FLORA. 271 



brusnika, the cranberry, and the like are found. In the 

 neighbourhood of the Enare Lake the trees and plants 

 show a prouder bearing. Here may be seen one of the 

 first of the forests, but agriculture scarcely yet appears, 

 only potatoes, cabbages, and turnips are raised as a kind 

 of experiment in the garden attached to the parsonage at 

 Utsjoki, Corn crops ripen where the Ivolajoki flows into 

 the Enare, rye and hemp in Muenioniska, In Uleaborg 

 the apple-tree produces blossoms but no fruit, excepting 

 in Ny-Carleby. Above Gammal-Garleby oats ripen, and 

 root crops are pretty generally cultivated. Flax grows, 

 but it is rather coarse, in the northern part of Wasa Ian 

 or county, but it does not grow well further to the north. 

 Wheat flourishes around Abo, pease in Tavastland, hops 

 in Wasa Ian. Tobacco will grow in the midland of Oster- 

 botten, and over the whole land in the south, but it is 

 little cultivated. Of trees growing in the south, the 

 willow grows further to the north than it does in Sweden, 

 but the ash not so far to the north as it does there. The 

 oak is rarely found beyond 61 N. lat, and it appears 

 manifestly to have shrunk within its northern limits in 

 the course of the last century. The lime-tree grows wild 

 in the south-east of Oster-botten ; further to the north it 

 grows only exceptionally, and there it must be planted 

 artificially. Alders are met with first scattered over 

 Tavastland. They flourish also in Wasa, where also 

 cherries ripen. 



' The stiff high-stemmed Flchte, or pines, are one of the 

 most important sources of income for Finland, and also 

 the Tanne (firs) lend to the forests of the land a stern and 

 a somewhat sullen character even in the middle of summer 

 when one passes into them from blue lakes and the bright 

 green grass carpeted meadows. A more cheerful aspect 

 is presented by the forests in winter, when the never-failing 

 green of the conifers contrasts pleasantly with the white 

 snow coverlet of the ground, and the fresh scent of the 

 fir trees ever reminds one of the undying youth of Nature 

 herself, during what may be called her winter sleep. To 



