38 THE PLANT WOKLD 



All of the eastern slope and most of the western slope, 83.6 per cent, of 

 the Reserve, are drained by 13 rivers into Columbia River : the remainder 

 is drained by three rivers into Puget Sound. The reserve includes the 

 great volcanic peak of Mount Rainier, 14,526 feet ; Mount Adams, another 

 great volcanic cone, 12,470 feet ; Goat Mountain, 8,500 feet ; and Mount 

 Aix, 7,623 feet. From these heights the land sinks down to within a 

 few hundred feet of sea level. The bold topography of the reserve is 

 the cause of wide diversities in climatic conditions. The rain-bearing 

 clouds, borne on southwest winds, pass easily through breaks in the 

 Coast Range to the heights and valleys of the Cascade Range. Hence 

 the strong contrast between the corn and tobacco fields of the Cowlitz 

 Valley and the 32,500 acres of glaciers and perpetual snow fields of 

 Mount Rainier. Only about 45,000 acres, or 2 per cent, of the entire 

 reserve, are fair farming land, and more than one-half of this is too high 

 or too much exposed. 



This region, in respect to its forest cover, is sharply divided into 

 two parts by the crest of the range. Upon the west the forest is that of 

 the Pacific Coast, with very dense undergrowth. It is very heavy up to 

 altitudes of between 3,000 and 4,000 feet, where it begins to thin, and 

 above 6,000 feet it is almost entirely wanting. The forest is comj^osed, 

 in the main, of red fir, with some spruce, hemlock, and cedar. It is 

 heaviest in the valleys and upon the north slopes of the ridges, rather 

 than upon the south slopes. East of the crest of the range the forest is 

 comparatively light and open, with little underbnish, and is composed 

 almost entirely of yellow pine. Mr. Plumer notes that owing to the bold 

 topography of the reserve, and the presence of numerous perpetual snow 

 fields and glaciers, there is no altitude which may be termed a timber 

 limit. Thus upon Mount Rainier the alpine trees reach an extreme limit 

 of about 7,600 feet, but at Goat Peak the same forms are found at an 

 elevation of 8,400 feet. 



The cocoanut is one of the handsomest palms by its long, graceful 

 leaves. It grows luxuriantly as far north as Palm Beach, Florida, and 

 a few specimens may be seen a little above that point. Used to line 

 walks, they present a picturesque scene, the low branches curving grace- 

 fully overhead. The nuts and their development are very interesting to 

 observe. As a long time is occupied in the growth of the nuts, they may 

 be seen on the same tree in many stages from small, acorn-like ones to 

 the immense brown-husked fellows, all in large bunches. The flowers, 

 too, for a new crop, may be included in the collection. 



It is a matter for concern that there appears to be little or no attempt 

 to propagate cocoanuts in Florida, even though they be for ornamental 

 purposes only. They are far from being so plentiful as they were fifteen 

 years ago. — Meehaiis Monthly for February. 



