Such a park reserve, even if very small, could not fail to be a
lasting pleasure, since it would be more accessible to large centers of
population than other reserves, and its most delightful seasons are
spring and autumn when the Yellowstone is under snow.
[Illustration: A Mill-Site Near Marble Cave.]
The distant view obtained through open spaces is an undulating forest in
all directions, being apparently both trackless and endless. The great
variety of greens observed in the foliage blends in the distance into
one dark shade, then changes to dark blue, which gradually fades out to
a hazy uncertainty where it is lost at the sky-line.
As long ago as 1853, the variety and abundance of the natural growth of
fruits throughout the Ozarks was observed by Professor Swallow, who then
advised the planting of vines.
Beyond the Wilderness is the Marble Cave property and the entrance to
the Cave is through a large sink-hole in the top of Roark Mountain. This
hole is said to be about two hundred feet long, one hundred feet wide
and thirty-five feet deep. It is shaped like a great oblong bowl with
sloping sides, divided irregularly near the middle, and having the
bottom broken out in a jagged way that is very handsome and gives an
ample support to the growth of ferns, wild roses, and other vegetation
with which it is abundantly decorated.
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