1884.] FOBEST BOTANY IN NOBWAY. 357 



Mo, an annex of Hosanger, 60° 48' N. ; and at Voss, GG° 38' N. 

 that it is met with in a wild state. To the north of Cape Stat 

 it is found at the same time with the Pine even on tlie islands 

 along the coast to 65° N. lat., beyond that it becomes more rare, 

 and it ceases to form forests somewhere near the Arctic circle. 

 In East Finmark, on the contrary, it is found in Syd-A^aranger, 

 near the lake Kjolmejare, 69° 30' N, lat. ; but in separate 

 trees or in quite small groups. In certain localities in southern 

 Norway the Fir attains on mountains almost the same elevation 

 as the Pine, but, as a general rule, its limitation of vegetation is 

 from 60 to 100 metres below the limit of that tree. 



In southern JSTorway the Pine and the Fir attain to their greatest 

 dimensions, but continually the trees of great size are becoming 

 every year more rare, in consequence of the felling of the large 

 trees, increasing with the improvement of roads, and of means of 

 transport. In illustration of the magnitude attained, there was 

 felled some years ago at Lorn, in Nordre-Gudbrandsdalen, 61° 53'. 

 N., at an elevation of 560 metres, a Pine, the trunk of which 

 near the ground had a diameter of 1-2 metre, 4 feet, and a diameter 

 of 0'5 metre, 20 inches, at a height of 16 metres, or 53 feet 4 inches. 

 At Nordre-Aurdal, and Valders, 60° 57' iST., there stand still 

 two pines called the Soesterfuruer, or Sister Pines, of which the larger, 

 measured in 1864, had a height of 28 metres, 93 feet 4 inches, and 

 a diameter of 1 metre 40 inches at the height of 1 metre from the 

 ground. In northern Norway, and especially in Finmark, these 

 trees have less height but they present a considerable girth. 



In Drangedal, in the bailiwick of Bamble, 59° 6' N,, there has 

 been measured a Fir 31 metres, 103 feet, in height, and 0-76 metre, 66 

 inches in diameter, at 21 metres, 70 feet, from the ground. In 1864, 

 there was felled in Hurdal, 60° 24' N., at an altitude of 350 metres 

 a Fir having a height of 34 metres, 103 feet, and at 1 metre from the 

 ground a diameter of 1-07 metre, 41 inches. There may be counted 

 in it 170 consecutive rings, and it was estimated that it must have 

 been from 175 to 180 years old. In Selbo, 63° 15' N., there was 

 felled in 1877 a Fir having a height of 33 metres, and a diameter of 

 1 metre, 40 inches, at 1 metre from the ground. 



The time required by the Fir and the Pine to attain dimensions of 

 building timber, and timber for export, naturally varies much, 

 according to the condition of growth in which they find themselves. 

 In southern Norway it may be reckoned that a Pine of from 100 to 

 150 years' growth may furnish trees 5 metres, or 17 feet, of 33 centi-. 

 metres, or 18 inches, diameter at the small end. In the forests of Vinger 

 and Odal 60° to 61" N. in the valley of the Gloramen, their concentric 



