1552 



Canadian Forest rij Journal, February, 1918 



Trees and National Character 



Alexander von IIiinil)oklt has 

 written, in his "Views of Nature," I 

 think, that it is the vegetation of a 

 country which produces the first and 

 most lasting impression upon the 

 mind of an observer. To credit that 

 assertion, one must stop and reflect 

 a moment. The more careful the 

 consideration the more likely will one 

 be to recognize the truth of Hum- 

 boldt's statement. 



In the cooler parts of the globe we 

 have well marked contrasting groups 

 of trees which grow in diameter by 

 annual additions of new wood out- 

 side of the old wood and immed- 

 iately under the bark, namely the 

 broad-leaved deciduous trees — the 

 oaks and hickories; and the trees 

 which, in general, shed their leaves 

 so slowly that they are called per- 

 sist eijt-leaved trees, as the pines and 

 spruce, in which the new leaves are 

 on, before the old are off. At any 

 season of the year one can hardly fail 

 to observe the differences of appear- 

 ance between an oak and a pine. 

 One might almost say that they had 

 but little in common beyond the fact 

 that both were trees, so far as ex- 

 ternal appearance revealed. If, how- 

 ever, the view point were changed to 

 a tropical region,a new type of tree 

 would claim our attention. The 

 simple beauty of the palms would 

 attract us at once. To the palm w'e 

 might add the tree fern, which 

 though wholly unlike the palm in its 

 structure and methods of reproduc- 

 tion, possesses a marked general re- 

 semblance in form, /. c, in shape. 

 The year through, the tropical forest 

 would be perpetually evergreen. Here 

 there arc three distinct types which 

 force themselves upon our notice at 

 once. 



Tree Impressions 



In addition to these forms of de- 

 ciduous leaved and "persistent- 

 leaved" trees, there would be the 

 topographical setting in which w^e 

 found them, but a moment's thought 

 will convince that it is the trees and 



not the setting which produces the 

 permanent mental picture, unless the 

 topographical settings are different — 

 as a winter street scene and a w-inter 

 river view. But place both of our 

 northern tree types on the same set- 

 ting, and no matter how striking it 

 would be, the trees would be the first 

 to claim the observer's notice. 



The exuberant growth of the tro- 

 pics, produces one mental impression 

 and the stern, harsh simplicity of a 

 northern pine, or spruce forest, an- 

 other each equally abiding, though 

 quite different in kind. 



So much for the scene, in mass — 

 the impression made, we may say, 

 upon the ordinary observer. Be- 

 yond and deeper than this, however, 

 are the sensations awakened in those 

 w^ho observe more minutely. 



The "red-blooded man," who 

 camps annually in the woods for the 

 love of' it, will recognize that his 

 Camps in the pine or spruce forests 

 differ in his memory from those made 

 in the broad-leaved forests. This is 

 especially true if he thinks of his 

 winter camps, where he has a sense 

 of protection under the evergreen 

 foliage of the pines and spruces that 

 is W'hoUy wanting in the leafless for- 

 ests of the broad-leaved trees. The 

 passing storm has in each a different 

 note. The bending snow^ - laden 

 branches of the evergreen tree is a 

 picture quite other than the rigid 

 branches of the leafless tree, as but 

 little snow can remain on the latter. 



The Pine Woods Camp 

 Service recognizes finely the calm 

 content of the pine woods camp, and 

 describes it as only an outer, can: 



"Here by the campfire's flicker, 

 Deep in my blanket curled, 

 I long for the peace of the pine- 

 gloom 

 Where the scroll of the Lord is un- 

 furled. 

 And the wind and the w^ave are 



silent. 

 And world is singing to world." 



