214 FORESTRY OF NORWAY. 
‘Of different trees, Pinus sylvestris, Abies excelsa, and 
Sarix Europea are found in pleasure grounds ; also Abies 
pectinata, first planted by a Scotchman. Betula alba is the 
most common tree next to the fir. We have Alnus incana, 
Alnus glutinosa. Corylus avelana is much used for making 
barrel hoops. Populus tremula is found everywhere, but 
not in great numbers. Ash grows wild, but is always sadly 
misused for the sake of the foliage for the cattle. Moun- 
tain ash is common, especially on the islands, where it is 
mixed with birch. Oak is found wildin one or two places, 
but there only like a shrub. Besides these, there are the 
following, of no economic value :—Salix caprea, bird- 
cherry, mauy willows, Sorbus area, holly, white thorn, and 
crab apple; lime trees are also found in one or two places. 
‘ Nordmore Bailiwick, --The greatest extent of wood is 
found here; formerly it must have been much greater, 
which is seen in the large size of the beams in old houses, 
many of which are from 8 to 12 ells long, and five quarters 
in breadth. Long ago this wes a secluded district, and 
prices were not so high as to tempt the people to cut down 
the woods. Most of the inhabitants were engaged in 
seafaring pursuits. Even yet the sawing up is done by 
the hand, and of course not on a large scale. It also 
seems as if the fiord and coast population were economical 
in their consumption of the timber, especially with regard 
to young trees Had they been as extravagant as their 
neighbours the woods would have altogether disappeared, 
the climate and soil being both bad. As it is, there is a 
great change for the worse within the last ten years. The 
population is rapidly increasing, and the sale of Govern- 
ment lands is hastening the work of destruction. Many 
of the farmers (bonderne), are awake to the evil, and wish 
there were some regular system of forest management. 
Nowhere have I seen the pernicious practice of leaf 
stripping so common, even in the path of the avalanches, 
which, as the forests disappear, are becoming more frequent 
and formidable: one killed thirty men in one night. 
