160 



HISTORY OF 



VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 



fulder, is called the Continental Climate; and aa 

 Lapland possesses it in a greater degree thanNor- 

 way, Russia possesses it in a stiU greater degree 

 than Lapland. We shall hereafter see that similar 

 .differences have been found to prevail between 

 the maritime and inland districts in other parts 

 of Europe. 



In the Orkney islands, off the northern coast 

 of Scotland, no tree is found but the hazel, which 

 seems to bear the winds of the Atlantic better 

 than either the Scotch or the spruce fir. On 

 the coast of Norway, the hazel and the spruce 

 fir terminate nearly at the same point. In 

 Sweden, on the coast of the Baltic, the spruce 

 fir is found eight degrees neai-er to the Pole than 

 the hazel. Travelling still towards the east, we 

 lose the hazel altogether, soon after entering the 

 confines of Asia; and it is not met with again in 

 any part of Siberia till we reach the river Amur, 

 near the shores of the Pacific ocean. Again, 

 in Scotland there are extensive natural woods of 

 the Scotch fir, but none of the spruce fir. On 

 the coast of Norway, the spruce fir terminates 

 at latitude 67°, but the Scotch fir extends to 

 latitude 70°, and the birch nearly to 71.° In 

 Siberia, the spruce fir and the larch (the latter 

 unknown in Norwayand Sweden) extend further 

 to the north than either the Scotch fir or the 

 birch. Oh the limits between Asia and Europe, 

 the mountain ash, aspen, black alder, and juniper, 

 which in Norway grow under the Polar circle, 

 scarcely reach the 60th degree. 



It happens in Lapland, as in some other parts 

 of the world, that the limits of vegetation are 

 determined more by the form and disposition of 

 the neighbouring mountains than by the lati- 

 tude. The lines which separate the growth of 

 the different species of plants, are disposed in 

 semicircles round the head of the gulf of Both- 

 nia; each semicircle rising above the other, as 

 we ascend towards the chain of the Dofrines. 

 In the first, or lowest band, the prevailing tree 

 is the spruce fir; and to this region, for the most 

 part, the cultivation of corn is confined. Above 

 this grows the Scotch fir, and above_the Scotch 

 fir the dwarf birch and willow. At the height 

 of 2500 feet, the dwarf birch just finds sufficient 

 wai-mth, about the end of June, to put forth 

 three leaves from each bud, which in a few weeks 

 wither and fall off again; yet this feeble effort 

 of vegetation is found sufficient to continue the 

 life of the plant. It has been observed, that the 

 leaves of the birch unfold whenever the temper- 

 ature of the air rises to 52° : in situations, there- 

 fore, where the heat of the warmest month does 

 not rise to this point, it is incapable of growing. 

 During the short but warm summer of Lap- 

 land, vegetation proceeds with extraordinary 

 rapidity. Until the middle of May, the ground 

 is covered with snow. About a month later, 

 tlie rivers begin rapidly to swell, in consequence 



of the breaking up of the frost. In the begin- 

 ning of October the ground is hard frozen, and 

 remains so from seven to eight months. Such 

 is the climate of Enonteheis, which is situated 

 in the higher and colder part of Lapland. It 

 is not till the month of June that barley can 

 be sown; yet, in the short space of three months, 

 the fields are ready for the harvest. It has been 

 found that the cultivation of this grain succeeds 

 wherever the mean temperature during ninety 

 days rises to 48°. 



Notwithstanding its northern and inclement 

 climate, Lapland has to boast of some wild flowers 

 of great beauty. Among these are the mezer- 

 eon, the yellow and white water lHy, and the 

 European globe flower. As we travel southward 

 along the shores of the Baltic, towards Stock- 

 holm, we find, for the first time, in Angerman- 

 land, the wood anemone, the hepatica, the dog 

 rose, and the sycamore; — in Medelpad, the bur- 

 dock, and the campanula persicifolia; — in Gas- 

 trickeland, the cowslip, the guelder rose, the 

 spirwa filipendula, and the hazel. At the river 

 Dal we find the anemmie Pulsatilla, the hawthorn, 

 and the sloe. Here we lose the hoary or cold 

 alder. Several of these plants extend further 

 north on the sea shore than inland; owing, as it 

 would appear, to the greater mildness of the 

 maritime climate. 



A great part of the Russian empire, both in 

 Europe and Asia, is covered with forests. In 

 the northern provinces are found principally the 

 various species of firs; the Scotch and spruce fir, 

 the larch; and towards the Ural mountains the 

 Siberian cedar. Of deciduous trees, the most 

 abundant is the birch; and next to this the lime 

 tree, of whose inner part the common garden- 

 mats are made; and shoes, platted from the rind 

 of the young shoots of this tree, are generally 

 worn by the common people in Russia. The 

 beech, elm, and poplar, are chiefly the growth 

 of the southern provinces. Such was the abun- 

 dance of wood, till of late years, in this country, 

 that the peasants were for the most part allowed 

 to cut down as much as they pleased. It is, 

 indeed, by the produce of the forests, that the 

 people of the northern provinces chiefly live. 

 Their houses are almost universally constructed 

 of timber; wood is every where used for fuel; 

 and they employ a slip of birch-wood, lighted, 

 for a candle. From the ashes of trees, cut down 

 and burnt for this purpose, they obtain potash, 

 of which large quantities are annually exported. 

 For the purpose of tanning, the Russians emploj' 

 not merely the bark of the oak, but of the birch 

 and willow. From the wood of the birch they 

 procure a species of tar, which is used in dress- 

 ing that kind of leather commonly known by 

 the name of Russia leather, and much employed 

 in book-binding. 



As we pass inio Asiatic Russia, we succes- 



