FORESTS. 47 



are so deep — this is especially true in the area overlain by the Vermilion 

 moraine — that but few exposures could be found. Moreover, Avithin this 

 area of deep drift the forest growth is especially luxuriant, and this tends 

 to conceal those exposures that do exist. As a consequence, the difficulty of 

 determining the structure of these areas is greatly increased, and the results 

 are less reliable than for other portions of the district. 



FORESTS. 



With respect to the forests also the Vermilion district may be divided 

 into two contrasting areas, a western and an eastern. These areas are 

 separated apiaroximately by a line drawn south from the international 

 boundary at the western end of Knife Lake, through the eastern end of 

 Ensign or Iron Mountain Lake, across the north side of Snowbank Lake to 

 Moose Lake, and then through the eastern end of North Twin (or North 

 Triangle) Lake to the Kawishiwi River. 



The western area is to a considerable extent heavily wooded with old 

 forests of mixed growth. On the whole, the hard wood, especially birch, 

 seems to predominate; but scattered through the hard wood there are large 

 areas of white pine {Pinus strobus) and Norway or red pine (Pinus resinosa). 

 The value of these forests at present is chiefly due to these conifers. With 

 the birch are found some poplars and scattering soft maples, jack pines 

 black pine (Pinus banksiana), spruce, and balsam fir. Tamarack (hackma- 

 tack, or American larch) and white cedar (arbor vitse) are also present in 

 varying quantity. The undergrowth consists of smaller birch and poplar, 

 soft maple, mountain ash, black ash, willow, alder, hazel, pin and choke 

 cherry, jack pine, balsam fir, spruce (the last two in places forming 

 almost impenetrable thickets), ground hemlock, the high-bush cranberry, 

 a viburnum (Viburnum opulus), June beixy or service berry (Amelancliier 

 canadensis)^ and some other less important kinds. In some portions of this 

 western area, especially south of Eagle Nest Lakes, southeast of Fall Lake, 

 near the North and South Twin lakes, and south and west of Pine Lake, 

 the country takes on the aspect of a true pinery. It may be noted here 

 that the above-mentioned areas are the ones in which the drift is especially 

 heavy. Thus one may see the intimate relationship existing between the 

 geology of the district and its forest growth. In these areas red and white 

 pine is the chief growth, with tlie former rather in the ascendency. There is 



