APPENDIX VII. 



Extract from Prof. Thompson's Address on the 

 Natural History of Vermont. 



Vermont, for a small inland State, is regarded as peculiarly rich 

 in vegetable productions ; and some portions of the State have been 

 pretty thoroughly explored by skillful botanists. When its settle- 

 ment was commenced, its entire surface was covered with forests, 

 which were probably unsurpassed, in density and luxuriance, by 

 those of any other section of our country of equal area. The 

 sugar maple and white pine found no where else a mr>re congenial 

 soil ; and the evergreens, spruce, and fir, which covered the surface 

 of our mountains, and first suggested for them the name of Verd 

 Mont, grow to a respectable size almost to their highest summits, 

 several of which exceed 4,000 feet in height. With the exception 

 of seven or eight species, our list of forest trees embraces all that 

 have hitherto been found in New England, and three, or more 

 species, which have been found in no other New England State. 



Aside from the marine plants furnished by the sea board, and a 

 few alpine plants found on the White Mountains of New Hamp- 

 shire, Vermont is known to produce nearly all of the indigenous- 

 plants of New England, and in addition to these, some 40 or more 

 species, which are not found in any other New England State. 

 These forty or more species, which are not found to the eastward 

 of Vermont, are mostly confined to the western border of the State 

 and are, in general, such as are common in the State of New 

 York, and further westward. As the botany of Vermont has yet 

 been only partially explored, there still being considerable sec-, 

 tions of the State which no skillful botanist has ever visited, it is, 

 not unreasonable to suppose that many new plants remain to. 

 stimulate and reward the labor of future search. 



While the laborers in Vermont, in the fields of Geology and 



