George E. Niclwls, Vegetation of Northern Cape Breton. 279 



scattered vestiges which for one reason or another have remained 

 intact. From the study of many such fragments, together with 

 certain little modified tracts of second growth forest, it has 

 become unmistakably evident that in former times a very large 



Figure 10.— Primeval forest of the regional climax type, on lower 

 slopes of mountains along Northeast Margaree River; mostly beech and 

 maple; balsam fir well represented in undergrowth and to some extent in 

 mature stand. 



portion of this area was clothed with forests in which the pre- 

 dominant trees were deciduous. It is certain (and this conclu- 

 sion is confirmed by statements of many of the older settlers) 

 that forests of this sort were developed in practically all edaphi- 

 cally favorable situations ; they were by no means local in their 

 occurrence, but rather of very general distribution. The 



