144 NATURAL HISTORY of N RWAY. 



round, but entirely flat, and fhaped in fuch manner, as almoft to 

 refemble the horns of a Deer. 



Gran, the pine-tree, is, together with the fir, the mod univerfal 

 wood of this country's growth. It is more beautiful than the fir, 

 in figure, height and colour, but far inferior to it in fap and 

 ftrength, which occafions the boards or planks of it to be fold at 

 a lower rate. The Norway peafants have fo little mercy upon 

 their pine forefts, that they feem to think it their duty to deftroy 

 them, infifting upon it, that they cannot poflibly be extirpated in 

 the vaft tracls of land, which continually produce a frefh fupply. 

 In the fpring, when forage is fcarce, the peafant is permitted to 

 cut thoufands of young pines, but in autumn he is not allowed to 

 give his cattle more than the fmall fhoots. 



Hage-forn, the cornel-tree, and floe-forn, the floe or bullace- 

 tree, grows indeed in thefe parts, but is not planted in the green 

 hedges, as in other parts, for the Norway peafant is not dextrous 

 at planting, and thinks it a merit, if he does not deftroy the free 

 produce of nature. 



HarTel, hafle-trees, are here pretty large, and in fuch abun- 

 dance, that it is no uncommon thing for a hundred tun of nuts 

 to be exported from Bergen alone. On the other hand, the wal- 

 nuts here are not of a fpontaneous growth, but muft be fet, when 

 they thrive very well, efpecially in the barony of Rofendal. 



Hyld, elder, with its falubrious berries, is alfo of Norway 

 growth, but is neither here nor in Denmark, efteemed or made 1 

 ufe of according to its worth. Sambucus aquatica, in Danifh 

 called Vand-hyld, water-elder, the flowers whereof look like 

 fnow-balls, and upon that account in German are called fnowball 

 fhrubs, is likewife to be met with though not every where. 



Ivenholt, or ebentra, ebony, is by J. L. Wolfe, claffed among 

 the trees which grow in Nordland, under the mountain of Kolen, 

 but being without any additional confirmation of this, I cannot 

 deliver it as a certainty; I muft obferve, however, that the fol- 

 lowing words of Wormius, may have given rife to this opinion, 

 though he delivers himfelf with fome doubt; " Ab hoc ebeno 

 foflili diverfum eft, quod in iflandia reperitur, et laminatim eruitur, 

 colore nigerrimo, quandoque fubfufco, ponderofum et fragile, exfic- 

 catum ubi fuerit, quanquam mercator, qui ejus mihi copiam fecit, 



lentum 



