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134Southeastern Geographer research in its promotion; this last activity is especially illustrated by the events leading up to the establishment of the Tall Timbers Research Station, the publisher of these and other proceedings. Not all resource observations are approving. Most serious is the criticism by William Faulkner of the "landscape decay" wrought by the irresponsibility of antebellum cotton planters, as revealed by Charles Aiken in his detailed analysis of the works of the famed Southern novelist . Even Prunty sees his modern plantation in peril if governmental actions continue to restrict the free play of economic processes. Opinions also differ as to the plantation itself. Thus while Prunty sees convergence of the plantation with the modern industrial farm as a sign of its continued vitality, Hart views the development as evidence of its disappearance. And, although Hilliard agrees with Prunty's definition of the plantation as principally a capitalistic operation, he is by no means ready to assign cultural motives to a minor role, as evidenced by his emphasis on differences in planter attitudes in his plantation classification. The authors, then, give us a variety of views on the Southern plantation , both thematic and regional. Those interested in the imprint of this institution on the agricultural geography of not only the South, but the nation, should know about this book. Howard F. Gregor, Department ofGeography, University ofCalifornia, Davis, CA 95616. The Mysterious Carolina Bays. Henry Savage, Jr. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1982. xv and 121 pp., maps, plates, figs., bibliography, and index. $14.95 cloth. (ISBN 0-87249-421-7) The Carolina Bays are truly among the world's greatest geomorphic curiosities even though they remained largely unrecognized until 1930. Although first dimly sensed on the basis of certain types of vegetation more than two centuries ago, it was not until 1847 that South Carolina's state geologist Michael Tuomey identified a few of the bays on the basis of geomorphology and attributed their origin to the combined effects of artesian springs, lacustrine circulation, and erosion of sandy shore zone sediments. Vol. XXIII, No. 2 135 During the late 1800s LeĆ³nidas Glenn studied the bays and suggested in 1895 that they may be relicts of sandbars associated with the emergence of the coastal plain. But it was in the 1930s, first through private enterprise and later government action, that aerial photographs dramatically revealed the incredible number (estimated to exceed 500,000), extent, and size variations of these fascinating features. And it was then, 50 years ago, that while on a commercial flight from Raleigh to Florence, the author of this book saw some of the bays for the first time and was deeply puzzled. While many scientists used the startling photographic data as a basis for new studies of the bays, Henry Savage practiced law, served as mayor of Camden, South Carolina, and became a student of the natural and cultural history of the southeast, including the eliptical lowlands he found so mysterious. The result of Savage's long-lived curiosity is at hand: a thin, two-column, hard-cover volume with six chapters, produced with the expected high quality of a university press. If you appreciated Rasin and Range, this book should interest you too. Like its author McPhee, Savage has gone to considerable lengths researching subject matter not inherent to his academic training. His writing is generally lucid and nontechnical except where directly recounting complicated previous works. But there is more here. The author approaches the subject with an advocacy and style that reflects his legal training and experience. This approach distinctly flavors his presentation from place to place and becomes especially strong in a short but vivid final statement within an epilogue following the last chapter. Some will accept the author's view and confuse hypothesis and possibility with facts and truth. Others will reject the work as another example ofprofessional encroachment by the unqualified. But I think the thoughtful reader will quickly recognize the author's strategy and appreciate this interesting book. First, it contains a splendid bibliography with more than 200 references dating from 1709 to 1981, probably representing the most comprehensive list of literature pertinent to the topic now available. Researchers may...

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