Vol. 2 No. 9 



TORREYA 



September, igo2 

 THE VEGETATION OF NORTHWESTERN OREGON 



By J. E. Kirkwood 



A glance at the map of Oregon will show that the north- 

 western part of the state is mostly mountainous. In fact, that 

 area which lies south and west of the lower course of the Co- 

 lumbia River, comprising mainly Columbia, Clatsop and Tilla- 

 mook counties, is a mountainous region traversed by the narrow 

 valleys of such small streams as the Nehalem and Nestucca 

 rivers. From the Columbia River extending southward the Coast 

 Mountains leave little space between their bases and the ocean, 

 most of the tillable land of this section being found on the lower 

 foothills and in the broadened outlets of the canyons of streams 

 which head among the mountains and empty directly into the 

 sea. East of the Coast Mountains lies the Willamette valley 

 which contains most of the farming land of the state west of the 

 Cascades. The flora of this region presents some interesting 

 features. 



As it has been about fifty years since the first considerable im- 

 migration into western Oregon, most of the original forest-cover- 

 ing has been removed from the lowlands. In those parts of the 

 valley where this has occurred, a remnant of the forest remains 

 along the banks of streams whose location and course may by 

 this means be determined from a distance. Some of the trees 

 which occupy such situations are easily recognized for miles by 

 an experienced eye. Especially is this true of Abies grandis with 

 its cylindrical outline and bluntly conical top. At shorter range 

 one may easily recognize Thuya gigantca and Psaidotsuga mucro- 



[The exact date of publication of each issue of Torreya is given in the succeed- 

 ing number. Vol. 2, No. 8, comprising pages 113-128, was issued August 2, 1902. J 



129 



