Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 21, 1889)
WEST SHORE. ( shado ami color and forest-foliago cfloot in tlio middle states. There is a rich, mellow, gorgeous tone to "loaf, limb and flower," that no lover of nature's mysteries can deny. Coming out west to the great Pacific slopes and selecting Oregon, few regions can Ik! found where more magnificent forests can be seen, (ir more varied and brilliant hues aro rellected from foliage. In the extent and nature of her timltor, wealth and resources, Oregon stands unsurpassed; in the wonder and beauty of forest scenery she acknowl edges few peers. Each season has its own peculiar types of beauty. Spring brings its myriads of swelling buds, bursting verdure and its endless mass of soft yielding leaves; summer brings its fullest development of "glorious sylvan emerald;" autumn crowns the forests with separate and striking glories painting upon leaf and llower the gorgeous separate and blended tints and hues of gold, bronze, crimson, purple, scarlet and garish vermilion. Even rude and cheerless winter brings its changes on forests that are not altogether cheerless. liut Oregon forests appear to tho best advantage and present tho most attractive features when clad in their rich and varied autumnal attiro. Tho woods when in their "sear and yellow leaf" season may lack some of the brilliant beauties and bronzed glories of the forests of New England, the southern or middle states; but Oregon need not be ashamed of her rich fall livery of foliage. Every hue ami tint known, and every imaginable delicate shade and blending of color are represented in tho "year's sad and melan choly decline." Tho vast and unbroken masses of evergreen forests that clothe the distant mountain ranges, stand as the perennial, changloss wall, or frame of a colossal picture. No summer's heat, au turn's decline or winter's vigorous breath, produces any visiblo changes on these great liolts of conifers. They present unfading hues of green, ranging from bright emerald to dark bluo and purple. Sot so, how ever, with deciduous growths with which the valleys, plains and undulating uplands are clad. Overlooking a wide sweep of valley fowl from some high hill, one can feast the eye on the richness of sylvan leautios, that spread out in every direction. Almost every growth indigenous to Oregon can I seen. As tho eye wanders restlessly over the wowM expanse, nearly every individual tree and shrub can Im readily distinguished by the eouliarities of color, while the whole view presents intricate, though not inharmonious, masses of tints. Tho largo-leaved maple A. mmfh"m 110 !".' significant feature with its broad foliage growing with a deep orange hue. The vine maple (A. nmnn turn), is a very prominent figure of tho wood. grows in great abundance everywhere attaining a height ranging from two feet to twenty-five feet. Its foliage gleams with a very fiery glow-scarlet ami deep crimson. Where it shoots up and towers aloxe the more lowly growths, it reminds one of nay tra I ing banners flaunting over serried hosts. Aroun.l he trunk, and spreading over the branches of mW god and lofty tree, is soon the clinging parss.t.eal vine, poison ivy (.iiynoMm). It climbs to a height of fifty or seventy feet, and the reddish purple leaves shine out very conspicuously among the muss of more soiiiIht and russet foliage. Hero and there may lie soon n clump of tho wild Oregon cherry (iiioMm), with its small, pale, yellow leaves; also an occasional solitary "Choke" cherry (flnniiwrt), with its large deep green glaubou leaves. Scattered all around are seen the tall, slender, graceful bunches of Indian arrow wood arinrfia), waiving its long whitish-yellow tinsels in the air. The low, scrubby, gnarled trunk ami branches of the wild crab apple (n'riiiins), is also frequently observed. The American ash (mmhiiriftJk), and the service berry hush ((ifmitin), cannot ls easily overlooked. In almost every direction one sees the groat dog wood nullnUii), with its broad leaves dashed and slashed with scarlet, vermilion and purple. Along tho streotns and in dark districts can always le found the water-loving osier (iifo-wvim), In groat abundance. With its slender, graceful branches and soft, green, yielding foliage, this member of the willow family constitutes one of the pleasing features of the land scape. Of the willow, other varieties are noted, among which may lo named, the large leaved (.mi muht); the long leaved (U.i'Mii); the tawney (jf.. rUctm) and the upland (mukrinna), and the crock (irmWiw). Hordering creek and largo water courses, groat holts of the familiar cotton-wood (IriWj efdriKi), with its masses of silvery green foliogo al ways in a ceaseless flutter. Of this growth there are several varieties. , , The hazel tmtmUt), is an almost universal growth in tho state. It grows everywhere except In morasses, or at groat altitudoi. On plains ami along uplands and glades this bush Is soon with its simple garb of leaves bearing its burden of rich, nutritious nuts, so dear to every juvenile heart. Quite frequently the yew (hmiMia), Is found nourishing with Its peren nially green coat and deoi. red l-erries. Along moun tain ranges on tho outlaying spurs, and far down into the valleys are gn at quantities of the pungent odored cedar (,jirnlea). The long graoefully drooping branches and the bluish-emerald color of the Misgo of these trees, are one of the Wautie and glor e uf an Oregon forest. The rod alder nifcrfl), with its Hleok variegated bark and small, bright glossy green Iwives, and the tall, simply Oregon ash mmm , grow abundantly along tl argln of creeks and rieh alluvial Utoms that are annually or .Keolonally "N)f"the member of the cone bearing family that ren.ore familiarly known, and whirl, grow a . ko on ,. mountain and in the valleys, may bo mentioned; White fir (ima.ii), red fir (...:'"). yellow llr, homloek (mtrtrnniM) and heavy pine (;n.o-r..i). The .loop somlsT hues of thee conifer, ami tin grand and gWmy air with which the., forest are In Vested, form a marked and pleasing contrast with the gaudier and ...ore brilliant color which the dpilnou. free, shrub and plant wear during the fleeting day. of autumn-tbat brief peri,! Mween the g ory of spring and sum r green and he eh II ng -last, of N'ovemlM-r. when the Tyrlan glorie of foliage have do, pnrL-d forever, and when "lb" have shall scattered lie."