FIR-TREE. 233 



was first given to us by the Scotch is uncer- 

 tain ; but it now beautifies the English hills 

 as much as the union has benefited the Scot- 

 tish people ; and it appears to us that we have 

 as good a claim to the fir as the land of 

 thistles. 



Turner only notices what the ancient au- 

 thors have written on these trees ; nor does 

 Gerard state that the fir was cultivated in 

 England in his time ; but from his account of 

 this tree, we may claim it as a native of some 

 counties in England, unless the Scotch have a 

 claim prior to the deluge, or the formation 

 of the Roman roads in England, in which 

 case, with all our love for our rights, we shall 

 cheerfully cede the fir-tree, pinus sylvestris, to 

 our Highland friends. 



Gerard says, " The Firre trees growe vpon 

 high mountains, in many woods in Germanie 

 and Bohemia, in which it commethdowne often- 

 times into the valleies: they are found, likewise, 

 in Pruse, Pomerania, Liefeland, Russia, and 

 especially in Norway ; where I have seene 

 the goodliest trees in the worlde of this kinde, 

 growing vpon the rockie and craggie moun- 

 taines, almost without any earth about them, 

 or any other thing, sauing a little moss about 

 the rootes, which thrust themselues heere and 

 there into the chinkes and cranies of the 



