THE FORESTS OF WASHINGTON 



groves that I have yet found is on the right 

 bank of the Snoqualmie River, about a mile 

 above the falls. The whole country hereabouts 

 is picturesque, and interesting in many ways, 

 and well worthy a visit by tourists passing 

 through the Sound region, since it is now 

 accessible by rail from Seattle. 



Looking now at the forests in a comprehen 

 sive way, we find in passing through them 

 again and again from the shores of the Sound 

 to their upper limits, that some portions are 

 much older than others, the trees much larger, 

 and the ground beneath them strewn with 

 immense trunks in every stage of decay, re 

 presenting several generations of growth, 

 everything about them giving the impression 

 that these are indeed the &quot; forests primeval,&quot; 

 while in the younger portions, where the ele 

 vation of the ground is the same as to the sea- 

 level and the species of trees are the same as 

 well as the quality of the soil, apart from the 

 moisture which it holds, the trees seem to be 

 and are mostly of the same age, perhaps from 

 one hundred to two or three hundred years, 

 with no gray-bearded, venerable patriarchs 

 forming tall, majestic woods without any 

 grandfathers. 



When we examine the ground we find that 

 it is as free from those mounds of brown crum- 



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