Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1902-12-09
OUR
n AT v r
TREES
V.-The Forests Of North
America.
THOMAS H. MACBRIDE. Phi. D..
Professor of BotdnD, Iotra State
University.

V.-The Forests Of North
America.
~HE wooded areas Of North
Il America, essentially those Of
the United States and Canada,
fall naturally into two great
regions, occupied by two great forests,
named according to the oceans they re-
spectively confront the Atlantic and
Pacific.
These two forests, unique among
the forests of the world, are likewise
essentially different from each other,
in habit, species, genera even, as I'M
like as though separated by oceans.
Different at the outset, different in his
tory, the vast arid plains lying be-
tween the Mississippi and the Rocky
mountains and between these and the
Sierras have sufficed to keep different
the woodlands east and west during
recent geological ages. The differ
ences are naturally more striking
southwark. In the north, in high lati-
tudes, a paucity of species blends all
our woods in one, where willows,
larches, frs, in pygmy fashion. rule
an empire of their own, not in North
America alone. but in all the subarctic
regions all the way round the pole.
From about latitude 25 degrees
southwark tropical conditions prevail,
and the forests Of southern Mexico
and the Central American states form
a class by themselves, generally dis
tinct from anything we know in tenn
perate zone. However, the tropic
woods form more or less continuous
fringe around the gulf Of Mexico and
SO bring some tropical species within
the limits Of the United States, at
least as far east as Florida. On the
western coast the Colorado and Mo-
lave deserts reach the sea in more To-
calities than one, so that the Pacific
forest is entirely cut Off from all
wooded regions lying to the south. In
our present chapter we may find 1t
convenient to omit the tropical forms
altogether, contenting ourselves with
a brief study and comparison Of the
two great forests Of our own domain
OF these the eastern is far more va
ried, especially far richer in decidu
GUS leaved trees. The western shows
d greater variety Of conifers. The east
ern is also more extensive. The pecul-
lar configuration Of the continent and
the vast expansion Of our fresh water
lakes in the interior afford very wide,
evenly distributed. constant rainfall
over large part Of the eastern United
States and Canada. These conditions
effected to cover the country long ago
with forest from Labrador to Mime
sofa and south to the gulf Of Mexico.
There were, to be sure, prairie inter
walls in the west. but these no doubt
were due to the constant fires, proDa-
bly, caused. in part at least. by aborig'
inal men; but. taken rs whole, the
region named was simply one vast
primeval woods, the finest, the richest,
in every respect that civilized men
ever saw or knew.
The Pacific forest on the other hand,
was much more limited. at least much
narrower. The mountains Of the west
are nearer the coast, and even these,
such are the prevailing winds, do not
receive rainfall Mt all comparable in
distribution to that which waters the
Atlantic states.
The Pacific slope has no large lakes,
but far to the north the waters of Pu-
get sound serve in part the same mu-
nificent purpose. Rainfall is greatest
about Mount Hood and Mount Taco
ma, and in these regions the forests
are richest and densest.
But inequality Of extent and rain
fall is by no means the only distinction
to be noted. The most striking, the
most interesting, difference by far is
In the trees themselves, and, strangely
enough. the diversity in this regard
between our two great American for
ests is often precisely that by which
these woods are distinguished from all
other forests on earth. For instance,
of the Atlantic forest no tree is more
characteristic than the hickory. but
there are no hickories in California
or anywhere else in the world, except
one lone species in the highlands of
Mexico, and that is simply an CUTLER
from the eastern United States In
Arkansas there are some nine species.
The tulip tree Is one Of the most strik-
ing and beautiful as well as one Of the
most common species Of the Atlantic
forest. 1t has been lately reported
from northern China. Otherwise 1t Is
all our own. In the woods of the Pa
cific the same popularity holds. The
most famous trees Of California are
the redwoods. Who can tell of their
splendor as they stand like living mon
uments over the southern Sierras or
form titanic groves in southern Cali
fornia? But there are no redwoods in
the eastern United States or elsewhere
on the planet Even those trees which
at first sight might be esteemed alike
are in the two woods essentially diff
ferent-different species. Thus Cali.
fornia is land Of pines. but not one OF
the California pines grows In the At.
lantic forest. The white pine Of the
east Is represented by the sugar pine