TIMBER TREES WITHIN THE ARCTIC CIRCLE. 113 



Wall of China : the forest region being pushed further 

 north into Siberia, and there covering the face of the 

 country as far as the Arctic Circle. 



In the article on The Polar Regions in the Encyclo- 

 pedia Britannica, which may be taken as an authoritative 

 compilation from all the best available sources of in- 

 formation, it is stated that "In the Polar regions the 

 line of forest seldom reaches to the Arctic Circle ; low 

 birches, willows, and shrubs, bearing berries, occur in 

 South Greenland; but further north a creeping willow 

 alone forms wood. " * This we conceive applies merely, 

 as we have already stated, to the heavy forest. As 

 the severity of the climate increases, its effects are seen 

 in the stunted growth of the trees, but still very fair 

 timber poles may be here and there found growing, as far 

 north as the Arctic Circle, and therefore we venture 

 to think that though larger and more valuable sorts 

 of timber are rarely found so far to the northwards, 

 still that the forest, in the shape of a low-growing 

 bush forest, does extend in most places up to 66 32' 

 N., where the Arctic Circle is drawn upon our maps; 

 and we hope to be able to give some curious and 

 interesting details of tree-life as observed even beyond 

 these limits, in our next, or arctic section. 



Those who are acquainted with Swedish Lapland 

 for instance, will not fail to have noticed that tree-life 

 ascends beyond the Arctic Circle there. Ascending 

 the splendid river Lulea, for example, the map and 

 guide books show this circle cuts at Mattis Udden, 

 a post station on the road, slightly to the south of 

 Jock-mock, a place dear to lovers of the gentle art, 

 on account of the admirable fishing to be sometimes 



* Encyclop. Brit, Qth Edition, Vol. xix, p. 328. 

 VOL. II. 8 



