Forests and Animals of Oregon.
Between the South pass and the Blue mountains, across the Eastern
division of Oregon, no forests encostume the earth, to emit their
fragrant odors to cheer and exhilarate the weary and thirsty traveler,
except on the Bear River mountains, a few isolated peaks scatterd over
that barren region. Along the streams occasionally, however, are seen an
inferior growth of timber and shrubbery of various kinds. The Blue
mountains afford some dense clusters of timber of yellow pine,
spruce-hemlock, and some fir. They do not, however, soar to the amazing
hight of some of the trees of the Cascade mountains and the Western
division. The Middle division is still more destitute of timber than the
Eastern.
From the eastern side of the Cascade mountains westward to the Pacific
ocean, the country is mostly coverd with timber. Many of the forests are
so thickly set with under-brush, that they are with difficulty
penetrated. Here, the fir is the most prevalent. Hemlock, cedar, soft or
white maple as it is sometimes calld, oak and many other kinds of
timber, are found in this division.
Timber of the same name with that of other countries, has a growth
dissimilar. I have seen Laurel from one to two feet in diameter, and
probably more than thirty feet high. Oak is generally inferior and
scrubby. Hazel is sometimes from five to six inches in diameter, though
it is commonly from one to two inches in diameter, being the only
article of which hoops for barrels are made. Its hight is sometimes from
twenty to twenty-five feet. Elder is often six inches in diameter, and
from twenty to thirty feet high.
The largest tree I have seen in Oregon is a hemlock, standing near the
shore of Young’s bay, a little below the confluence of Young’s with the
Lewis and Clark’s river, about two miles above their entrance into the
Columbia, and about one mile and a half a little west of south from
Astoria. This tree is about two hundred feet in hight, and measures, six
feet from the ground, thirty-four and a half feet in circumference. The
tallest tree that I have been enabld to measure, is in Oregon city. Its
hight is about two hundred and seventy feet. I am, however, of opinion
that taller timber may be seen at the foot of Laurel hill, in the
Cascade mountains.
The trees of this country in many places are coverd with moss. I have
noticd that the timber of evergreen countries is more commonly burdend
with moss than those where defoliation is general. Hence, I am of
opinion that Oregon will not be a very good country for fruit. I have
observd that apple trees soon cover with moss, and appear of an inferior
growth.
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Among the native animals of this country, some of them are ferocious.
The bear, tiger, panther and wolf, are of this class. The deer, the
beaver and elk, are also natives of this country. The ferocious are
sometimes known to attack the traveler, though it is not common. Those
of the milder and gregarious classes obtain their support mostly from
the bunch grass of the prairies.
It may here be remarkd, that no grass of this country, except along some
of the river bottoms, grows in any other way than in the form of
bunches, with intermediate spaces of several inches, and often of
several feet.
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