North America . borne at the extremities of theupward-bending ends of the usu-ally prostrate stems. Of still more lowly habits arethe ferns, mosses, and lichenswhich form a thick, luxuriant,and ever-varied carpet over theblack humus soil beneath. Theground throughout the forest isencumbered with fallen trunks,sometimes piled one on anotherto the depth of 20 or 30 feet,which, owing to the continuousmoisture, remain undecayed forcenturies. Not infrequently amassive cedar or fir, in size andshape not unlike a prostrate col-umn of some great temple, sup-ports three or more trees, eachlarge enough
North America . borne at the extremities of theupward-bending ends of the usu-ally prostrate stems. Of still more lowly habits arethe ferns, mosses, and lichenswhich form a thick, luxuriant,and ever-varied carpet over theblack humus soil beneath. Theground throughout the forest isencumbered with fallen trunks,sometimes piled one on anotherto the depth of 20 or 30 feet,which, owing to the continuousmoisture, remain undecayed forcenturies. Not infrequently amassive cedar or fir, in size andshape not unlike a prostrate col-umn of some great temple, sup-ports three or more trees, eachlarge enough to be cut for lum-ber, whose gnarled and twistedroot- clasp the sides of their hostand descend to the earth be;mt_\ of these fallen giantswhen overgrown with thick lay-ers of variegated moss and exquisitely decorated with hun-dreds of small hemlocks and a multitude of gracefully bending fern-fronds, always fresh in colour and usually beadedwith moisture, is beyond the power of the mosl skilful artist. Fig. 29.—Douglas Firs, Vancouver, H. C. 242 NORTH AMERICA to adequately portray. The fascination of the great forest issuch that the explorer, although perhaps weary with forcinga passage through the dense undergrowths and climbing overprostrate trunks, is lured by its charms into more and moreinaccessible retreats probably never before invaded by man,but at last finding that the wonderland has no attainable lim-its, is content to rest on some inviting couch erf golden-tinted lichens and study the varied charms and endlessdetails of the dream-like picture surrounding him. From a commercial point of view the forest of thePuget Sound region is of immense importance. Lumberindustries have been established there, with the most im-proved appliances for cutting trees, transporting the logsto mills, and sawing them into lumber, much of which isloaded on ships and widely distributed. So vast is the for-est, however, that as yet the natural conditions are butslightly changed,
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