83 



IIARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



North Zealand, but does not grow wild in more 

 northerly districts ; it is wanted in Jutland, and also 

 in the south-western provinces of Sweden, first 

 appearing again on the borders of Norway. Awhile 

 since it was a good deal planted, but has fallen into 

 disrepute as inferior to red alder and ash, and it 

 is now chiefly used for planting on sandhills and 

 heaths. 



Ash, next to beech, has been most favoured by the 

 effects of modern husbandry and forest-culture. Into 

 the fertile woods of South Zealand, and the smaller 

 islands especially, it penetrates and forms considerable 

 growths ; also in the greatest part of Lolland's 

 forest-tracts ; and in those woods of Falster which 

 have a similar soil, as well as on Moen it has a wide 

 extension. But it is not so common in those of 

 Funen, and the soil of North Zealand is unfavourable 

 to its growth. It is rarer, too, in the forest districts of 

 Slesvig and South Jutland up to the Veile-fjord ; its 

 most important extension on the peninsula beginning 

 north of Aarhus and continuing through the fertile 

 woods along the coast of the sub-peninsula of 

 Grenaa. North of Rander's fjord it appears in 

 several moist woods. On Bornholm it has a wide 

 extension. 



The Elm (Ulmus montana) is widely diffused 

 over Bornholm, but in the rest of Denmark appears 

 only sporadic in the woods. It cannot bear moisture 

 as well as the ash, but on firm ground affects the 

 same kind of soil ; though as fruitful as the ash, 

 where they grow together the ashes far exceed the 

 elms, except in some of the woods of Funen, where 

 the rule is reversed. On Samso the elm was formerly 

 the chief constituent of the woods. 



Hornbeam, of all Danish trees, most resembles the 

 beech, and being similarly capable of enduring shade, 

 can thrive in company with it better than any other 

 tree ; moreover, it can endure a moister soil. It is 

 found sporadic in the beech-woods all over Denmark, 

 except in the north of Jutland. In some of the 

 southern woods, and there only, it is sufficiently self- 

 sowing to predominate and oppress the beech, 

 especially in Lolland, where the ground is moister 

 than usual in Danish woods ; in the Alminding 

 forest on Bornholm, where it has not been subjected 

 to the rivalry of the beech, it is also abundant. 



Of Maple, three species are found in Denmark ; the 

 sycamore, the common maple (Acer campestre), and 

 the Norway maple (A. platanoides). Sycamore, 

 which the Germans say is not hardy enough to 

 develop fully in North Germany, grows luxuriantly 

 upon Als, and the parts of Slesvig adjacent to that 

 island, but apparently does not advance into Jutland. 

 It is frequent also in southern parts of Funen and 

 Zealand, and over the islands to the south of these ; 

 yet it may have been originally planted. 



The common maple, either as a tree or a bush, is 

 at home in the coast woods of the islands, from Als 

 in the east to Moen in the west, but rapidly declines 



towards the north. In North Zealand, however, 

 there are trees with boles which girth forty-three 

 inches ; some of those on Als are fifty-four feet 

 high. In Jutland it is very rare, and restricted to 

 the south of the Rander's fjord. 



The Norway maple is moderately common on 

 Moen where it is associated with oak, ash, elm, and 

 hornbeam. It is also found in some of the Zealand 

 woods, and between Kolding and Ribe in the south 

 of Jutland. 



The Lime (Tilia parvifolia).— Although, 'this tree 

 advances into Norway, it has in Denmark its 

 peculiar home in the south and south-easterly parts, 

 extending into Scania, Sweden. It is found on 

 Bornholm and Moen ; and is common in the woods 

 of Lolland, where also it decks with low growths 

 numerous grave mounds in a part of the island. 

 Remains of its leaves and fruit are plentiful in the 

 Lolland peat-mosses. Among other islands it is not 

 uncommon in the south of Zealand, where at least 

 one tree girths forty-eight inches in diameter of bole. 

 In North Zealand it is rare, but less so in Jutland and 

 Slesvig. It seems to have a partiality for the small 

 islands, on some of which it forms groves. Its 

 timbers being of poor quality, planters discourage its 

 growth ; it suffers, too, from encroachment of the 

 beech, and most frequently does not ripen its seed. 



The Aspen, in the same degree as the birch, is a 

 light-requiring tree, and cannot bear over-shadowing ; 

 like the birch, too, it was common in the forests of 

 former times, if not to the same extent. Meantime, 

 it has kept its ground better in the beech-woods ; 

 not from greater power of self-sowing, but because, 

 like the lime, its roots possess great tenacity of 

 life, and more than those of any other tree can 

 send out buds. It is, however, more frequent in the 

 small woods which have not come under the domin- 

 ation of the beech, as in the peasants' woods on 

 Bornholm ; in Hald, an oak-wood near Viborg, in 

 Jutland, also fine examples of it are found. On the 

 heaths, too, it is common among the oak-scrub, and 

 sometimes solely covers the ground ; but on such 

 meagre soil its leaves are but one-third the size of 

 those in Hald wood. Where ling has been cleared 

 away, the vacant spaces often become overgrown 

 with shoots of aspen, from old roots previously hid, 

 but strongly retentive of life. In some of the forests 

 with good soil it flourishes numerously, both dis- 

 persed and in groups ; but the planters strive to rid 

 it, its timbers being of little worth. 



(To be continued.) 



Sporting Blackbirds. — These are now in the 

 grounds of The Brook villa, three miles from Liver- 

 pool. These blackbirds, one with a white feather on 

 each side of its tail, one with a white wing, and one 

 with a perfectly white breast. They were first seen 

 last summer. — W. B. 



