Account of the Kaatskill Mountains. 25 
bordering the river, and for some distance back are many 
cedars of a small size, the soil being usually so thin, as te 
prevent their taking deep root. Elms, iron-wood, and white 
birch, and in the swamps a wood called swamp ash, are 
thinly scattered among the trees before mentioned. Maple, 
beech and hemlock, do not often grow below the mountain, 
but as scon as you ascend, these trees make their appear- 
ance. ‘The two first on the sides of the mountain are more 
abundant, but as soon as you cross the ridge in the serpen- 
tine path which leads to the lakes, the evergreens are very 
numerous. The hemlocks here, and still more on those 
peaks farther west, are very large, and rise to a great alti- 
tude. The ‘spruce and the white pime, are visible ina 
thicket soon after crossing the ridge just mentioned. Around 
the lakes, and for several miles west of them, a tree which 
is usually called the Silvery Fur, and sometimes the balsam, 
is very abundant. ‘This tree is much admired for its beauty, 
and often procured to adorn the grounds of the opulent. I 
have never observed any which had the rich silvery lustre, 
or grew to the same elevation, with those near these bodies 
of water. The soil appears peculiarly adapted to the growth 
of these trees, some of which are fifty feet in height. 
several miles west of the ridge, the evergreens are less 
frequent, and do not rise toas great an elevation, as those 
near the bodies of water just mentioned. Stll they appear 
intermixed with the maple, beech, birch and ash, which 
rise to a great elevation. Most of the vallies which he be- 
tween the ridges of these mountains, are covered with hem- 
lock, with birch, beecli and cherry trees scattered among 
them. For some distance up the sides of the ridges and 
peaks, the hemlock continues, but near the top the hard 
woods are the most numerous. Along the currents of water 
which are very abundant on these mountains, the hemlock 
is generally found, and if the peaks (which often rise almost 
perpendicularly from these streams) aré not very elevated, 
this tree usually continues to the top of the ascent. The tops 
of those ridges and peaks which are very elevated, are co- 
vered with moss and with many thickets of spruces, which 
are often so dense as to be almost inaccessible. Some large 
oaks ave found near the tops of the peaks, but at this alti- 
tude most of the trees are much diminished in their size. West 
Mors EL... Node 4 
