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.