THE FORESTS OF CANADA. IS 



twelve feet in diameter were formerly common, and many fine specimens still remain. A visit 

 to Stanley park at Vancouver will satisfy the most skeptical, and the remnants of the former 

 forests seen there give full assurance that the size and number of trees in the old forests was 

 not exaggerated. The samples seen on this peninsula between New "Westminster and Van- 

 couver City will exemplify the forests of some parts of Vancouver Island and the coves and 

 deep inlets of the mainland. 



The broad-leaved maple is a coast species, but ascends the Fraser almost as far as its 

 junction with the Thompson, and before it disaj^pears dwindles to little more than a shrub. 

 The arbutus is seldom seen on the mainland except on rocky points jutting into the sea, but 

 it ascends the north arm of Burrard Inlet for a mile or two. From Burrard Inlet northward 

 the coast forests of the mainland change gradually so that the 8e(|uonce of trees on a moun- 

 tain near Vancouver City will illustrate the gradual change on the coast, with one exception — 

 Menzies spruce. This species is a very fine tree on Burrard Inlet and continues so, far into 

 Alaska, while the Douglas fir seems to be at its best here, and begins to diminish in size 

 and numbers towards the north end of Vancouver Island. It gradually becomes intei'mixed 

 with hemlock ( Tsaga Mertensiana) and yellow cedar ( Thuya excelsa) to the north and 

 eventually disappears, and the coast forests are then composed of spruce, hemlock and 

 yellow cedar only. 



The species on the mountain summits of the mainland are little known, but reasoning 

 from what we know of Vancouver Island we can safely say that Tsuga Pattoniana and Abies 

 amabilis are the principal trees. These are intermixed on the u[iper slopes with Thuya 

 excelsa and Tsaga Mertensiana, while on the middle slopes Pinas niimiieola is well developed. 



Vancouver Island. 



There are no trees on Vancouver island that are peculiar to it, and only one which is 

 not found on the mainland — the western white oak (Qaercus Garrayana). This tree 

 covers a considerable area of rocky ground around Victoria, and is found at Departure Bay 

 and in some quantity at Comox, but in the latter locality it is of little value. Douglas fir 

 is the chief forest tree throughout Vancouver Island. On the south it is mixed with white 

 cedar and balsam fir. On the mountain slopes this tree with white pine, yellow cedar 

 and hemlock constitute the forest, and at an altitude of 5,500 feet it holds its own with Abies 

 anial)il)s and Tsiiga Pattoniana. As we pass to the north the forest changes and tlie mnun- 

 tain trees descend so that the yellow cedar, first seen on Mount Benson, near Nanaimo, at 

 an elevation of 2,000 feet, reaches the coast some distance south of the north end of the 

 island. 



The trees which give character to the Vancouver Island vegetation are the arlmtus, 

 flowering dogwood and broad-leaved maple. The former with its large laurel-like ever- 

 green leaves is a living proof of the mildness of the climate, and its red inner bark and green 

 leaves as it is seen standing on a rocky point or jutting rock along the coast relieves the 

 sombre aspect of the thick forests of Douglas fii-. The dogwood may often be seen in 

 company with it, its white involucre, over three inches across, covering thé tree with a man- 

 tle of white, broken here and there by protruding leaves. 



