286 NOTES ON THE FLORA OF HAMILTON^ 



nortliern limit of a number of important trees. The Tulip-tree, the 

 Flowering Dogwood, the Plane (one of the largest of deciduous- 

 leaved trees), the Black Walnut and the Chestnut seem not to occur 

 to the north of the Hamilton Valley. The proof of the existence of 

 a sharp line of demarcation at this point appears complete when we 

 learn that the treewhicli forms the most northern forests in America 

 — the White Spruce — occui-s about eight miles to the north of Ham- 

 ilton, along with some other northern plants. 



The valley in which Hamilton lies is about sixteen mUes in lengthy 

 and aljout seven miles in width at its mouth. It may be considered 

 to extend from tho village of Copetown on the west to Burlington 

 Beach on the east. Burling-ton Beach is a strip of sand very similar 

 to Toronto Island, which completely cuts off Burlington Bay from 

 Lake Ontario, and tlirough which there is a canal for the passage of 

 vessels. Hamilton Valley is bounded on the east by Lake Ontario, 

 and on every other side by the Mountain, which proves when you 

 ascend it to be merely the rocky edge of the plateau which occupies 

 nearly the whole of Western Ontario. In the bottom of the valley 

 lie Dundas Creek, Dundas Marsh and Burlington Bay, forming a 

 water system about , eleven miles long. The villages of Ancaster, 

 Copetown and Waterdown are situated on the brow of the Mountain 

 overlooking the valley, Dundas and Hamilton lie in the bottom of the 

 valley, and Wellington Square and Stony Greek at its mouth, the 

 former on the north, the latter on the south side. The soil seems to 

 have been formed on the slope of the Mountain ft'om the debris of the 

 limestone rocks. Further down, in many places, a red clay is found, 

 resulting from the decomposition of a red shale that crops out near 

 the foot of the Mountain. In the bottom of the valley the surface 

 deposit is apparently lacustrine. At any rate, the proof that it w;as 

 formerly covered by the waters of Lake Ontario appears to be conclu. 

 sive. Right across the valley from north to south, past the head of 

 Burlington Bay, and dividing it from Dundas Marsh, runs a gravel 

 ridge known as Burlington Heights, and having some historical 

 interest in connection with the war of 1812. This ridge rises to a 

 height of about 108 feet above the present level of the Lake, and 

 appears to have been formed by the same causes which have since 

 formed Burlmgton Beach, and to have been a bar between a bay 

 which then covered Dundas Marsh and the then Lake. This ridge ia- 

 of botanical importance, inasmuch as it protects the shores of DundaS' | 



