Their original vegetation.

Their cultivation.

Tree species:

Beech.

Grey birch. White birch.

severely on them as to injure their fertility, on the contrary, the finest crops are produced by burning all the timber upon them. From the appearance of the burnt districts, and the number of old pine trees and stumps still remaining upon them, it is evident that these lands were covered chiefly with pine and other resinous woods, and therefore, the soil in its original state, could not have been of the best. There is now, however, good reason to believe from a variety of trials, that the greater part of the burnt lands will pay very well for their cultivation; l have lately been surprised to see parts of them which had been long considered of little or no value, brought into cultivation at a much smaller expence certainly, than it is possible to cultivate the forest lands for: still it must be confessed, that in general, the lands on which the original growth of timber remains, and is such as has been noticed, as indicating the best soil, are much more to be relied upon, though the process of bringing them into cultivation is more expensive, and the necessary time greater, than is required for the burnt lands. A settler in indigent circumstances, who relies from the beginning for the means of subsistence on the produce of his labour, must not at first meddle with the burnt lands, he should cut down and clear away the forest, which will never disappoint him. Let him but get rid of the timber, and scorch the surface with fire, whatever seed he commits to the earth, will produce him a good crop, though the stumps of the trees still remain. A settler who is further advanced, has a stock of cattle, and a capital to command labour, may find it profitable to cultivate the burnt lands, large tracts of which he will be able to render tolerably productive, in much less time than is required to get rid of the stumps of the trees, in the lands which he clears from the forests, a circumstance which forms no trifling temptation to their cultivation; at the same time it is universally allowed, that our forest lands are much easier cultivated, than the forest lands on any part of the neighbouring Continent, the surface being much easier levelled, and almost totally unincumbered with rocks and stones, so that when the stumps of the trees are got the better of, all the difficulties to complete cultivation are overcome.

FOREST TREES AND OTHER VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. [pp. 3668]

I regret much, that my knowledge of this part of my subject, does not enable me to treat it scientifically, but feeling, that in a description of the Island, at least an attempt to bring its natural productions into notice will be expected, I must enter on it, though with diffidence, sensible that my knowledge thereof is very imperfect.

Beech (Fagus Sylvatica.) This tree grows in great abundance, probably better than one-half of the Island is covered with it, in some districts it forms nine-tenths of the forest, in others, it is more mixed with other trees, its mast is produced in vast quantities in some seasons, the effects of which shall be mentioned hereafter, it is a large handsome forest tree, the timber is sometimes exported, but the chief value of it at present, is for fire wood, for which, no other wood exceeds it.

Birch, of this we have four species, 15‘. (betu/a alba), of this, there are two varieties, one is the tree common in parks in England, and in the Island is called grey birch, the other is a much handsomer tree, and of quicker growth, has a glossy smooth white bark, which divides into laminae as thin as cambric paper, and answers well to write on: in the forest this tree grows to a large size, the Indians forming canoes of the bark of a single tree, which will carry five or six people, the bark is also used for making various useful articles, such as buckets, bowls, and baskets, they are chiefly made by the Indians, and are sewed when cut to the shape intended, with small slips of the roots of black spruce trees, they are made to hold water, are light, and will last a long time: it is perhaps the only bark which is less liable to decay than the wood which it incloses, when the trees fall in the woods, the bark will remain entire many years