38 FIRST BOOK OF FORESTFtY 



" slash," surrounded by a rather inferior mixed growth of 

 hardwoods and conifers. Yellow birch and maple predom- 

 inate, and spruce, balsam, cedar, and hemlock make up 

 the coniferous portion. Climbing to an altitude of about 

 twenty-four hundred feet, we find that yellow birch is 

 largely replaced l)y white birch; the maple is a scrub; 

 and the spruce, together with cedar, forms the body of the 

 forest. As we ascend farther the forest becomes more 

 and more a pure stand of conifers ; and, finally, on reach- 

 ing the top, at an altitude of about forty-five hundred 

 feet, we pass through thickets of dwarf balsam, from two 

 to fiA'e feet in height, which, in many places, form sucli 

 dense mats that it is possible to use the canopy of this 

 pigmy forest for a seat. 



Ascending the Alleghenies of North Carolina, beautiful 

 hardwood forests accompany us up to an altitude of about 

 five thousand feet ; but the summits of all the peaks 

 above fifty-five hundred feet are clad in soml^er forests of 

 spruce, together with some scattering balsams. 



Fully as interesting and instructive is a trip up to the 

 crest of the Cascade Mountains of Washington from the 

 west side. Following up the valley of the Cowlitz River 

 we pass through dense forests of the giant red fir, cedar, 

 and hemlock. Reaching an altitude of about two thou- 

 sand feet, we find the hemlock becomes more abundant, 

 and the red fir recedes and is replaced by the mountain 

 balsam. At an altitude of about thirty-five hundred feet 



