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."