In order to understand the forestry conditions of Adair County, a short description of the lay of the land and the nature of the soil is first necessary. The county lies along the crest of the grand divide, between the Mississippi and the Missouri, so that a line drawn along the crest of the ridge traverses it diagonally from northwest to southeast. The land is undulating enough to secure an easy natural drainage, but not so undulating as to be difficult of cultivation, except in a few isolated localities. The soil is a rich, black loam, varying in thickness from a few inches to ten or fifteen feet and under lain by a stiff, yellow clay