BRITISH FOREST TREES 19 



the low sandy land south of the Baltic bore Scots pine as 

 the predominating forest growth ; the lower hills of central 

 and north-western Germany were clothed with beech, and 

 the higher central mountains bore dark, dense woods of 

 spruce, whilst the warmer tracts of southern Germany and 

 eastern France were divided between spruce and silver fir, 

 with beech at the lower elevations ; further south, the Alps 

 had their extensive forests of beech, silver fir, spruce, pine 

 and larch, each more or less distinct, though of course over- 

 lapping at the edges. Austria in the same way had, and 

 still has, its tracts of black pine and larch, and Russia its 

 pines, firs, hornbeams, alder, aspen, and birch. In the 

 richer alluvial tracts oaks, ash, elms, maples, and other 

 prized timber trees happily found localities where they were 

 able to assert themselves, whilst moist and low-lying situa- 

 tions, where winters were hard and late, and early frosts 

 frequent and severe, were left to be the abiding place of 

 alders, birch, aspen, poplars, willows, and such hardy 

 denizens as failed to show themselves the fittest or most 

 self-asserting in milder localities. 



Such was the actual condition of affairs before man exerted 

 himself in making demands on forest growth, and began 

 interfering with the course of events being worked out by 

 Nature in her own sure though gradual way ; and it is certain 

 that such would again be the state of affairs throughout 

 Europe in a comparatively short space of time if all human 

 interference with the course of nature were now to cease. 

 Even now on the Continent the domain of the oak and the 

 beech is being encroached on by pine and spruce, which 

 arc more easily satisfied as to soil and situation, and these 

 in turn have to struggle with birch and willow for the 

 maintenance of their own areas. 



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