caw. XXXII. THE NORTH-EAST COAST 191 



for a long time to come, and also for builcling purposes, 

 is found about ten miles back, even in the most barren 

 districts. Tlie veo;etation of the north-east Atlantic coast 

 is thus described by Cartwright : * — 



Whether it he owing to the chmate or to the soil of this 

 country, I will not take upon me to say ; but the fact is, that 

 Nature is disposed to clothe the ground with spruces and firs, 

 intermixing a few larches, birch, and aspens sparingly along the 

 edges of those woods which grow adjoining to the shores of the 

 bays, rivers, brooks, and ponds, where only they arrive at any 

 degree of perfection. Although abundance of larches will grow 

 upon the sides of the barren hills along the sea-coast, yet I 

 never saw one, in such situations, which was of any value. If, 

 through the carelessness of those who make fires in the woods, 

 or by lightning, the old spruce woods are burnt down, Indian- 

 tea is generally the first thing which comes up ; currants follow 

 next, and after them birch. As the plants of birch commonly 

 spring up within three or four feet of each other, they are soon 

 drawn up, and make most excellent hoops ; about which time 

 the spruces and firs will be sprung up among them to the height 

 of two, three, or four feet, when the Indian -tea and currants will 

 be nearly killed. The birches having now locked their heads so 

 close that the sun cannot penetrate through the foliage, and 

 requiring more nourishment than the ground is able to give to 

 each plant, they begin to show consumptive symptoms, by the 

 under branches dying ; and as some few of the stronger ones rob 

 those which are weaker, the latter decay altogether, and what 

 remain grow to pretty stout trees ; —yet it is almost impossible 

 to find one of them sound, by their not being thinned in proper 

 time, so as to admit the genial rays of the sun and a free 

 circulation of air to invigorate and fertilise the earth, and to 

 allow each plant a sufficient portion of land for its support. 

 At length the spruces and firs overtop and kill the birches ; and 



* Cartwriglit's Sixteen Years ou the Coast of Labrador, vol. iii. p. 224. 

 1780. 



