THE NORTH TEMPERATE ZONE 47 



Next in importance is the beech (Fagus sylvatica), common 

 throughout northern Europe and often forming pure forests of 

 great extent. The elm (Ulmus campestris) , and ash {Fraxinus 

 excelsior) are large and important trees, but less common than the 

 beech and oak. Lindens and maples also occur in this area. The 

 Norway maple {Acer plata?ioides) and the sycamore maple (A. 

 pseudo-platanus) , are trees of good size. 



In the southern part of central Europe the chestnut (Castanea 

 vesca) is an important forest tree, but is still more abundant south 

 of the Alps and Pyrenees, and in the mountains of the Mediter- 

 ranean littoral. 



Among the smaller and less important trees are crab-apples, 

 wild plums and cherries, mountain ash, hornbeam, hawthorn, 

 and others, as well as the willows, poplars, birches and alders of 

 the sub-arctic zone. 



In regions of poor soil there are often stretches of open country 

 of great extent, forming heaths or moorlands covered with low 

 growing shrubs mostly belonging to the heath family; huckle- 

 berries, heather and others are sometimes mixed with the prickly 

 gorse (Ulex) and bracken fern. The British moors when the 

 common heather (Calluna vulgaris), or the golden gorse cover them 

 with sheets of purple and gold, is a sight not soon to be forgotten. 



The regions immediately adjacent to the Alps and Carpathians 

 include some of the most beautiful scenery in Europe. South 

 Germany, Switzerland and Austria are sufficiently familiar to 

 European tourists. 



Although the original forest has mostly disappeared, re-afforesta- 

 tion has been developed extensively, as in the Black Forest and 

 many other regions; but the greater part of the country is closely 

 cultivated, or occupied by meadows and pasture-land. The 

 traveller passing through this region in the early summer is at once 

 struck by the beauty of the flower-decked grass-lands. A little 

 later, the grain fields are gay with scarlet poppies and blue corn- 

 flowers. Some of the meadow flowers like the tall buttercups and 

 daisies, have become naturalized in the United States; but most 

 of the European field flowers have failed to establish themselves 

 in America, although some of them are seen in our gardens. 



Among the common meadow flowers are various yellow hawk- 

 weeds (Hieracium spp.), as well as other Compositae, e. g., 



