Title: The American Museum journal
Identifier: americanmuseumjo17amer (find matches)
Year: c1900-(1918) (c190s)
Authors: American Museum of Natural History
Subjects: Natural history
Publisher: New York : American Museum of Natural History
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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Au old colonial sawmill, in continuous use since 1750. When the early settlers were driven by force of numbers from the alluvial river bottoms to the more barren pine lands, a new industry sprang into existence. Sawmills, driven by water power, were in operation as early as 1700 The New Jersey Pine Barrens' By JOHN W. H A R S H B E R G E R Professor of Botany, University of Pennsylvania Editorial Note. — It would be well if New Jersey could set aside a portion, at least, of the Pine Barrens as a state reserve. Although the question of reservation has been agitated by interested botanists and ornithologists, at various times, the state has as yet taken no definite step in the direction of protection. The Pine Barrens have been likened to a transported bit of the South, and they have long had a reputation as a place where rare wild flowers might be found. Conditions are changing, however, and in many parts today there is no longer any evidence of the primeval wilderness known to Audubon, to Baird, and even to Witmer Stone in 1901 and later. And what pine woods are left are being destroyed, both by fire and by the axe. All the cedars are being cut for lumber, exposing also the delicate plants of the forest swamp to wind and sun and consequent destruction. Choice bog orchids and other species are killed by the artificial flooding of cranberry marshes. The Pine Barrens have suffered besides from proximity to New York and Philadelphia; mistletoe has been completely killed out and little holly remains; the land has been robbed that its laurel might grace suburban estates ; sweet bay unfortunately has a large market value; trailing arbutus and pyxie are rooted out to sell on city streets. The sphagnum even is raked from the swamps to be used as packing by city florists. In the meantime automobile roads are penetrating farther and farther into the parts still untouched; while railroads with new towns and their surrounding areas of cultivation, added to the other causes of destruction, are slowly but surely putting an end to New Jersey's primeval coniferous forests and to her choice wild flowers. Is America still so young and so prodigal that in a case like this she cannot see and act before scourged by loss of her natural treasiire .' WHEX that part of New Jer- sey known as the "Pine Barrens" was first settled, and before roads and clearings were made in the primeval forest, the pio- neers inhabited the country along the large streams, notably along the Dela- ware River where the alluvial soil was rich and productive. After all the available land along the river banks had been patented, the early settlers were forced to utilize the wilderness to ' The illustrations are from photographs by Messrs. Henry Troth and J. W. Harshberger 24')

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