens Of pitch
pine. whose stems are little more than poles
with a brush o. yellow green foliage at the top
which scarcely shades the small oaks and
huckeberry bushes forming the principal IN
derw0od.
I-pon entering the pines one is impressed not
only by the pauci.y of species but also by the
small number Of individual plants The vege-
taton IN many places 5 SO scattering that If
the smooth. level sand were solid the bicycler
might ride for miles through The woods cho0s-
ing his own path, and meet with very few OBJ
structiOns With a wagon one may drive about
where he pleases II IS. nevertheless. The fash
ion 20 keep 20 the beaten path. even when a
new one might promise better travelling once
4 ROAD is broken l. IS never wholly reclaimed
By Nature. although travel on = may subse-
quently cease. One frequently comes upon such
derelcts aimlessiy SPRAYING across the country
but apparently leading nowhere. II seems
scarcely poss BILE that the passing Of an occa-
sonal wagon could keep the way open. out Il
IS difficult for the plants 20 s-t i t0othod n
the dry soil. and the wind helps somewhat oy
blowing the sand about. so that the roadoed
soon sinks below the surface. sometimes 10 ne
depth 81 a foot II tha yielding sand at he
bottom the tires Of The wagons are lost TO sight.
Three miles an neul Is -Ji!S4IH--1 dp4e ~4NN~'-
ling over such roads.
No LACK OF RAIN.
AS much rain falls upon this part Of New
jersey as upon any other but he thirsty sand
rapidly sucks up The moisture and IN few
short hours after a storm the earth IS dry
again These arid conditions have very no.
ticeabla effect upon the few other species hat
here and there struggle with The pines and
oaks for existence For HI most part hey are
heaths 0r heathlAe plants with thick. .ea-aery
leaves. that are slow Cd .e- their scanty supply
- mo sture 60. The win-ergreen and trailing
arbutus are common. and Sd IS heir near rela-
i've. the barb-rry. Tn Is PROSTATE shrub
with small shining leaves and A prptuslon Of
red berries very attractive 90 ne sight but
containing juicalass. mealy pulp within APP
rarently these berries once had juice. but
the plant long ago gave up the idea u ac4ur-
ing enough water in such place 20 provide
them with t. The cactus Is the only green
thing IN the region that seems absolutely hap
~ even in the jry-st weather lis tAick stems
act as So many reservoirs. storing up water
during wet weather against time u need ana
partlng with il very srudgrgly n Try times
This is probably he only plant that an pro-
luce juicy fruit no matter how dry the season.
In June and July he plants are fairly full OF
the dark red "prickiy pears
II is sometimes difficult 20 understand how
certain species Of sand plants are able 20 Exist
Al all. until the underground portions are tx
arnined. II is then seen that the top is but an
insignificant part Of the whole plant the thick
roots often descending straight down for dis
lance Of nearly SIX feet in their search for
water A notable exception to this is a species
MIR I hen "a d on