The natural forests which were once extensive, have disappeared almost entirely, excepting the birch and some oaks in different parts of the county. The birch is fast disappearing, on account of the demand for herring barrel staves. But when the birch is cut close to the ground in the months of May and June, it throws out fine shoots and grows as coppice. The remains of fir woods are extensive, and we have yet remaining the trunks of oaks of immense size. The rivers and some lakes contain the remains of very large trees. Plantations arc very extensive, and additions are made to them every year.
The climate is very unsteady, so that the horticul turist meets with frequent disappointments. The west coast is subject to much rain. In general, garden produce is about a fortnight later than it is near Edin burgh; but harvest not so much. It has been doubt ed by many that the climate has become worse than it was; but that such is the case is quite true. Of late years the winters have been open, and the summers late and colder than before, as has been proved by the degree of ripeness acquired by certain fruits, as well as by the thermometer. The indications of this instru ment, however, cannot be so well relied on, if the mean temperature only be attended to; for in the northern parts of Scotland, even in 'seasons that are bad, there may be some weeks of very hot weather, while the rest of the year is cold and dark. It is the want of sunshine that renders a climate inferior in regard to agriculture; and sudden transitions from heat to cold render ours unfavourable, while the mean temperature may appear nearly steady; and thus has arisen a deception that has caused the deterioration of the climate during the last thirty years to be disputed. Besides what has already been stated, the winters have become very mild and open; and this has its influence on account of mean temperature. The fact is, that summer heat has been less, both in amount and dura tion, since the year 1800, although some few seasons have been favourable; and this holds true for the climate of Great Britain.
The portion of this large county capable of -cultiva tion is very small. The arable lands extend along the eastern coast, and are found in patches or small extent here and there on the western. The whole mountain ous interior is heath, moss, and rock; but the whole of it affords excellent pasturage for sheep and black cattle. A great proportion of the low land of Eastern Ross, and a small proportion of the land near Ding wall is loamy clay—which is not so heavy as the coarse lands in the south, but equally productive. The rest is light soil of various quality. The whole is in the finest state of cultivation.
The mineralogy of this county is little known, though it presents geological features of high inter est. Many of the straths present the diluvium in
terraces; and similar terraces are to be found along the sea coast, affording ample scope for exercise in those speculations which have become so interesting since the publication of Professor Buckland's work. A remarkable variety of gneiss occurs in the county, enormous blocks of which are found, along with other varieties, scattered over the secondary country; and it is so remarkable in its appearance and structure as to admit of its being traced to the rock from whence it was broken. This has been done, and the distance to which blocks containing a thousand cubic feet and upwards have been carried, has been ascertained to be in a straight line no less than forty miles. We trust that the investigation of the diluvium in this quarter will lead to important conclusions, such as will set tle many of the points now in dispute among phi losophers.
The strata in which the bituminous coal of Suther landshire is found, stretch south and west, and are seen at low water to the north of the entrance of Cro marty firth, and towards Rosemarkic. Only one bed of the coal has been seen, about four inches thick. On each side of the entrance of Cromarty firth, a mass of primitive rocks of small extent rises in a singular manner, the gneiss being mixed with veins of granite and quartz, so as almost to render it uncertain which has been the invading rock. Along the coast towards Fortrose, veins of beautiful white compact felspar arc seen, so much resembling marble as to deceive till they are touched by the hammer. The separation of the secondary from the primitive country, is in a line extending from near the hill of Struy to the Dornoch firth, nearly south-west. Bituminous limestone occurs in the sandstone near Geanies, and at Cromarty. The bed near the latter place is seen most distinctly on the north side of the firth eastward from the Torryhouse: and is remarkable, on account of its consisting of layers of two or three inches thick, bent at sharp angles, as if a force had been applied longitudinally. The sandstone occurs red and yellow; but it seems to belong to one formation. Near Geanies there appears a very remarkable fracture of the strata, those on the coast having been elevated about two hundred feet from those appearing in the sea. Some very inter esting facts appear at this place, but we have not room to describe them here. On looking at the map of Scotland, the eye is at once struck with the remarka ble line stretching- from Tarbet Ness towards Fort William, in the direction of the Great Canal. It will be interesting to attempt tracing the production of this singular feature, and the formation of the lakes to one cause.