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IVIaps, piatas, charts, ate, may ba fllmad at diffarant raduction ratios. Thosa too larga to ba antiraly includad in ona axposura ara fllmad baglnning in tha uppar iaft hand cornar, iaft to right and top to bottom, as many framas as raquirad. Tha following diagrams lllustrata tha mathod: Las cartas, pianchas, tabiaaux, ate, peuvant Atra filmAs A das taux da rAduction diff Arants. Lorsqua ia documant ast trop grand pour Atra raproduit an un saui cllchA, 11 ast fllmA A partir da I'angla supAriaur gaucha, da gaucha A droita, at da haut an Ims, an pranant ia nombra d'imagas nAcassalra. Las diagrammas suivants illustrant la mAthoda. 1 2 3 32X 1 2 3 4 5 6 ■>*•. "^ 4i* '«r t n. THE NORTH AMERICAN SYLVA, t UJSITED STATES : Sold by WiLuand Lilly, Court Street, Boston; H. Howi( Ntn-Bt»m; J. Eastidbv, N«w York; T. Douon and Sox, PkUmd*lphU; Comb and Maiwill, Bmltimorti Borr , CUrUiton, S.C. LONDON : Baldwin, CaAnoCK and Jor, PatenottorRow; Dvlau and Co., Soho Sqvare; TaiDTTiL and Worts, Soho Sqnaro. PARIS: The Avtbob, Place Saint-Michel, No. 8; Tbeuttbl and 'Wobtb, me de Bourbon, No. 17; Galiorahi, rue Vineane. ■ ■*>' ■I THE NORTH AMERICAN SYLFA, OB A DESCRIPTION OF THE FOREST TREES OF THE UNITED STATES , CANADA AND NOVA SCOTIA, Considered particnlarly with respect to their use in the Arts, and their introduction into Commerce ; TO WHICH IS APPHD A DESGRIFTIOir OF THE MOST USEFUL OF THE EUEOPEAN FOREST TREES. ILLUSTRATED BT l56 COLOURED ENGRAVINGS. Translated from the French of F. ANDREW MICHAUX, Member of die American Fhiloiopliical Societj of Philadelphia ; Gorreipondent of ihe Inititaw of France; Member of the Agricultural SodeUet of Charleston, S.C, Philadelphia and MaMachnsetu; Honorary Member of the Historical, Literary and Philosophical Societies of New Yor]u_ . . . arhon imleamut maria , Urrat^ui aimantmai, arbor* ixmdifieamui t4eta, Plihii •icuhdii Nt. Bin,, lih.nu VOL. I. PARIS, PRINTED BY C. D'HAUTEL. 1819. T TO JAMES HILLHOUS^, LATELY A SENATOR ^ Of THE UMTED STATES, Tnif WOHK 18 INSCBIBED,, ■ V Hl« ArriCTfOMATI rftUMD AND OBEDIENT SON, AVCUSTtrS L. BILLHOUSB. y-rTii.' * -* .; 'f 1077411 N. B. The EnglUh edition or the North American Sylva was an- nounced in lix numberit Ai it haa been judged useful to add a few figures and description! to those at lint proposed , it is hoped the sub- scribers will not be displeased that • diflerent division has been adopted; it was otherwise impossible to increase the number of plates, as the lowest price had been fixed upon the worL Believing that it would be more agreeable to the reader to have the text of an uniform composition, the first number has been reprinted and is delivered m • complement to the seventh. F. A. MICHAUX. - .'■ -* t «: ^ ■y^ V ..< •:r \ f'M' m # *¥f f r. «I>IIMI>IIII>WI*IWIW[«> . r r - I r- ^ • L •. ,1 -... ^ •- • ■j? -'^mu ■ :■'.! - --*"• * -* •> •'■v,f >' -I . :- . 3 . % -r^W f i ** I have endeavoured to arrange the American Oaks in a natural series , the characters of which I first sought in the fructification : but this afforded only unimportant distinctions, such as the position of the barren flowers, whether pedunculated or nearly sessile, and the siie and period of the fruit. Neither was I able to found my distinctions on the structure of the cup : I was obliged , therefore , to have recourse to the foliage , which has been made the basis of a division into two sections, the first containing the species with beardless leaves, and the second, those in which the summit or lobes are terminated by a bristle. ** The interval between the appearance of the flower and the maturity of the fruit is different in different 4 St of those ous forms h certainty an inter- ies , that it [> which of , that it is identity in so similar, the fructi- ind excep- r different ihed, and 'ican Oaks rst sought mportant i 1 flowers, the siie to found » : I was : foliage, into two leardless mmit or le flower different ' OAXt. ft species ; afld this distinction 1 have admitted as a second- ary character. ** All the Oaks are proved to be moncpcious. We know tou >hat on \hf European White Oak and other species, the female flowers are situated above the male upon the shoots of the same season \ that both are axil- lary; and that, immediately afler the fecundation, the male flowers fade and fall , while the female blossom continues advancing through the natural atagei, till, in the course of the year, it ripens into perfect iruit. But there are some species whose fertile flowers re- main stationary a whole year, and begin to develope their germ the second spring, probably because they are not fecundated the first season; so that eighteen months elapse between the appearance of the flower and the maturity of the fruit. Hence I have formed a subdivision into species of annual and species of bien- nial fructification. The female flower which is axillary the first season , ceases to be so of course at the falling of the leaf Several species are found upon the Old Con- tinent whose fructification is biennial , such as the Cork Oak, Quercus suber, etc." I have derived great assistance from my father's work, and have adopted his arrangement , which perfectly ac- cords with my own observations. But 1 have inserted several new species , and have suppressed two that were not well ascertained : the existence of one of them is doubtful, and the other is evidently a dupUculc. ^4 »wc •fef la OAKS. What chiefly distinguishes my work from his , U the more extended practical observations ; which are the fruit of my own researches. My constant aim was to ap- preciate the utility of each species in the mechanical arts , and to point out those which are the most deserv- ing of attention in Europe and America. If in th;^ le- spect I have some advantage , my father's work will al- ways preserve its title to the attention of botanists and amateurs of foreign plants, by other details not con- sistent with my plan. They will find , for example , quo- tations from all the authors who had previously taken notice of the species he describes , and in the plates , leaves of the young plant as well as of the full-grown tree. . - I have described twenty-six American species , which I have divided into two sections, according to the term of fructification : the first comprising ten species that bear fruit every year ; and the second, sixteen of which the fructification is biennial. I have learned by multiplied observations that , with the exception of the Live Oak , the wood of the first section is of a finer texture , more compact , and consequently more durable. Linnaeus, in. the third edition of his Species Plantarum, published in 1774 1 described fourteen species of Oak, of whioh five only are natives of the New World. Since that period such additions have been made to the list , that the new edilion of Willdenow's Species Plantarum published in i8o5 , contains forty- four %^ 1 his , is the ch are the I was to ap- mechanical ost deserv- in thia le- ork will al- •tanists and Is not con- nple, quo- >usly taken [he plates » full-grown ies, which the term pecies that II of which multiplied Live Oak , lire , more ^lantarunit s of Oak , w World. 1 made to i^'s Species n'\y - four OAKS. Is American species; of which sixteen were recognized by Messrs. Humboldt and Bonpland in Old Mexico, and twenty-six by my father and myself in the United States and the adjacent countries. Probably the American series will be still farther augmented by discoveries in the western part of Louisiana , and in the interior pro- vinces of New Spain, a country laoo miles in extent lying between the United States and Old Mexico, which no naturalist has explored. In America, as we have just observed, are found forty-four species , which are all comprised between the 2oth and the 48th degrees of north latitude ; in the Old Continent are enumerated only thirty, which rre scat- tered on both sides of the equator, beginning at the 6oth degree north. This sketch is not without utility, and appears na- turally in this place ; such parallels might perhaps con- tribute more than is generally thought to the progress of botany and agriculture , and they deserve particular attention from naturalists travelling in foreign countries. It would be interesting to possess comparative tables of those plants which are found in the higher latitudes of both Continents, and of the trees and shrubs of the temperate climates of America with the analogous species found in nearly the same latitude in Asia. I have long entertained a wish, which will doubtless be shared by all who interest themselves in the science , that botanists would go more deeply into the geography of »-> l4 OAKS. plants. The rapid progress of the young Americans who are beginning to devote themselves with ardour to the study of Natural History, will soon afford the requisite information concerning their own portion of the globe. -:«^*. n' \\ /s ^r% M)> I VUVVVM ' » *Wy>W>' » ' l ^***'*** "** ■«■■■■■««■««««««««««««««««■«»«« l«««««i m«Mm ■■■■■■■ ... METHODICAL DISPOSITION OF THE OAKS OF NORTH AMERICA, INCLUDING THREE EUROPEAN SPECIES. '•'^- ■^s . Moncecia poiyandria, Liiw. Amentacat^ Jvss. FIRST DIVISION. Fructification annual. FIRST sECTio^.-^ Leaves lobed. ■ ■% ■ '\ " ' ' • 1. "White Oak Quercus alba. 2. Common European Oak Quercus robur. 3. European White Oak. . Quercus robur pedunculata. 4. Mossy-cup Oak. . . . Quercus olwceformis. 5. Over-cup White Oak. • Quercus macrocarpa, 6. Post Oak Quercus obtusiloba. 7. Over-cup Oak. . , • . Quercus lyrata. SECOND SECTION. — Leaves toothed. 8. Swamp White Oak. . 9. Chesnut White Oak. 10. Rock Chesnut Oak. . 11. Yellow Oak 13. Small Chesnut Oak. . Quercus prinus discolor. Quercus prinus palustris. Quercus prinus monticola, Quercus prinus acuminata. Quercus prinus chincapin. SECOND DIVISION. Fructification biennial; leaves mucronated. (except in the i3th species.) FIRST SECTION. — Leaves obtuse or entire, i3. Live Oak Quercus virens. V T. l6 METHODICAL DISPOSITION, CtC. 14. Cork Oak. ... • . . Quercus suber. i5. Willow Oak. . • . 16. Laurel Oak. . . . 17. Upland Willow Oak 18. Running Oak. . . Quercus phellos. Quercus imbricaria. Quercus cinerea. Quercus pumila. SECOND SECTION. — Lsaves lobed. 19. Bartram Oak Quercus heterophylla. ao. Water Oak Quercus aquatica, 21. Black Jack Oak. . . . . Quercus ferruginea. 22. Bear Oak Quercus burusteri, THIRD SECTION. — Lcavcs multifid or many-clefled. 23. Barren Scrub OaL 24. Spanish Oak. . . . 25. Black Oak 26. Scarlet Oak. . . . 27. Grey Oak. ..... 28. Pin Oak 2(^. Red Oak. . . » . Quercus catesbcei. Quercus falcata. Quercus titictoria, Querats coccinea: Quercus ambigua. Quercus palustn's, Quercus rubra. -h ina. hylla, a. tea, H. r-cleflcd, • 1, I. a. ' 'ii ',; , t # s QiuTcu.t- iiiba / 7 WHITE OAK. QuERCUS ALBA. Q. follis suboequoliter pinnatifidis ; laciniis oblongis, obtusis, plemmque integerrimis ; fructu majus- ado; cupuld crateratd, tuberculosa -scabratd; glande ovatd, ' ^ '•'. ■■:''■" '■■'■ Throughout the United States and in Canada , this tree is known by the name of fVhite Oak. The en- virons of the small town of Trois Rivieres in Gainada, latitude 46" ao', and the lower part of the river Ken- nebeck in the District of Maine , are the most northern points at which it was observed by my father and my- self. Thence We traced it along the sea-shore to a dis- tance beyond cape Canaveral, latitude a8°, and west- ward from the Ocean to the Country of the Illinois , an extent of more than 1300 miles from north-east to south-west , and nearly as much from east to west. It is, however, by no means equally diffused over this vast tract ; in the District of Maine , Vermont and Lower Canada , it is little multiplied , and its vegeta- tion is repressed by the severity of the winter. In the lower part of the Southern States , in the Floridas and Lower Louisiana , it is found only on the borders of the swamps with a few other trees which likewise shun a dry and barren soil : this region is generally so sandy that it is covered with a continued growth I. 3 W 'f? V' 18 WHITR OAK. of Pines , as will be more particularly mentioned in the description of the Long -leaved Pine. The White Oak is observed also to be uncommon on lands of ex- traordinary fertility, like those of Tennessee, Kentucky and Gcnnessee , and of all the spacious vallies watered by the western rivers. I have travelled whole days in those States without seeing a single stock , though the few thai exist , both there and in the Southern States, exhibit the most luxuriant vegetation. The White Oak abounds chiefly in the Middle States and in Virginia, particularly in that part of Pennsylvania and Virginia which lies between the Alleghanies and the Ohio, a distance of about 1 5o miles, beginning at Browns* ville on the Mononghahela. Near Grecnsburgh, Maconel- villc, Unionville and Washington Court-house, I have seen large forests, nine tenths of which consisted of White Oaks whose healthful appearance evinced the fa- vourable nature of the soil, though in general they were not more than i5 inches in diameter. East of the moun- tains this tree is found in every exposure, and in every soil which is not extremely dry or subject to long in- undations; but the largest stocks grow in humid places. In the western districts, where it composes entire forests, the face of the country is undulated, and the yellow soil , consisting partly of clay with a mixture of calcarious stones, yields abundant crops of wheat. By the foregoing observations it appears that the se- verity of the climate, the ierlility of 'be soil, its dryness ;ntioncd in The White unds of ex- ;, Kentucky ies watered ale days in though the icrn States, iddle Slates cnnsylvania lies and the I at Browns- ^, Macon el- use , I have insisted of iced the fa- It hey were the moun- d in every o long in- nid places. »ses entire and the mixture of /heat. at the se- ts dryness WHITE OAK. 19 or humidity, arc the causes which render the White Oak so rare over three quarters of the United States that it is inadequate to »upply the local demand, though the country does not contain a fourth of the population which it is capable of supporting. Among the American Oaks this species bears the greatest analogy to the European Oak , especially to the variety called European White Oak , Quercus peduncu- lata , which it resembles in foliage and in the qualities of its wood. The American White Oak is 70 or 80 feet high , and 6 or 7 feet in diameter ; but its proportions vary with the soil and climate. The leaves are regularly and obliquely divided into oblong, rounded lobes , des- titute of points ; the sections appeared to be the deepest in the most humid soils. Soon after their unfolding they are reddish above and white and downy beneath ; when lully grown they are smooth and of a light green on the upper surface, and glaucous underneath. In the fall they change to a bright violet colour, and form an agreeable contract with the surrounding foliage which has not yet suffered by the frost. « This is the only Oak on which a few of the dried leaves persist till the circulation is renewed in the spring. By this peculiarity and by the whiteness of the bark , from which it derives its name, it is easily distinguished in the winter. The acorns are of an oval form , large , very sweet , contained in rough , shallow , greyish cups , and borne singly or in pairs, by peduncles 8 or lolinesin *f ao ^HITE OAK. length, attached , as in all the species with annual fruc- tification , to the shoots of the season. The fruit of the White Oak is rarely abundant , and frequently ior several years in succession a few handfuls of acorns could hardly be collected in a large forest where the tree is multiplied. Some stocks produce acorns of a deep blue colour ; but I have found only two indi- viduals of this variety, one a flourishing tree in the gar- den of Mr. W. Hamilton near Philadelphia , and the other in Virginia. The trunk is clad in a white bark , which is often va- tiogated with large black spots. On stocks less than i6 inches in diameter the epidermis is divided into squares ; on old trees , growing in moist grounds , it is in the form of plates laterally attached. The wood is reddish , and very similar to that of the European Oak, though lighter and less compact , as may be proved by splitting billets of each of the f utne size : in the American species the vessels which occupy the intervals of the concentri- cal circles are visibly less replete. But of all the American Oaks which I shall describe, this is Ihc best and the most generally used, being strong, durable, and of large di- mensions. It is less employed than formerly in building only because it is scarcer and more costly. At Philadelphia, Baltimore, and in the smaller towns of the Middle Stales, the frame of all well built houses, whether of brick or wood , is of White Oak. West of the Alieghanies , where Pine boards are not easily procured, i ^ undant, and few handfuls large forest oduce acoms nly two indi- ee in the gar- tiia, and the 1 is often va- less than i6 into squares ; , it is in the >d is reddish , 3ak, though 1 by splitting rican species le concentri- le American ind the most of large di- y in building nailer towns )uilt houses , West of the ly procured, WHITE OAK. af the White Oak it fubitituted ior the floors and for the exterior covering of the frame , notwithstanding its lia- bility to warp and split. It is much used in the construction of mills and dams, particularly for such parts as are exposed to be alter- nately wet and dry. The wooden bridge nearly 3ooo feet long that unites Boston and Cambridge, is supported by posts of White Oak, from i6 to ao feet in length, which have replaced those of While Pine on which it originally stood. The excellent propeiiies of this wood cause it to be preferred for a great variety of uses , among which are many articles manufactured by the wheel-wright. This tr&de is carried to the greatest perfection at Philadelphia, and its wares are highly esteemed for solidity both at ' home and abroad. While Oak perfectly seasoned is em- ployed for the frame of coaches, waggons and sledges, for the mould board of ploughs , the teeth of wooden harrows, the felloes and spokes of wheels, particularly the spokes of coach-wheels. In the Northern , Middle and Western States , the naves are also made of Oak in the country ; but it splits too easily to be proper for this object. Except in the District of Maine , it is al- ways chosen for the bow or circular back of windsor- diairs. The wood of the young stocks is very elastic and is susceptible of minute division, hence it is preferred for the large baskets used in harvesting , for the hoop of sieves, the bottom of riddles, and the handles of coach- aa WHITE OAK. whips which are braided and covered with leather ; at Boston it is chpsen for pail-handles , and in Maine , for axe-helves. In many parts of the Middle States, the White Oak is selected for the posts of rural fence, and beyond Laurel-Hill in Pennsylvania, where it is common , it forms the entire enclosure. • '/. The bark is considered by many tanners as the best for preparing leather for saddles and other similar ob- jects ; it is little employed however , because in the United States the bark of the trunk and large limbs only is employed; and on these the cellular integument is much thinner in the White than in the Red Oak, which is besides more abundant. I have been told that the bark yields a purple dye : though I have not witnessed the iact , I am disposed to believe in its existence , as I received the information from persons residing several hundred miles from each other. But if the colour was not defective in perma- nence or intensity, it would have found its way into commerce , like the Quercitron of the Black Oak. Of all the species that grow east of the Mississippi, the White Oak alone furnishes staves proper for containing wine and spirituous liquors. The domestic consumption for this purpose is immense, and vast quantities are exported to the West Indies , Great Britain, and the Islands of Madeira and Tencriffe. The Post Oak might indeed be applied to the same use , but even in Mary- ii leather; at 1 Maine , for as the best r similar oh- ause in the ;e limbs only itegumeni is Oak, which purple dye : i disposed to information from each in perma- s way into Dak. sissippi, the containing )nsumption antities are n, and the Oak might n in Mary- • WHITE OAK. aS land and Virginia, where it is most common , it is not sufliciently multiplied to supply the local demand. The Rock Chesnut Oak and the Swamp While Oak in t^e Northern and Middle States, the (Jhesnul White Oak and the Over-cup Oak in the South , are compact enough to prevent the escape of spirits and fine oils , yet porous enough to absorb them. H th<7 united every requisite quality, and were employed for this purpose, they would be consumed in less than ten years. It is well understood at Bordeaux that the wood of the European White Oak is closer grained than Ihut of the American species , and the preference is given to our domestic growth or to that imported from Danlzick. The American Oak is exclusively employed in Madeira and the West Indies only because it is cheaper and more easily procured. White Oak staves are exported from all the ports of the Northern and Middle States , and from New Orleans. Those which come from Baltimore , Norfolk and New Orleans , are far superior to those of the Northern States : the difference results naturally from that of the soil and climate. The quantity of Oak staves exported to England and the West Indies appears, by two oflicial documents that I have examined, to be considerable. In i8u8, the value received by England amounted to more than 140,000 dollars , and the number of staves sent to the West Indies exceeded 53 millions. I am unable to fix the pro- -1 •i4 WHITE OAK. , :% portion of the two species of White and of Red Oak ; probably more of the first are sent to England , and of the second to the Colonies. The price of both has varied surprisingly within a hundred years : in lyao, staves for barrels were said at Philadelphia at 3 dollars a thousand ; in 1798, at 18 dollars; and in 1808, at 3o dollars. In August 1807, before the American Embargo, they were advertised at 55 dollars, and in April 1808, after that municipal regulation became known , at 100 dollars. The young White Oak, on account of its elasticity, is very proper for hoops ; but it has less strength and less durability than the Hickory. Among the uses of this wood, the most important is in ship-building. In all the dock-yards of the Northern and Middle States, except in the District of Maine, it is almost exclusively employed for the keel , and always for the lower part of the frame and the sides : it is pre- ferred for the knees when sticks of a proper form can be found. In the smaller ports south of New York , the upper part of the frame is also of White Oak ; but such vessels are less esteemed than those constructed of more durable wood. At Boston , the trunnels , or the pins by which the side-planks are attached to the ribs, are of this species. To obtain correct notions on the comparative value of the American White Oak and the European Oak , I consulted French , English and American ship-wrights , in almost all the ports of the United Stales : they WHITE OAK. iS )f Red Oak; land , and of Ih has varied »o , staves for i a thousand ; o dollars. In o , they were )8, after that to dollars.' its elasticity, strength and important is the Northern f Maine , it is , and always les : it is pre- per form can w York , the )ak ; but such instructed of by which the this species, parative value )pean Oak, I ship-wrights , Stales : they ighi '%i generally agreed that the European Oak was and more durable from the superior closeness of its grain , but that the American species was more elastic and required a shorter time with only half the weight to bend it. This advantage , though important in ship- building, does not compensate for the openness of its pores. Experience, however, every day shows that by growing in places long inhabited its quality is improved ; and if the American vessels are less durable than those built in Europe, it is because the timber is not thor- oughly seasoned. \ • The greater part of the immense, quantity of White Oak exported from the United States is sent to England. It is shipped only from the Northern and Middle States, in the form of boards and of square timber : what goes to England from Quebec is brought from the shores of Lake Champlain , for Canada probably iurnishes hardly enough for its own consumption. By an extract from the custom-house books of St. John, which I have already quoted, i43,ooo cubic feet of Oak wood appear to have entered by this port during the first six months of 1807. Oddy, in his Treatise on the Commerce of Europe, says, that in the English dock- yards the White Oak from British America is esteemed excellent timber. This opinion , simply considered , is correct; but that which comes from Baltimore and Philadelphia must still be superior. Before I conclude this article, I must be allowed to ;. 4 m fl« a6 WHITE OAK. hasard a conjecture on the consequences of the neglect of all means of preserving and multiplying this tree in the United States; consequences which neither the federal government nor the States have taken any measures to prevent. From the increase of population , and from the impoverishment of the soil produced by a gradual change in the climate, the White Oak will probably, in less than 5o years, be the most rare in the Middle States , where it is now the most abundant ; and in Tennessee, Kentucky, Gennessee and farther north, where it is the least multiplied , it will be the most com- mon , and will replace the species which now compose the forests, but which the soil will then be too feeble to sustain. Thus, near the river Kenncbeck, in the midst of the primitive forests composed of the Beeches, the Canoe Birch, the Sugar Maple and the Hemlock Spruce , I have observed small tracts , formerly cleared and since abandoned, which are naturally rcpeopled with the White and Grey Oaks; and in the lower part of Virginia , poor Red Oaks , Yellow Pines and Loblolly Pines are extensively replacing trees of a better quality. East of the mountains, the vallies that lie along the rivers are , with a few exceptions , the only places where the Oak could be advantageously reared ; but these fertile lands are more profitably devoted to husbandry. The American White Oak cannot, in my opinion , be re^^ardcd as an useful Acquisition to the forests of Europe. Its elasticity, which renders the young stocks proper for *• m f the neglect ; this tree in neither the I taken any population , >il produced hite Oak will \t rare in the undant ; and rther north, e most com- :)w compose c too ieeble cck , in the the Beeches, le Hemlock lerly cleared y rcpeopled » lower part nid Loblolly !tter quality. \i along the laces where liese fertile dry. opinion , be of Europe. proper for WHITE OAK. 27 hoops, is doubtless a valuable property ; but the Chesnut of France is superior for this purpose, because it is more durable. The White Oak is used in the royal dock-yards of England probably because it has been found impossible to procure supplies of European Oak. Perhaps it is em- ployed only for the lower part of the frame, while the European Oak is reserved for the upper timbers. If the advantage in this comparison be allowed to be on the side of the European species , the Americans should lose no time in introducing it into their forests. To corporations particularly, whose property is less fre- quently alienated , I take the liberty of addressing this advice, which, if followed, would be productive of great advantage to themselves and to the public. The analogy of the climates leaves no doubt of the perfect success of this tree in the United States , an example of which is found in the garden of Messrs. J. and W. Bar- tram , 3 miles from Philadelphia , where there is a large stock which has yielded seed for several years, and which continues to expand with vigour. PLATE L A branch wilh leaves and acorns of the natural size. ^ 1% IW COMMON EUROPEAN OAK. QiTERCUs ROBUR. Q. foUis petiolatis, oblongis, glabris, sinuatis; lobis roturidcUis; fructibus oblongis, sessilibua. To the particular attention bestowed upon this inter- esting tree in modern times is owing its division into two species, the Common European Oak, Quercus robur, and the European White Oak, Quercus pedunculata. These two species, which are much alike and are usually considered as the same, grow in the same coun- tries , and frequently together. They constitute the greater part of the European forests , from the 6olh to the 35th degree of north latitude, overspreading a great part of the north of Asia and the northern ex- tremity of Africa. They are most abundantly multiplied on the shores of the Black Sea , in Germany , England , France and some parts of Italy, where the climate itt particularly favourable to their growth. The Common European Oak is from 60 to 80 feet in height, numerously ramified, and crowned with an ample and majestic summit. The bark upon the trunk is thick, and upon old stocks, deeply furrowed. The leaves are petiolaled , smooth , and of an uniform colour on both sides, enlarged towards the summit, and very coarsely toothed. The acorns are oval and sessile, which is the principal difference between the two species, PI. z. )AK. f, glabris, esslUbus. this inter- ^ision into *.rcus robur, iculata. e and are ame coun- •titute the the 6oth )reading a rlhern ex- muUipli«rl , England , : climale is » 80 feet in d with an he trunk is The U'aves colour on , and very lie, which ecies. COMMON EVROPEAV OAK. 99 This tree prefers high places and the declivities of hills, with a barren gravell j soil ; hence it grows more slowly, and its wood is more compact , tougher and heavier than that of the European White Oak. It is less used for household stuff and other kinds of joinery, because it is less easily wrought ; but is more esteemed for build- ing and for works that require great strength and dur- ability. The Common European Oak is subdivided into many varieties , the mo.st valuable of which are the European Black Oak , Quercus robw lanuginosa, and the Quercus nbur glomerata. The first is only 3o or 40 feet high , with small , thick leaves , very downy underneath ; its timber is compact and excellent for fuel. The secon \ never rises to a great height ; the leaves are small , but smooth on both sides ; the acorns are of an inferior size and collected in clusters upon a short common peduncle. PLATE II. A branch of the Common European Oak with lea' js anfi acorns of the natural size. 3>i> wwvu ww tiwiTOWvwnnfnvnv i -v-" y *^-**' » i EUROPEAN WHITE OAK. i H 1 I . . QuERCUS PEDUNCULATA. Q. foULi subseasUlhus , glabits , sinuatis', fmcUhus oblongis, pedunculatis. # w The European White Oak grows of choice in rich bottoms , where the soil is deep and moderately humid. It reaches the height of 90 or 100 teet , and has a large ' well proportioned trunk, which is oiten undivided ior a considerable distance , and which spreads into a large commanding summit. The bark upon the body is very thick, and on old trees, deeply furrowed ; upon the limbs and the young stocks it is greyish, smooth and glossy. The leaves are of a light green on the upper surface, whitish beneath, widened towards the summit, deeply sinuated with blunted points , and supported by short petioles like those of the American While Oak. They are more or less divided according to tlie age of the tree and to the moisture of the soil. A part of the di7 discoloured foliage persists through the winter and falls the ensuing spring. Besides the difference of the foliage , this species is constantly distinguished from the preceding by its fruit, which is supported singly or in pairs by slender ped- uncles 2, 3 , or even 4 inches long. The acorns are of an oval shape, from 9 to 18 lines in length, according to the age and vigour of the tree, and contained in shal- BVnOPKAH WHITE OAK. 5l low cups : they fall about a fortnight before those of the Common Oak* * The wood of the European White Oak is of the same colour with that of the American species , the sap being white and the heart reddish ; but the texture is closer and the porea fuller, which is probably the reason of its being less elastic , but stronger and more durable. It is more generally esteemed Ihan the Common Oak as it furnishes larger timber, splits more regularly, and is more easily wrought ; hence it is preferred for the con- struction of houses and ships, and is extensively em- ployed by the joiner , the cartwright and the cooper. " Throughout Europe^ except in the north of Russia, the bark of the Common Oak and the White Oak is almost exclusively used in tanning. That which is taken from the branches and from small stocks is preferred , because the epf dermis is thinner, and the cellular integ- ument, which contains the tannin , more abundant. Oak wood is more generally used in Europe than in the United Stales, where the different species of Ash, Birch , etc. , in some measure supply its place. The Eu- ropean White Oak would be a valuable addition to the American forests, and 1 have sent out acorns to begin the formation of nurseries. PLATE II. J branch of t/te Eufopean fVhile Oak with leaves and acorns of t}ie natural Htu, /* n «.ms t vmmMimri t m \ f i MW i - i .. .«....>>i^>M«.t««M»<»ww»w>M(W«>wwM»w>w»w»M)»ww» QuERCUS OLiv.eroBMis. Q. foUls oblongis , glabris, suhtus elaucis , profunde incequaliterque sinuato-lobatis ; frucfu ovato; cupuld profundius creUeratd, supeme crinild t glande olwoeformi. I HAVE observed this species of Oak only in the Stale ol New York on the banks of the Hudson above Al- bany and in Gennessee , where it is so rare that it has hitherto received no specific name. Its leaves are of a light green above and whitish be- neath : they resemble those of the White Oak in colour , but differ from them in form, being larger, and very deeply and irregularly laciniated , with rounded lobes so various in shape that it is impossible to find two leaves that are alike. The acorns are of an elongated oval form, and are enclosed in cups of nearly the same configur- ation , of which the scales are prominent and recurved , except near the edge , where they terminate in slender flexible filaments : from this peculiarity I have derived the name of Mossy-cup Oak. This tree is 60 or 70 feet in height , with a spacious summit and an imposing aspect. The bark is white and laminated ; but the tree is chiefly remarkable for the form and disposition of its secondary branches, which are slender, flexible, and always inclined towards the /'/ i M tumf^f^immMiiiMMm abrisj suhtus batis ; frucfu me criniid { in the State n above Al- e that it has whitish be- kin colour f ;r, and very ded lobes so 1 two leaves I oval form, le configur- d recurved , : in slender ave derived 1 a spacious is white and ible for the hes, which o wards the I JMoMMN Ciu) Oak. (jufrcUiS' o/nur/orinis . M0S9T-CVP OAK. 55 eaiih. This peculiarity alone would render it a valuable acquisition for parks and gardens. As I have met with this species only in uninhabited places, I have had little opportunity of examining its wood ; as far as I can judge , it is not better than that of the White Oak, though far superior to that of the Red Oak. PLATE III. Leaves of the natural size. Fig. i , An acom with the cup. fig, 2 , jin acom without the cup. ■•1 l\ k 3V - « OVER-CUP WHITE OAK. '. QuERCUS MACBOCABPA. Q. JoKis subiomerUosts ^ profunde lyratimque sinuato - lobatis , obtusis ; fructu maximo; cupidd profundius crateratd, super ne crinatd ; glande iurgide ovatd. This interesting species is most multiplied beyond the Alleghanies , in the fertile districts of Kentucky and West Tennessee , and in Upper Louisiana near the Missouri. It is called by the Americans Bur Oak and Over-cup White Oak , and by the French of Illinois , Chine a gros gland. It is a beautiful tree more than 60 feet in Iieight, laden with dark tufted foliage. The leaves are larger than those of any other Oak in the United States, being frequently i5 inches lung and 8 broad : they are notched near the summit, and deeply laciniated belovir. The acorns, which are also larger than those of any other American species , are oval and enclosed for tWo thirds of their length in a thick rugged cup , bordered with line flexible filaments. Sometimes, however, in com- pact forests, or in very temperate seasons, the fila- ments do not appear , and the edge of the cup is smooth and bent inwards. The fructification of this tree is not abundant , and as its wood is inferior to that of the White Oak , it is little esteemed in the United States. /'/. 4. and it IS /'.'/!,:/,;,/.■ Over Cud White Oak. /?.-K.,r./. th C( oi cu ■**'*;■ OVER-CUP WHITE OAK. ^ 55 I have observed , as well as my father who first made the reriark, that the young branches are frequently covered with a yellowish fungous substance, like thos^ of the Elm and Sweet Gum. PLATE IV. A leaf of half the natural size. Fig, i , An acorn in the ' cup, of the natured size. (1 ^ l,-*^ 2^ 5. ^^^'*^**'*^*>^^^'*^^^^*'*^^WMMM%W)^<co/or was given it by Dr.Muhlem- berg. The acorns are sweet , but seldom abundant ; they arc rather large, of a brown complexion , and contained in a spreading cup edged with short slender filaments, more downy within than those of any other Oak , and supported by peduncles i or 3 inches in length. The trunk is clad in a scaly greyish white uark. The wood is strong, clastic, and heavier than that of the ( SWAMP WHITE OAK. 4^ White Oak. In stocks more than a foot in diameter the grain is fine and close , and the pores are nearly obliter- ated. It splits easily and in u straight line , and is es- teemed next in quality to the White Oak, though from its rareness it is but accidentally employed in the arts. If, as I incline to believe, the Swamp White Oak is found by more accurate experiments to be superior to the White Oak , it must be considered as a very valuable tree , and its increase should be favoured at the expense of the Red-flowering Maple , the Bittemut Hickory, the Hornbeam , and other species which grow in the same exposures. It seems also to deserve a place in the forests of Europe, where, in moist grounds, it might be blended or alternated with the Ashes , the Alders and the Poplars. ■ PLATE VII. i: ^-' •V j4 branch with leaves and fruit of the natural size. V '.*»*'-* . ...- ^i-#^ %■ ^v " m'' # # A ^tS'< . -A .";'* CHESNUT WHITE OAK. QuERCUs PRINUS PALUSTRIS. Q. fotits oblongo-ovolibus , acuminatis acutisve, subumformiter dentatis ; cupuld crateratd, subsquamosd ; glande ovatd. Quercus prinu*. Willd. It •1^- The Ghesnut "White Oak is first seen within ten miles of Philadelphia ; hut it is less multiplied and less amply developed than farther south. It is most abundant in the maritime parts of the Carolinas , Georgia and East Florida, and is probably found on the banks of the Mis- sissippi, which are analogous to those of many rivers of the Southern States. In Pennsylvania this species is confounded with the Rock Ghesnut Oak , which it strikingly resembles ; farther South, where the Rock Ghesnut Oak is un- known, it is called Ghesnut White Oak, Swamp Ghes- nut Oak , and generally on the Savannah White Oak. The Ghesnut White Oak is adorned with beauciful fo- liage : the leaves are 8 or 9 inches long , 4 or 5 inches broad, obovate, deeply toothed, of a light shining green above and whitish beneath. The acorns are brown , oval , larger than those of any other species except the Over-cup White Oak , and con- tained in shallow scaly cups. Being sweet-flavoured , and sometimes abundant , they are sought with avidity by . M! Chrsiuil White Oak. I/M.:,; ,'<■■ ,A' :* '» « 'J^ %.•»■* CilKftNUT WHITE OAK. 4? wild and domestic animals, such as deer , cows , horses and swine. The Chesnut While Oak, like the Over-cup Oak, grows only in the large swamps that border the rivers or are enclosed in the forests ; but it always chooses spots that are rarely inundated , where the soil is loose, deep, constantly cool and hixuriantly fertile. In the Carolina^ and Georgia it is usually accompanied by the White Elm , the Wahoo , the Big Laurel , the Umbrella Tree , the Sweet Leaves , the Beech , the Pop- lar, the Bitternut Hickory and the Devil Wood. In this latitude it attains its utmost develnpement , which is 80 or 90 feet in stature with a proportional diameter. Its straight trunk, undivided and of an uniform size to the height of 5o feet, and its expansive tufted summit, form one of the must beautiful and majestic trees of the North American forests. Its wood, which is affected by the richness of the soil, is inferior to that of the Post Oak, the White Oak, and even the Over- cup Oak; and its pores, though nearly obliterated, are more open. But it is superior to many other species, and is employed for wheel -Wrights' works and for other objects which re- quire strength and durability. As it splits in a straight line, and may be divided into fine shreds, it is chosen by the negioes for baskets and brooms. Its pores are loo open to contain wine or spirituous liquors. In the form of rails it lasts u or t5 years, or a third longer than the ■C % •^ -^ n. '^ 48 CHESNUT WHITE OAK. 'Willow Oak. At Augusta in Georgia it is considered as the best fuel, and is sold at a or 3 dollars a cord. The Chesnut White Oak endures the winter of Paris , but its vegetation would be quicker in the more south- em departments. It is to be regretted that a tree which seems formed to be one of the linest ornaments of our forests, should have nothing to recommend it but its beauty. Other properties it possesses only in a second- ary degree , and in Europe it will probably be confined to the pleasure-grounds of amateurs. / PLATE VIII. A branch with leaves cmd fruit of the natwnlsize. I .,W Yollovv Oak ^<3 %»»»M%^WV»W»MMftl%MMMMrtaM^*»MrtMMM "^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 4 ^ .5.^ .*\^ '^^> "^^^^c m ^ % 1.0 1.1 1^121 2.5 2.2 ^ m ^ li£ 12.0 |a< 1^ Ubb IJ4 -» ftiotographic Sciences Corporalion 23 WIST MAIN STREiT WIBSTIR.N.Y. 14SM (716)t72-4S03 r»t>tM\MM»^iw******^*^^*^<»^>m0ni>M>0M¥iWv^v^wmiMM* v ¥»»^t v vv^V¥^ ■9- LIVE OAK. QuERCUS viRENS. Q./oIus perennantibus , conacas, oco/o- ahlon^ , junianbus denlatis, vetustioribusmtegris;cupuld' turhinatd, squamulis abbrevitUis; glande oblongd. This species, which is confined to the maritime parts of the Southern States, the Flpridars and Louisiana , is known only by the name of Live Oak. The climate be- comes mild enough fqr its growth near ISorfolk in Vir- ginia , though it is less multiplied and less vigorous than in a more southern latitude. From Norfolk it spreads along the coast for a distance of 1 5 or 1 8 hundred miles, extending beyond the mouth of the Mississippi. The sea-air seems essential to its existence , for it is rarely found in the forests upon the mainland, and nevermore than i5 or 3o miles from the shore. It is the most abundant , the most fully developed , and of the best quality, about the bays and creeks , and on the fertile islands which in great numbers lie scat- tered for several hundred miles along the coast. I par- ticularly observed it on the islands of St. Simon , i^ Cumberland, Sapelo, etc., between the St. John and the St. Mary , in an excursion of four or five hundred miles in a canoe , from Cape Canaveral in East Florida to Savannah in Georgia. I fi^equently saw it upon the ^ beach , or half-buried in the moveable sands upon the •^ * 1^ 58 • LIVE OAK. downs, where it had preserved its freshness and vigour, though exposed during a long lapse of time to the fury of the wintry tempest and to the ardour of the sum- mer's sun. rj The Live Oak is commonlP4o or 45, feet in he%ht, and from i to a feet in diameter ; but it is sometimes much larger : Mr. S. , president of the Agricultural So- ciety of Charleston , assured^mci that he had felled a trunk, hollowed by age, which was a4 feet in circum- ference, like most other trees, it has, when insulated^ a wide and tufted summit. Its trunk is sometimes un- divided for i8 or ao feet, but often ramifies at half this height, and at a distance it has the appearance of an old Apple Tree or Pear Tree. The leaves are oval , coria- ceous, of a dark green above and whitish beneath : they persist during several years , and. are partillly renlwed every spring. On trees reared upon plantations, or grow- ing in cool soils, they are one half larger, and are often denticulated :' upon stocks of two or three years they are commonly very distinctly toothed> The acorns are of a lengthened oval form , nearly black , and contained in shallow , greyish , pedunculated cups. The Indians are said to have expressed an oil from them to mingle with their food ; perhaps, also , they eat the kernel, whidi , though not agreeable to the taste , is less rough and bitter than that of many other species. The fruit is sometimes very abundant , and it germi- nates with such ease that if the weather is rainy at the LITE OAK.' 99 season of its maturity, many acorns are found upon the trees mth the radicle unfolded. * The bark upon the trunk is blackish , hard and thick, lljie wood h heavy, conipact, fine-grained, and of a yellowish colour, which deepens as the tree advances in age. The number and closeness of the concentrical circles evince the slowness of its growth. •As it is very strong , and incomparably more durable than the best White. Oak , it is highly e&teemed in ship>buildin|[^ and is con- sumed npt only in the country which produces it, but stin mcire extensively in the Northern States. From its great durability when perfectly seasoned it is almost ex- clusively employed for the upper part of the frame. To compensate its excessive weight it is joined with the Red Cedar, which is extremely light and equaUy lasting. The live Oak does not afford large timber; but its wide and branching summit makes amends for this dis- advantage by furnishing a great number of knees , of which there is never a sufficient quantity in the dock- yards. The vessels built at New York and Philadelphia , with the upper framie of Hcd Cedar and Live Oak, and the lower timbers of White Oak , are as durable as those constructed of the best materials in Europe. Brekel , whon^ I have already quoted , says that the best trunnels are of Live Oak ; but at present it is replaced, in the Southern States , by the Locust and the beaci of the Long-leaved Pine. •^-•■^^ * ,■> Be LIVE OAK. In the South, particularly at Charleston and Satan- nah , this species is used for the naves and felloes of heavy wheeb , for which it is far superior to the Wliite Oak : it is more proper, also, for screws and for the cogs of mill-wheels. --f The bark is excellent for tanning, but- is only acci- dentally employed. • -^ Besides the Live Oak timber eiported to £ngland , great quantifies are used in ship-building in the United States, partienlarly at Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore. The consumption has become threefold within twenty years , in consequence of the immense developement of American commerce. Hence the price has doubled, and the species is rapidly diminishing. The clearing of the islands for the culture of cotton , which they yield of a superior quality , has contributed greatly to its destruction. It is already difficult to pro- cure sticks of considerable size in the Southern States , and they are sought on the western coast of East Flo> rida between the St. Mary and the St. John. From St. Augustine to the Cape the species is rarer ; but we are informed that it abounds on the shores of West Florida, whither the English of the Bahama Islands resort for supplies. As the Live Oak, from the peculiaritii^ of its consti- tution , is multiplied with difficulty , I cannot but con- sider its disappearance throughout the United States within fifty years as nearly certain. It will then be # ^ * LITE OAK. 6l found only in the form of a shrub, ^ke the Quercus ilex which formerly skirted the southern ^bast of France and Italy. PLATE XII. * A branch wUh leaves and fruit of the natural size. 'w ... ^ •» 41; * r-*^ JU. «*■■ ?>'«:."■ %.»■- lA* i% W>»ir>»WW>WIW>»lll»WI<>»IWrWIM>«»»ll*WMIWIII<»W<»<IW^ CORK OAK. m- QuERCVS suBER. Q. folUs ovoto-oblofigis , indivisis, set" ratis , sublus glaucis ; cortice rimoso , fungoso. The Cork Oak grows naturally in the southern parts of France , in Spain , Portugal , Italy and the States of Barbary, which are comprised between the 44th and 35th degrees of latitude. It rarely exceeds 4^ ^^*^^ i" height and 3 feet in diameter. Its leaves are evergreen , but the greater part of them fall and are renewed in the spring : they are ovate , thick , slightly toothed , of a light green on the upper surface and glaucous beneath. The acorns are rather large , oval , and half enclosed in a conical cup : as they are of a sweetish taste , they are eagerly devoured by swine. The wood is hard , compact and heavy , but less dur- able than that of the Common European Oak , parti- cularly when exposed to humidity. The worth of the tree resides in its bark, which begins to be taken off at the age of a5 years. The first growth is of little value ; in ten years it is renewed ; but the second product, though less cracked than the first, is not thick ^nough for corks, and is used only by fishermen to buoy up their nets. It is not till the tree is 4^ or 5o years old that the bark pos- sesses all thje qualities requisite for good corks, and from that period it is collected once in eight or ten V MM, SeT" 0. ni parts States of ^th and > fget in ergreen , lewed in led , of a beneath, closed in they are less dur- ik, parti- )f the tree >ff at the value; in :t, though for corks, ir nets. It bark pos- arks, and ;ht or ten A CORK OAK. 6S years. Its thickness is owing to the extraordinary swel- ling oi* |he cellular integument. It is better fitted than any other substance for the use to which it is appro- priated , as its elasticity exactly adapts it to the neck of the bottle, and its impenetrable structure refuses ad- mission to the fluid. July and August are the seasons for gathering it. For this puqwse two opposite longitudinal incisions are made through the whole length of the trunk , and two others, transverse to the first, at the extremities ; the bark is then detached by inserting a hatchet -handle shaped like a wedge. Great care must be taken not to wound the alburnum, as the bark is never renewed upon the injured parts. After being scraped, the bark is heated on its convex side, and laden with stones, to flatten it and render it easier of transportation. In Catalonia it is cut into pieces and boiled to improve its quality. Its ex- cellence consists in being compact, supple and elastic and it should be from 1 5 to 20 lines thick. The cork produced in France may be reckoned at 17 or 18,000 quintab, and when the sheets are smooth and even each quintal affords 7,000 or 7,600 corks 18 lines long. The common price is a dollar and 70 cents a thou- sand , of which 5o cents must be allowed for the expense of making. It is coniputed that no or ii5 millions of corks are annuaUy consumed in France. This tree would be an important acquisition to the United States , and would grow wherever the live Oak \L ^ ff( CORK OAK. subsists. The soil of the pine barrens is in general too meager to sustain its vegetation ; the bed of vegetable mould is in many places so thin , and the sand beneath so homogeneous , that the roots of the Pines , instead of shooting downward, fold themselves back, as if n- pelled by a solid rock. Both public and private interest requires the inhabi- tants of the Southern coast, and especially of the neigh- bouring islands, to rear the Cork Oak about their plan- tations and in places that are unfit for the cultivation of cotton. It should also be introduced into West Tennes- see , and with the more reason as the Vine may be cul- tivated there with success. As the young slocks are injured by transplanting, they should be permanently fixed the second or third year. To favour their growth , the earth should be loos- ened about the roots two or three times a year ; and to render them tall and well-shaped , the lower branches should be cut even with the trunk. Their vegetation is in this manner strengthened and the bark improved ; without farther attention they will continue to afford a valuable product during two or three centuries. This tree has great advantages over several others which would likewise flourish in the same parts of the United States , such as the Olive and the White Mul- berry. To fit their produce for consumption , particu- larly that of the Miilberry, requires complicated proces- ses, which can be performed with advantage only in *. COBK OAK. 65 populous countries. Hence the attempts made 70 or 80 years ago in Georgia to introduce the rearing of sillc* worms proved abortive ; and the old White Mulberry Trees that still remain are monuments of that ill-calcu* laled speculation. The bark of the Cork Oak, on the con- trary, might be transported to the Northern States , or made into corks upon the spot by a simple operation performed by a single person with instruments of which the price does not exceed two or three dollars. PLATE XIII. A branch mth leaves and fruit of the rtatuml siu. r.',!f »:^ f '#' f - , * ,' « ' O II ^ t. M 'WP- I,l>^ ^|(»y»»W»VV^V»^»»»^WW|(IMM>^AM^lW>MM%VW»W»»»*WM< '•/': : f- 1 - PLATE XIV. , ,u .■ " " ' 4, ji branch mth leaves and fruit of the natural size. > 0^-ft y\. ', \ •'! I i '■ •)■ .' ) t-. ■ "InlTf .vff uses to \ proper [ planta- le partly rears. As nze. H.m^M •«" Lww>iwi i ww¥¥vtw>w > Y»i i v i r » ii vr i Tiivi ' .*************"'*****'** ****UYn i***'iT>*rv> wn'>»innr •Us- LAUREL OAK. '^■i \ .a QUERCtJS IMBRTCARIA. Q. foliis subsessilibus , opoH-oblon- gis, acutis, integenimis, nitidis; glande subhenu'sphcericd. ■- .hi-., v.u'.'- '•- •' 4;i<^ I ■■; .;! . > :.=■;'•.» East of the Alleghanies this species is rare, and has received no specific name ; west of the mountains , where it is more multiplied and has attracted more at- tention, it is called Jack Oak, Black Jack Oak , and some- times , from the form of its leaves , Laurel Oak. The last denomination I have preserved as the most appropriate, though perhaps it is less common than the first. I observed this tree for the first time in Pennsylvania near Bedford on the Juniata, upon the road from Phila- delphia to Pittsburgh , and it does not exist in the more Northern States. I found it abundant only beyond the mountains, and particularly near Washington Court- house and in some parts of Kentucky and Tennessee. From my father's observations it appears to be more multiplied in the country of the Illinois than in the places I have just mentioned , and it is called by the French ChSne a laties. Lath Oak. In the western parts of Pennsylvania and Virginia , small lawns, covered only with tall grass, are frequently seen in the forests, around which the Laurel Oak forms entire groves : insulated stocks are also found in cool humid situations. It is probably from its flourishing in 70 LAUREL OAK. open exposures that it is most abundant in the country of the Illinois, which consists of immeasurable savannas stretching in every direction , to which the forests bear no sensible proportion. The Laurel Oak is £fl or 5o feet high, and la or i5 inches in diameter. Its trunk, even when old, is clad in a smooth bark, and, for three fourths of its height, is laden with branches. It has an uncouth form when bared in the winter , but is beautiful in the summer when clad in its thick tufted foliage. The leaves are long, lanceolate, entire, and of a li^t shining green. The wood is hard and heavy, though its pores are open. As the trunk is branchy and often crooked , it is considered , wherever I have observed it , as fit only for fuel; but my father, who first described it, says that the French of Illinois use it for shingles. Probably in that region it attains much greater dimensions ; but in my opinion the want of better species only can account for its use. Its wood is inferior to that of the Willow Oak , which it nearly resembles. This tree has no merit but its singular foliage , and it deserves the attention only of amateurs desirous of adorning their rural retreats with a variety of exotic trees. . , ■ PLATE XV. A branch with leaves and fruit of the natural size. \- ^ # .4 country ivannas its bear a or i5 clad in light, is n bared ten clad ceolate,*' )res are ed , it is only for ays that )ably in ; but in account Willow i , and it rous of ►f exotic r-^' ■£. Fl 14 P.JJUJjuttJd. QUEllCUS Cinerea. Jtftutfoilf 1 A (|>W»»W»ll»»<»»»*'**»*W*«**' * ******W*****<*******»**'>**»*'*'*»*W>llr«IIMMI»Wl«IW^^ UPLAND WILLOW OAK. QUBRCUS CINEREA. Q. foUis petiolotU , hmceolato-oblongist acutis, integerrimis , siUftus ciiuno'pubescentibus ; cupuld scuteilatd; glande subhemisphcencd. .a. :.'*. 4 V tt i it The Upland Willow Oak is confined to the maritime parts of the Southern States. It is little multiplied in comparison with many other species, and is dispersed in small groups in the forests of White Pine. It is found also upon the sea-shore, and apon the islands where it covers tracts of several acres still more barren than the main. But the stocks which grow in these different sit- uations are so different in appearance that they might easily be mistaken for distinct species : in the pine-bar- rens they are 1 8 or 20 feet high, and 4 or 5 inches in diameter , with the leaves entire , a inches and a half long, and whitish underneath ; on the islands and on the shore of the Continent , where the soil is extremely dry , as near Wilmington , N. G. , they are only 3 or 4 feet in height , and the leaves are denticulated , are an inch in length , and persist for two years. I have ascer- tained that both varieties belong to the same species , by examining the sprouts of the larger stocks in the pine- barrens, of which the foliage is perfectly similar to that of the smaller ones on the shore. The Upland Willow Oak is one of the abject trees 79 VPLAHD WILLOW OAK. 41 . that succeed the Pines on lands which have been cleared for cultivation and abandoned on account of their ster- ility. In these places, as in the pine-barrens, it is ao feet in stature, and its trunk, crooked and covered with a thick bark , begins at a third of this height to divide it- self by numerous ramifications. In the spi'ing it is distin- guished at a distance by the reddish colour of its leaves and male aments. The acorns, which are contained in shallow cups, are round and blackish , with the base of a bright rose colour when freshly exposed. It is rare to meet with a tree which yields a quart of fruit. The bark of this species , like that of the Black Oak, affords a beautiful yellow dye ; but the tree is so small and so little multiplied that it is of no utility in this re- spect , nor even for fuel. The Quercus nana of Willdenow is certainly the smal- ler variety of this species. PLATE XVI. «^ ^ A branch mth leaves and fruit of the natural sistt. Fig. i , A leaf of the srruiUer variety of the ftatund size. »' # cleared lir sler- ao feet I with a ivfde it- s ditttin- s leaves ained in base of rare to ickOak, so small I this re- he smal- te-Ftg.i^ ■M' on/m/ti 7-5' jtiwwnnninfn""'*'* ^■«««««... »»■■..... — ^ ^ ... RUNNING OAK. 4 QuBRCUS PUMILA. Q. folus dtctduis, lanceolatis, integer' rimis, basi attenuatis , apice dilaiatis-, cupuld scutellatd; i ghnde subhemisphcencd. Quercus sericeai Willd. Tbis species, which is rarely more than ao inches In height and a lines in diameter , is the smallest Oak hitherto discovered in the Old or the New World. Like the Upland Willow Oak, it is confined to the maritime parts of the Carolinas , Georgia and the Floridas , where it is called Running Oak. It springs with that species in the pine -barrens, amid the numerous varieties of Whortleberry and other plants which overspread the ground wherever there is a little moisture in the soil and the layer of vegetable mould is a few inches thick. The leaves of this dwarfish shrub are of a reddish tint in the spring, and turn green as the season ad- vances. When fully developed they are entire , smooth , of an elongated oval shape, and about a inches in length. The acorns are small, round, and similar to those of the Willow and Water Oaks : they are few in number, because the stem is burnt to the surface of the ground almost every spring, by the fire which is kindled in the forests to consume the dead grass ; as this species belongs to the division whose fructification I. 10 -r % 74 RUNKIMG OAK. is biennial, the acorns are destroyed before they arrive at maturity. My own observations , and those of Messrs. Bosc and Delille , distinguished botanists who resided several years in the Southern part of the United States , have led me to consider the Running Oak as a distinct species and not as a variety of the Willow Oak, as my father has treated it in his monography of this important genus. It is hardly necessary to remark that from its size ii can be interesting only to botanists. • PLATE XVII. ^'% .«.-■ tf * A branch mth leaves and fruit of the naturtdsize. f'.C- v?^.». "* .* jr amre osc and 'al years led me :ies and her has ;enus. It ,e ii can ize. f ^(VMt llJ/^ yUEIlfUS heteropliilla /■'-'Auya,-/ X- JS. BARTRAM OAK. QuERCUS HETEROPHYLLA. Q. folus longe petiolotis , oveUo- lanceolatis, integris vel inasquoliter dentatis ; glande sub- globosd. , Every botanist who has visited different regions of the globe must have remarked certain species of vege- tables which are so little multiplied that they seem likely at no distant period to disappear from the earth. To this class belongs the Bartram Oak. Several English and American naturalists who, like my father and my- self, have spent years in exploring the United States , and who have obligingly communicated to us the re- sult of their observations , have , like us , found no traces of this species except a single stock in a field be- longing to Mr. Bartram , on the banks of the Schuyl- kill , 4 miles from Philadelphia. This is a flourishing tree, 3o feet in height and 12 inches in diameter, and seems formed to attain a much greater developement. Its leaves are of an elongated oval form , coarsely and irregularly toothed , smooth above , and of a dark green beneath. The acorns are round , of a middle size, and contained in shallow cups lightly covered with scales. I was at first disposed to consider this tree as a variety of the Laurel Oak , to which it bears the greatest aflin- ity ; but the leaves of that species are never indented , 76 BARTRAM OAK. and not a stock of it exists within a hundred miles of Philadelphia. Several young plants , which I received from Mr. Bartram himself, have been placed in our pubUc gardens to insure the preservation of the species. PLATE XVIII. ' A hianrh mth leaves and fruU of the natural size. i m '^ \' V RV # < . ■ X > I '' fl:. miles of om Mr. : gardens te. PJ.M^w/fJ^ ASrfdi/ ,'',v. Waler Oak n WATER OAK. QuERCUS AQUATIC A. Q. foUis obovali'cuneath , botl omlls , summttate subintegris, varihe irilobit, giabrisf cupuld modice crateratd ; glande subglobosd. , This species first attracted my attention in the forests near Richmond in Virginia ; it becomes more common in proceeding southward, and abounds in the lower part of the Garolinas and Georgia , and in East Florida. Under the name of Water Oak it is sometimes con- founded with the Willow Oak, by which it is always accompanied in the ponds and narrow swamps enclosed in the pirit-barrens. It is inferior in si%e to the Willow Oak, and rarely exceeds 40 or 4^ feet in height and la or 18 inches in diameter. On full-grown trees the leaves are smooth, shining, and heart - shaped — or broad and rounded at the summit and terminated in an acute angle at the base. In the severe climate of Virginia they fall with the Hirst frost , but on the sea-shore of the Garolinas , Georgia and Florida , they persist during two or three years. There is no Oak in the United Slates of which the foliage is so variable and so dilferent from that of the tree, on the young stocks and on the sprouts from an old trunk or from the base of a limb that has been lopped : the leaves are commonly oval and deeply and irregularly toothed. 78 wateh oak. The acorns , which are contained in shallow , slightly scaly cups , are brown , small , and extremely bitter ; the largest tree rarely yields more than five or six quarts. Like those of the Willow Oak, when kept cool they pre- serve their fecundity for several months. The bark upon the oldest trunks is smooth and very slightly furrowed ; it is little used in tanning, either be- cause it is inferior to that of the Spanish Oak, or because the tree is less abundant. The wood is very tough , but less durable and less es- teemed by carpenters and wheel-wrights than that of the White Oak and Ghesnut White Oak. As this species is destitute of interest , it v'ill probably become extinct like many others which are rapidly di- minishing. In France it would flourish only in the south- ern departments. PLATE XiX. A branch with leaves and fruit of the natural size. » .'i: slightly ter ; the c quarts, hey pre- and very ther be- > because d less es- a that of probably pidly di- le south- sise. . { .-•ts.W.^ #*i t*'i,;se lands oils, and npetuous nfancv of rhe want cle to the told near ed to the ' Chesnut nourish" the year, le birds as I sii^ //./A^./..,y,/ Ranviis Scrub Oak. (.•,,,(,•,.•.■.'.■ . i5; BARRENS SCRUB OAK. QuERCUS cATESB.ci. Q. folUs brevissime pflhtatia, sub' palmato-lohatis , lobis interdum subfalcatU i eiifmld ma- j'usculd, squamis marginalibus introjlemii { glande brevi ovatd. According to my own observation* thii spt^cics is confined to the lower part of the Carolina* and Georgia. I first saw it a few miles south of Raleigh , N. C. , latitude 35° 4o'' It grow3 in soils too meager to *uilain any other vegetation , such as the vicinity of Wilmington, N, C. , where the light moveable sand is wholly destitute of ve^ getable mould. It is the only species miillipliiid in the pine-barrens, and from this circumstance it *et!fn* to have derived its name. In traversing these forests I nowhere *aw the Scrub Oak, more uniformly disseminated than butween fayei- teville and Wilmington , an interval of 6(9 mile* , where it forms nearly one tenth of the wood* : the Pines themselves, throughout the barrens, are scattered at the distance of 1 5 or 20 feet. The foliage of this tree is open , ond it* leave* are large, smooth, thick and coriaceous toward* the close of summer, deeply and irregularly laciniaied , and sup- ported by short petioles. With the first frost Ihey change to a dull red, and fall the ensuing month. The acorns 86 BARRENS SCRUB OAK. are pretty large, of a blackish colour, and partly covered with a line grey dust , which is easily rubbed ofTbetwcen the fingers : they are contained in thick cups swollen towards the edge , with the upper scales bent inwards. The oldest trees alone are productive , and their fruit never exceeds a few handfuls. In the winter it is difficult to distinguish the Scrub Oak from the Black Jack Oak, which it nearly resembles. Like that , it is crooked , ramified at the height of a or 3 feet, and covered with a thick, blackish, deeply fur- rowed bark : it is , besides , perfectly similar in the co- lour, texture and weight of its wood. At Wilmington the Scrub Oak is the best fuel , and is sold separately ; but notwithstanding its abundance in this district it is insuf- ficient for the supply of the inhabitants : its size alone would exclude it from use in the arts. The general character of this tree forbids the hopes of advantage that might be conceived from its flourish- ing upon the most sterile soils. PLATE XXIL A branch with leaves and fruit of the natural size. y covered fbetween i swollen , inwards, heir fruit he Scrub esembles. bt of a or •eply fur- in the co- ngton the ately; but it is insuf- size alone the hopes s flourish- size. li V.1 ?7. u^Vl^^^^'^^•*^***^'**^"* ' **^''**''**'**'**''*^"*'****^'*******^***'***^***"^^'**''''^'>'|•|^^v<'^^vlWll^v> u^lt^ l ■ ^l^ ■"/ -I"; / SPANISH OAK. QuERCUS FALCATA. Q. foUis longe petlolntis , subpalmalO' lohaits , subtus eximie tomentosis , lobis falcatis ; cvpuhl crateriformi ; glande subglobosd. Qunrcus elongata, Willd. This species , like the Black Jack Oak , begins to show ifsclf in New Jersey , near Allentown , about 60 miles from Philadelphia. But even at this distance it is smaller than in the immediate vicinity of the city, where it ac- quires its perfect developement , and where its leaves exhibit their appropriate form. Farther south it is con- stantly found among the most common trees in the forests. I have observed that it is less multiplied near the mountains, and in the country beyond them. In Delaware , Maryland and Virginia , it is known only by the name of Spanish Oak, and in the Garolinas and Georgia by that of Bed Oak. In an old English work which I found in the library of Charleston , it is said to have been called Spanish Oak by the iirst settlers , from the resemblance of its leaves to those of the Quercus velani which grows in Spain. "Whether this etymology is just or not, I am unable to say; but it is unknown to the inhabitants who have adopted the name. The deno- mination of Bed Oak, which is used only in the more Southern States, was probably given it on account of the great analogy between its wood and that of the spe- -W-' ;f. \ ^^• 88 SPANISH OAK. ' cies thus called in the Northern and Middle States, where the Spanish Oak is much less common than in the South. ' • ' This tree is more than do feet in height , and 4 or 5 feet in diameter. Its leaves are very different on different individuals ; thus in New Jersey, where the tree is only 3o feel high and 4 or 5 inches thick, they are three- lobed , except a few on the summit , and not falcated as on the large stocks in the Southern States. On young plants , and on the lower branches of the most vigorous stocks growing in moist and shaded situations , they are also trilobed ; and on the upper limbs they are more acutely laciniated , with the sections more arching than those represented in the figure. This remarkable differ- ence led my father to describe as a distinct species, under the name of Quercus triloba, the individuals whose foliage had not acquired its perfect form. Sometimes , on the sprouts of trees that have been felled , the leaves are deeply denticulated at right angles to the main rib. One of their constant characters is a thick down upon the lower side of the leaf and upon the young shoots to which they are attached. The acorns are small, round, of a brown colour, and contained in slightly scaly shallow cups supported by peduncles one or two lines in length. They resemble those of the Bear Oak, and, like them, preserve for a long time the faculty of germination. The bark upon the trunk is blackish and deeply fur- STf :\f»' nd 4 or 5 1 different ree is only are three- ot falcated On young »sl vigorous IS , tbey are y are more irching than kable differ- nct species, iduals whose Sometimes , d , the leaves le main rib. : down upon ing shoots to 1 colour , and supported by ley resemble )reserve for a id deeply fur- SPANISH OAK. 89 rowed, with a cellular iulegument of middling thickness. The wood is reddish and coarse-grained , with empty pores, and all the characteristic propertiefvof the species known in commerce by the general name of Red Oak : hence its staves are fit only to contain melasses , salted provisions and dry goods. I have been told that in the West Indies the Red Oak staves from the Southern States , where this species abounds, are the most es- teemed , from which it seems probable that its wood is better than that of the Red , Scarlet and Black Oaks that furnish almost all the Red Oak staves from the Northern and Middle States: this superiority, however, is not sufficiently marked to occasion a difference in the price. From its want of durability the Spanish Oak is less esteemed than the "White Oak, the Post Oak, and other species of annual fructification. It is rarely employed in building , and is used by cart-wrights only at Baltimore, where it is preferred to the White Oak for the felloes of large wheels. The principal merit of the Spanish Oak , which gives it a superiority over most other species of the United States , resides in its bark. This is preferred for tanning coarse leather, which it renders whiter and more sup- ple; it is consequently sold at Philadelphia and Wilming- ton a fourth dearer than that of the other Oaks : the leather is said to be improved by the addition of a small quantity of the bark of the Hemlock Spruce. The Spanish Oak is adapted to the climate of i,hc I. la ■m /l^v* 90 SPANISH OAK. centre of France, if we may judge from its multiplication in the nurseries and in the gardens yf amateurs. The stocks that have sprung from the acorns which I sent home during my residence in America bear as yet only three-lobed leaves, but they vnll become falcated at a maturer age. From the inferiority of its wood , this species would not, in my opinion , deserve a place in our forests , though its bark should prove equal to that of the Europ- ean Oak. But in the Southern States, when some species of trees are to be multiplied in preference to others, the Spanish Oak alone should be spared among the Red Oaks , as , besides its superiority in other respects , it has the advantage of flourishing on lands of a middling qual- ity, such as compose a large part of that Section of the United States. PLATE XXIII. A branch with leaves and /nut of the natural size. •*»»-, liplication eurs. The lich I sent s yet only cated at a nes would r forests, the Europ- me species others, the g the Red ects , it has idling qual- ion of the 2I size. r- «MIV«IV*»VV»I*V*»W»V KVWlV««VM«Ml»\V l»vvwwlV»vvvv«w^»»w»»»»wv BLACK OAK. QuERCUS TINCTORIA. Q. folus profunde sinuosis, subtus pulverulentis ; cupuld turbinatd, squamosd; glande brevi 6 Md. Except the District of Maine , the northern part of New Hampshire , Vermont and Tennessee , this species is found throughout the United States on both sides of the AUeghanies , and it is every where called Black Oak. It is more abundant in the Middle States « and in the upper part of the Garolinas and Georgia, than on the southern coast. The Black Oak flourishes in a poorer soil than the White Oak. In Maryland and certain districts of Virginia, where the soil is lean , gravelly and uneven , it is con- stantly united in the forests with the Scarlet, Spanish and Post Oaks, and the Mockernut Hickory, with which the Yellow Pine is also frequently mingled. This Oak is one of the loftiest trees of North America, being 80 or 90 feet high and 4 or 5 feet in diameter. The leaves are large, deeply lacinialed, and divided into four or live lobes : they resemble those of the Scarlet Oak , but have less deep and open sinuses , are loss shining , of a di'Ucr green , and in the spring and during a part of the summer have their surface rough- ened with small glands which are sensible to the eye 92 BLACK OAK. and to the touch. The same appearance is observed on the young shoots. I have remarked that the leaves of the young stocks change in the autumn to a dull red , and those of the old trees to yellow, beginning with the petiole. _ The trunk is covered with a deeply furrowed bark of middling thickness, and always of a black or very deep brown colour, whence probably is derived the name of the tree. North-east of Pennsylvania the complexion of the bark is the only character by which it can be distin- guished from the Red, Scarlet and Grey Oaks, when r the leaves are fallen. Farther south this character is not suflicientto distinguish it from the Spanish Oak, whose bark is of the same colour, and recourse must be had to the buds, which, on the Black Oak, are longer, more acuminate , and more scaly. All doubt may be removed by chewing a bit of the cellular integument of each : that of the Black Oak is very bitter and gives a yellow tinge to the saliva, which is not the case with the other. The wood is reddish and coarse-grained , with empty pores : it is, however, more esteemed for strength and durability than that of any other species of biennial fruc- ^ tihcation. At Philadelphia it is employed , for want of white oak, in building; and the farmers of the North- ern States, by a miscalculating economy , substitute it in the place of the White Oak for fences. As this species is abundant in the Northern and Middle States, it furnishes a large proportion of the .t BLACK OAK. 93 Bed Oak staves exported to the Colonies or employed at home to contain flower, salted provisions and melasses. The bark is extensively used in tanning , as it is easily procured and is rich in tannin. The only inconvenience which attends it is imparting a yellow colour to the leather , whieh must be discharged by a particular pro- cess , to prevent its staining the stockings : it is a great error to assert that this colour augments its value From the cellular integument of the Black Oak is ob- tained the quercitron, of which great use is made in dying wool, silk and paper-hangings. According to several author? •'ho have written on this subject , and among others Dr. Bancroft , to whom we are indebted for this discovery, one part of quercitron yields as much colouring matter as eight or ten parts of woad. The decoction is of a brownish yellow, which is ren dered deeper by alkali , and lighter by acids. A solution of alum causes a small portion of the colouring matter to fall in a deep yellow precipitate ; solutions of tin af- ford a more abundant precipitate of a bright hue. To dye wool , it is sulficient to boil the quercitron with an equal weight of alum : in dipping the stuff, the deep- est shade is given first , and afterwards the straw-colour : to animate the tint the stuff may be passed , in coming out of the dye , through water whitened with a little '.v?ihed chalk. A brighter colour is obtained by means of a solution of tin. Quercitron may be substituted for woad, in giving all the shades of yellow to silk ; the pro- 4 ^■.- ■iHf^ % ^ 94 BLACK OAK. portion is one part by weight to twelve parts of silk. In the advertisements of Philadelphia for February 1808, this substance is rated at 40 dollars a ton , and from that city chiefly it is exported to Europe. Though the wood of the Black Oak is of a better qua* lity than that of the Scarlet, Spanish, Red, Pin, Grey, Willow and Water Oaks , which are all comprehended under the name of Red Oak, it is much inferior to that of the European Oak. But its stature, the rapidity of its growth in the coldest climates and the most indifferent soils, and , above all, the value of its bark in dying, re- commend it powerfully to the notice of European fo- resters. \ PLATE XXIV. A leaf of the natural size. Note. The small branch with the acorns belongs to the Scarlet Oak. f silk. In iry 1808, Tom that etter qua- in, Grey, rehended lor to that lity of its ndifferent lying, re- opean fo- f* ongs to the A-.r^.l /,•.• Srarl»M Oak. l!.iSr/>/ Mj- m fS, tWtlWVMVMfMIVMIIMmV »w»w^w»wv»»»»Mivvwi»vmvwwwwv»v»»«»wi SCARLET OAK. QuERCUS cocciNEA. Q. folUs lottge petiolath, oblongis, profnnde sitmatis , glabris ; lobis denUitis , acutis; cupnid msigniter squamosd; glande bretfi ovatd. The Scarlet Oak is first seen in the vicinity of Boston , but it is less multiplied than in New Jersey, Pennsylvu- nia, Virginia, and the upper part of the Carolinas and Georgia , where it forms a part of the forests that are still standing: it is much less common in the lower parts of these States, which , as I have already observed , pro* duce nothing but Pines. I have not seen it in the district of Maine, the States of New Hampshire and Vermont, nor beyond Utica in Gennessee. In the Northern Stales it is confounded with the Red Oak, and in those of the South , with the Spanish Oak. The name of Scarlet Oak was given it by my father, and, though not in use among the inhabitants , it will probably be adopted, as the tree is evidently a distinct species. This is a vegetable of more than 80 feet in height and of 3 or 4- feet in diameter. The leaves, which are sup- ported by long petioles, are of a beautiful green, shining on both sides, and laciniated in a remarkable manner , having usually four deep sinuses very broad at the bot- tom. They begin to change with the hrst cold, and, after several successive frosts , turn to a bright red , in- f'* # -* gS SCARLET OAK. , \^ Stead of a dull hue like tliobc of the Red Oak. At this season the singular colour of the foliage forms a strikuig contrast with that of the surrounding trees, and is itself a suflk'ient inducement to cultivate the tree for ornament. The acorns are large, somewhat elongated, similarly rounded at both ends, and half covered with scaly cups. As this fruit varies in size with the quality of the soil , it is diilicult to distinguish it from that of the Black Oak; the only constant difference is in the kernel, which is yellowish in the Black Oak, and white in the species we are considering. The wood of the Scarlet Oak is reddish and coarse- grained , with open pores. As it decays much more rap- idly than the White Oak , it is employed by the builder and wheel-wright only from necessity or economy. It is poor fuel, and is used principally for staves : in the Middle States, a large part of the Red Oak staves are furnished by this species. The bark , though very thick and generally employed in tanning, is in no respect preferable to that of the Grey and Red Oaks. That this tree will flourish in France , is shown by an example at Rambouillet , where it makes part of a beautiful plantation 4^ feet in height, formed, in 178G, of species sent home by my father soon after bis arrival in the United States. It is to be regretted that so fine a tree, which is so well adapted to our soil , should aflbrd '/* , t n.t SCARLET OAK. gf Buch indiflerent wood that we cannot recommend its introduction into the forests of Europe , nor its preser- vation in those of the United States. I PLATE XXY; ji leaf of the natural site, I^ote. The acorns in this plate belong to the Black Oak* .15-«. tOti- tS »J ^^ GREY OAK. QuERCUS BOREALis. Q. folUs slnuatis , glabris, sinuhus subacutis; cupuld subscutellatd ; glande iurgide ovatd. The Grey Oak appears, by my father's notes, to be found farther north than any other species in America ; in returning from Hudson's Bay he saw it on the St. Lawrence between Quebec and Malabaic, in latitude 470 5o'. Under that parallel , and near Halifax in Nova Scotia , where I first observed it , it is not more than 40 feet high ; and, though the bloom is annual, the winter is so rigorous and so long that the fruit is said to be ma- tured only once in three or four years. Three degrees far- ther south in Maine and N> w Hampshire , and on the shores of Lake Champlain in Vermont , it is more mul- tiplied, and is 5o or 60 feet in height and 18 inches in diameter. It is called by the inhabitants Grey Oak, but it has been confounded by botanists with the Red Oak, to which it bears a close analogy in its foliage , as it does to the Scarlet Oak in its fruit : on this resemblance I have founded the latin specific name ambigua. The leaves are large , smooth , and deeply sinuated at right angles to the main rib. The acorns are of the mid- dle size, rounded at the end, and contained in scaly cups. The wood is similar to that of the other species in- m I.'* MMMMVWMMMMM s, sinuhus I ovatd. tes, to be America ; on the St. n latitude IX in Nova re than 4o the winter I to be ma- legrees far- nd on the more mul- 8 inches in r Oak, but Red Oak, , as it does smblance I I. sinuated at of the raid- ed in scaly ' species in- GRET OAK. 99 eluded under the common name of Red Oak. Its coarse and open texture renders it unfit for any use except to contain dry wares ; but in districts where Oak wood is rare, recourse is had, for other purposes, to several species of inferior quality, which are still preferred to the Birch , the Beech, and the Pine. Thus the Grey Oak is employed for the knees of vessels and for cartwrights' work ; it is even preferred to the Red Oak, as being stronger and more durable. ^ This tree is without interest, dsthe regions in which it grows possess other species in every respect prefer- able, such as the White Oak, the Swamp White Oak, and the Rock Ghesnut Oak. PLATE XXVI. A branch with leaves and fruit of the natural size. li jOO W AVM*Vt«VMV«MV*tMMM,Vm*mMVIMWM«V%V\MMMMW PIN OAK. QuERCUS PALusTRis. Q, JoUis profwide sinuoth , globfis , slnubus latis; fructu parvo; cupula scutellatd, Icevi; glande subglobosd. This species , like the preceding « grows in Massachu- setts , but is less common than in the vicinity of New York , in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland. I saw it abundant beyond the mountains near Pittsburgh in Ohio, and in East Tennesse, and my father found it multiplied in the country of the Illinois : I feel assured that it does not exist in Maine, Vermont and the South- ern States. It is called Pin Oak in the lower part of New York and in New. Jersey, and Swamp Spanish Oak in Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland. The last of these denominations is sufliciently appropriate ; but I have preferred the second , because it is less liable to mis- take, and is indicative of a characteristic arrangement of the branches. The Pin Oak is a tall tree , which grows constantly in moist places, and of preference about the swamps en- closed in the forests. In these situations it is frequently more than 80 feet high and 3 or 4 feet in diameter. lis secondary branches are more slender and numerous than is common on so large a tree , and are intermingled so as to give it at a distance the appearance of being 'I :; ' i , P/s- glabrts, '; glande assachu- of New ' id. I saw l)urgh in found it ( 1 assured ,e South- t of New h Oak in of these it I have to mis- ngement stantly in amps en- requenlly meter. lis lumerous rmingled of being ~l IL I/.'*..-!../, .i-/ r 111 Oak (-'/A •/ V VV, I • lUl/f/. I •// 1, 1 i I ,^v * PIN OAir. lOI stuffed. This singular disposition renders it distinguish- able at tirst sight in the winter, and is pitrhaps the cause of its being called Pin Oak. The leaves are smooth , of a pleasing green , sup- ported by long petioles , deeply laciniated and very similar to those of the Scarlet Oak , from which they differ principally in their proportions. The acorns are small, round, and contained in flat shallow cups, of which the scales are closely applied one upon another. The bark upon the oldest trunk is scarcely cracked , and consists almost wholly of a very thick cellular integ- ument. The wood is coarse-grained, with the pores open and larger than those of the Scarlet and Red Oaks : though stronger and more tenacious than those species , it is little esteemed for durability. It is used for the axle-trees of mill-wheels when White Oak of suf- iicient dimensions cannot be procured ; it is also some- times, though rarely , made into staves, as the species is little multiplied compared with the Scarlet , Red and Black Oaks. The Pin Oak, in its youth, assumes an agreeable pyramidal shape, and its light elegant foliage contributes greatly to its beauty. It deserves a conspicuous place in parks and gardens. It should never be deprived of its interior branches. The most beautiful stock of this spe- cies with which I am acquainted in Europe , is in a gar- den near Antwerp ; it was about ao feet high in 1804, "H I lOa PtM OAK. and its brilliant and vigorous vegetation proved how well it was suited in the soil and climate; PLATE XXVII. A branch with leaves and fruit of the ruUural size. ^ >ved how nze. Rod Oak. /'/,,; I «% fc^ ^ ., RED OAK. QuERCUS RUBRA. Q. foUis longe petiolatis , glabiis ^ obtuse sinuatis; cupuld scuteilatd, mblcevi; glande subovatd. Next to the Grey Oak this species is found in the highest latitude of all the American Oaks, and is one of the most common species in the Northern States and in Canada. Farther south, particularly in the lower part of New York , in New Jersey, the upper Districts of Pennsylvania, and along the whole range of the Alleghanies, it is nearly as abundant as the Scarlet and Black Oaks ; but it is much less common in Maryland, lower Virginia, and the maritime parts of the Garo- linas and Georgia. This remark confirms an observa- tion which I have often made , that its perfect develope- ment requires a cool climate and a fertile soil. It is uni« versally known by the name of Red Oak , except near Lancaster in Pennsylvania, where it is sometimes con* founded with the Spanish Oak. The Red Oak is a tall, wide -spreading tree, fre- quently more than 80 feet high , and 3 or 4 feet in dia- meter. Its leaves are smooth and shining on both sides , large, deeply laciniated, and rounded at the base : they are larger and have deeper and narrower sections on the young stock than on the middle or the summit of the full-grown tree : these last resemble the leaves of the Spanish Oak, which, however, are always downy be- lo4 RED OAK. ' ||k ncath, while those of the Red Oak arc perfectly smooth. In the autumn they change to a dull red, and turn yel- low before they full. The acorns are very large and abundant , rounded at the summit , compressed at the base , and contained in flat cups covered with narrow compact scales. They are voraciously devoured by wild animals , and by the cows, horses and swine which are allowed to range in the woods after the herbage has perished. The wood is reddish and coarse-grained, and the pores are often large enough for the passage of a hair : it is strong but not durable, and is the last among the Oaks to be employed in building. Its principal use is for staves, which , at home , are used to contain salted provisions , flour, and other dry wares that are exported to the is- lands, and, in the Colonies, to receive melasses and sugar. The bark consists of a very thin epidermis and a very thick cellular integument. It is extensively used in tan- ning, but is less esteemed than that of the Spanish, Black and Rock Chesnut Oaks. The Red Oak was one of the earliest American trees introduced into Europe. Large stocks are found on the estate of Duhamel, which yield seed abundantly, and even multiply naturally ; but the quality of its wood is so inferior, that I cannot recommend its propagation in our forests. ' PLATE XXVIIL A branch mlh leai^es andfnul of the natural size. m. 4 ♦ W> I lt>S ^mmnvtiiiT'i' *1 ir"-Y i -n'>iv>-»m i Y i at»»iw. i .n ADDITIONS TO THE OAKS. 3 , and the of a hair : it ng the Oaks s for slaves, provisions , id to the is- es and sugar. s and a very used in tan- iC Spanish, In the botanical work of F. Pursh , Flora AmericoB Septentn'onalis , published in England in 1814, the fol- lowing species of Oak are added to those which I have described. > Quincrs maritima. Q. foUis perennantibus , con'aceis, integem'mis, glabris , basi attcnuatis, OfHce mucronatist cu/mld scutellaid', glande subrotundd. A shrub from 3 to 8 feet high , found on the sea-coast in Virginia and Carolina : I consider it as a variety of the Willow Oak, Quercus phellos. QuERCVS MYRTIFOLIA. Q. folOs pcmnnantibus, conacei's, oblongiSf integerrimis f glabris ^ utnrnjfue acutis , supra ni- tidis , margine revolutis. ^ This species, of which Mr. Pursh appears to have seen neither the blossoms nor the acorns , escaped my researches ; perhaps it is the variety of the Water Oak which I found among the Live Oaks and which pre- serves its leaves for three or four years. Quercus HEMisPHiCRiCA. Q. foliis perennantibus y ob- longo-lanceolatis, tn'lobis sinuattsquc, lobis mucronatis , utrinque glabris. Willd. Mr. Pursh has inserted this species from Willdenovr, and he believes it to be a variety of the Water Oak, Quercus atfuatica. ^ I. 14 '^' ■■-w lOfi ADDITIONS. QcERCUS NANA. Q. folus cuneiformis^ glabrisy apice tri- lobisy basi subsinuatis y iobis, divaricatis, mucronaiis, inter' medio maj'ore; cupuld scutellatd. According to Mr. Pursh, this species is a low-growing shrub , distinct from the Water Oak , Quercus aquatica. QuEBCUS DISCOI.OR. Q. foUis oblongiSf pinnaiifido-si' miatis, subtus pubescentibus , Iobis oblongis, dentatis, seta- ceo-mucronatis ; cupuld turhinatd. This species of Mr. Pursh I consider as a variety of the Quercus tinctoria, OAKS found irt. New Spain by Messrs. Humboldt and Bonpland, and described in their Nova Genera et Spe- cies Plantarum. Paris, i8i6. \ Quercus confertifolia. Q. rarrmlis abbreviatis ; foliis brevissime petiolatis , corifertis , lanceolatis , acuminatis, mucronato- aristatis , integerrimis , coriacds ; margine sub- rejlexis y subtus pubescentibus ; /ructibus subgeminis , sessi- libus. * , This tree is lo or 12 feet in height : it is evergreen, grows in the temperate and mountainous regions of New Spain , between Guanaxuato and Santa Rosa , and fructifies in September. Quercus crassipes. Q. ramulis tuberculosis ; foliis bre- fiter petiolatis f lanceolate -oblong^, mucronatis, basiro- tundatisy integerrimis y coriaceis, subtus cinereo-tomentosis ; fructibus pedunculatis , subgemirtis ; pedunculis incrassatis; cupulis subturbinatis. f^ ADDITIONS. 107 This tree is about ao feet high ; it is found on the low mountains of New Spain , near Santa Rosa , and fructi- fies in September and October. QuERCUS MEXICAN A. Q. ramulis foUisque , subtus stella- tim pubescentibus f supra nitidis, linean-oblongis , acutis, submucronatis , subcordaiis, undulato-subsinuatis , subconor- eels; fructibus solitariis, breviter pedunculatis; cupulis cya- thiformibus. This species rises from 1 5 to 30 feet ; it is very abun- dant between Acapulco and the city of Mexico , near Moxonera, Quaxiniquilapa and Chilpancingo , and is also found near Moran , Regia , Guanaxuato and Santa Rosa : it fructifies in September. QuERCUS LANCEOLATA. Q. ramulis tuberculatis ; foliis oblongO'lanceolatis , utrinque acutis , undulato-repandis , coriaceis, supra nitidis , subtus stellatim pubescentibus ; fruc' tibus subtends f brevissime pedunculatis ; cupulis cyathifor- mibus. This tree er|uals, and sometimes exceeds, ao feet in height : it abounds in the temperate regions of Mexico between Moran and Santa Rosa, where it forms im- mense for«i;sts : it fructifies in September. QuERCUS TRIDENS. Q. ramis laevibus; foliis oblongiSf basi rotundatis f apice cuspidato-trideiUatis , membranaceis , supra pubescentibus f subtus ienuiter cinereo - tomerUosis ; fructibus ternisaut quinis, breviter pedunculatis. This tree rises from 10 to ao feet ; it grows in the mountains near Moran in Mexico, and fructifies in May. ^ V i^: . . j^irs ^^"^ I08 ADDITIONS. QuERCUS LAURINA. Q. ramulis glabrts; foliis oblongts, acunUnatis, basi subrotundatis ; apicem versus subdentatts , corlaceis, glabns, nitidis; fructibus solitanis cnU ternis, ses- siUbus ; cupulis cyatMformibus. This is a large tree, which resembles the Laurel, and attains the height of 40 f ■*■- 4 m^ M, WALNl/r.^ "^^ /y ^j^vwvwvr»vrtflr>ify>vri*Tirnv***n** ****"***iift* **■**■**'**** *V i **"*"*nu*r^^ ^P^' WALNUTS. i-''. '■•.I-- ■ ' > ■9 51^^^ ■>■ i: wALNirr?. In the variel^^r trees which compose the vast forests of North America east 0$ the Mississippi , the Walnut ranks after the oak , among the genera whose species are most multiplied. In this particular, the soil of the United States is more favoured than that of Europe , to no part of which is any species of this tree in- digenous. I have distinguished in the United States ten species of Walnut , and others will probably be dis- covered in Louisiana : travellers who visit these regions to explore their natural history , should direct their at- tention to this class of vegetables, so interesting from the useful applications of their wood in the arts. There is '^oora to hope , also , that species may be discovered , susceptible , like the Pacanenut Hickory , of speedy me- lioration, by the aid of grafting and of attentive cultiva- tion. Some weight is given this consideration , by an observation wliich I have heard often repeated by my father, that the fruit of the Common European Walnut, in its natural state , is harder than that of the / meiican j^» l38 • • WALNXTTS. species just mentioned, and inlerior to it in sue and quality. To the members of agricultural societies in the United States it belongs, to extend their observations and experiments on this subject , ufter the example of our ancestors, to whom we are indd[>ted for a rich va- riety of fruits, equally salutary and beautiful. The "Walnuts of North America appear to present characters so distinct as to require their division into two sections. These characters consist principally in the form of the barren aroents or catkins , and in the great- er or less rapidity of vegetation in the trees. The first section is composed of Walnuts with single aments, ( PI. 29 and 3o ) and includes two species : the Black "Walnut and the Butternut ; to which is added the Eu- ropean Walnut. The second section consists of such as have compound aments, ( PI. 36 ) and comprises eight species: the Pacanenut Hickory, Bitternut Hickory, Water Bitternut Hickory, Mockernut Hickory, Shell- bark Hickory, Thick Shellbark Hickory, Pignut Hickory, and Nutmeg Hickory. The three fn'st species of the second section bear some relation to thoseof the fust, in their buds, which are not covered with scales. For this reason , I have placed them immediately next, be- ginning with the Pacanenut Hickory, which by its nu- m WALNUT!. 1J9 mcrous leaflets , most nearly reiemblfif th(^ Black Walnut and the Butternut , whoie budi >re uUo un- covered. It' !,M'J.>,| I, Throughout the United Slates , the common name of Hickory is given to the species of the KCC'ond section. This common appellation is due to t-'crtnin properties of their wood , which, howerer modiiicd , an* possessed by them all, in a greater degree than l»y any other tree of Europe or America. These species (exhibit also a striking analogy in their form , and in their leaves , though they differ in the number and size of their leaf- lets. To these sources of confusion, must be added another in the fruit, which is of leu so various in its ap- pearance , that it is easy to mistake the species to which it belongs. It is not then , on the most remarkable differences alone , that our distinctions milit be found- ed ; recourse must also be had to an examination of the shoots of the preceding year, of the buds, and of the aments. It was only by constant observation in the forests of the country, pursued through the counsr of a sumincr , that I became able readily to di'^linj^uish between mere varieties and species, M. Delilh* of the Inslllule of Egypt, who was at thai time i« the United Stales, took an active pai ' In my vesearchefl, and re - # t l40 "WALMIITS. sorted with me daily to the woods. Our investigations , I flatter myself, have had the rpKiilt, which may always be hoped for, from unwearied perseverance. From the considerations alleged, and principally from the striking resemblance of their wood , I have thought proper in describing the species of Hickory, to speak but summarily of their respective properties , and to treat of this part of the subject collectively and comparatively, more at large , in a separate article which will complete their history. < . • * . . ■ \ -V- i! = H >f' t I METHODICAL DISPOSITION m OF THE WALNUTS I OF NORTH AMERICA. Monmcia Polyandria , hlVV. Tenbenthacem , Juss. I." SECTION. Simple aments. ( PI. 29 ani/ 3o. ) VEGETATION RAPID. 1 . Common European Walnut. «7ii^/a7i5 r^'^'a. 2. Black Walnut. Juglans nigra, 3. Butternut. Juglans cathariica, 2."* SECTION. Compound aments , each peduncle bearing three, i PI. 36, Jig. i.) ^ VEGETATION SLOW. 4. Pacanenut Hickory .... Juglans olivaiformis. 5. Bitternut Hickory Juglans amara. fi. Water Bitternut Hickory. . Juglans aquatica. 7. Mockcrnut Hickory. . • . Juglans tomentosa. > IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I u* Itt 122 H: Ui 110 Photographic Sciences Corporaidon £/y'^^ .s fy ret/ia . **«■; 112, i^ > >>¥>WWtw»w>wiv>v ii Vlft iTV»vnTVi v^v)iiiV' i vi*"'vv''*''''''"''"rt"'*'vr'' i "v i n i ' i ri' i ' i r i v i vn ii> vY i n i ^OMMON EUROPEAN WALNUT. JUOLAMS AEOIA. J. foUoUs subseptems, ovaUbus, glabris, sub" serratU , subasquaiibus : fructibus subovalibus. j^:. The Walnut which lor several centuries has been cul- tivated in Europe is a native of Asia. According to an an- cieat but uncertain tradition , its finiit was brought from Persia with the Peach and the Apricot. My father, who in the years 178a, 83, and 84 , visited this part of the Kast to examine its natural productions , first ascertain- ed with exactness , the origin of this tree : he found it in the natural State, in the Province of Ghilan , which lies on the Caspian Sea , between the 35° and the 40° of latitude. . ' '^ The period of its introduction into Europe , a point on which atHient authors leave us in obscurity, is pro- ved to be remote, by several rites in use among the Romans : such , for instance , as the distribution of nuts in the Cereatia. In the village festival of the Rosiere, ins- tituted by St. M^dard , at Salency, Department of the Oise , 1 200 years ago , it is directed , that an offering be presented to the young maid who is crowned , com- posed of nuts and other fruits of the Country : which proves the tree to have been already naturalised in that part of France. -^ ; .The Walnut is common throughout the center of Eu- 1 44 COMMOM EUROPEAN VrkhVVT. rope, but it flourishes most in the western and southern Deparments of France , in Spain and in Italy, ^%h Approach nearest to the latitude in which it grows in the natural state. In France , it is only in the West and South , that the vegetation of theWalnut is per- I'ectly secure irom frost, that its wood is of a superior quality , and that its fruit is regularly yielded in sufti- cietit abundance to become an article of commerce. The European Walnut is one of the tallest and Host beautiful among fruit trees , and one of the most re- markable for the amplitude of its summit, and the thickness of its shade. On the trunk of old trees , which frequently are several feet in diameter, the bark is thick and deeply furrowed; on the upper branches, it is grey and smooth , a good deal resembling that of the Butternut. The leaves are borne by long petioles, and are composed of 2 , 3 , and sometimes jLPair of leaf- lets , surmounted by an odd one. The flPlets are oval flfld smooth ; when bruised , they exhale a strong aro- matic odour. In the extreme heat of summer, the emanations from theWalnut atfl^o powerful as to pro- duce unpleasant effects upon some persons, if thej slumber in its shade. The flowers of the Common European Walnut , like 'diose of the Black Walnut and Butternut, appear be- fore the unfolding of the leaves; the barren ones in single, pendulous , imbricated aments ; the fertile ones on separate branches, at the end of the yomig shoots, *v COMMON EUROPEAN WALNUT. ^^ l45 and commonly in pairs. The fruit is green and oval , and in the natural state contains a small hard nut. In the most esteemed cultivated species , the fruit is oval and strongly odoriferous , about an inch and two thirds long, and from an inch and a quarter to an inch and a half in diameter. The nut occupies two thirds of its volume. Towards autumn, the husk softens, and decaying from about the nut , allows it to fall. The shell is slightly ch^ipeled , and so thin as to be easily crushed by the fingers. The kernel is of a very agreeable taste : it is large , covered with a tine pellicle , and separated by a thin partition which may readily be detached ^Iboth from the shell and from the keitiel. The nuts are better tasted and easier of digestion , soon after their matu- rity, than later in the season, when the oily princi- ple becomes periectly formed ; they are then oppressive if immoderately eaten. A dessertjU* an excellent relish is made by extrac- ting the kermSs a fortnight before they are ripe , and seasoning them with the juice of green grapes and salt. They should be l|ttown into water as soon as they are taken from the snell, and allowed to remain till the moment wh^ they are seasoned to be set upon the table. They are sold in Paris by the name of Cer- neaiMtj and a greater quantity ot walnuts is consumed in this way by people in easy circumstances, than after they are perfectly ripe : the use of them is then almost exclusively confined to the lower classes. I. >9 l49^ COMMON BUROPIAR WALKVT. The Common Walnut is more multiplied in the Departments of France which lie between the 4S* and the 48* of latitude , than in any other part of Europe. Ii) these Departments, it is planted in the midst of ciiltivated fields , Uke the apple tree for cider , in those of the north and of the center : the fruit, the oil, and the wood, may be considered as forming one of their principal branches of commerce. In extracting the oil of Walnuts, certain delicate |l|en- tionsare necessary to insure its fineness. When the iruit is gathered , and the nuts are separated from the husks, theylMiould be kept dry, and occasionally moved till they are used. The properest time fot the operation is at the close of winter, as in this inteiTal, the chlange by which the mucilage of the fruit is converted into oil has become completely effected , and by longer delay the kernel grows rancid , and the oil is of a vitiated quality. The nut is cnBed by stri- king it on the end with a small mall^ and pains are taken not to bruise the kernel. The slight lig- neous partition is detached , ^d such kernels as are partially spoiled , are selected and thrown aside. The sound kernels , thus cleared from ei^lry particle of the shell, should be sent immediately to the mill , as th^y soon become rancid by exposure to the air^ They are crushed by a vertical stone , which turns in a circular trough, and is moved by ^ horse or by a current of water. The paste is next enclosed iA bags of strong COMMON BUEOPIAH WALHVT. WrHj linen and submitted to the press. The oil which flows under this first pressure without the application of heat , is of the best quality. It is very clear, and is proper for food ; but it sensibly retains the taste oi the nut , which in general is not agreeable to persons unac- customed to it , so that the consumption is limited to the Departments where it is made. To be kept sweet for the table , it should be drawn off several times du- rin(Wie first months , carefully corked, and ktpt in the cellar, as it is more easily affected than any other oil by the action of air and heat. After the first expression , the paste is emptied from the sacks , moistened with warm water , and modera- tely heated in coppers. It is then replaced in the sacks and returned to the press. The oil oi the second dis- charge , is highly coloured , and very speedily becomes rancid ; it is therefore employed only in the prepa- ration of conirs. The cakes which remain afler the expression is finished , are proper for fattening fowls. Although nut oil, as an article of diet, is in general use in the DepartmMte where the tree abounds., ri serves a still more important purpose in the prepa- ration of fine cti 4ii;:iii> ; PLATE XXIX. -^f^J .•?' Hg. I , A leaf of half the natural size. Fig. a , Bap-en flowers. Fig. 3 , Fertile flowers. Fig. 4 , A nut in its husk of the natural size. Fig. 5, Ariut without its husk. Fig. 6, A nut derived of half the shell to show the kernel. VM.OJ. TSf- Am^Hi ■■:'■ .'**,■*■ '^" * •.>i"'&'" ^ ' '" ' •, i....:'. : ■■■■,■ •-■■'■ "' ;d, which is r it is obser- e finest fruits his inconve- L States, and try, south of !es, I should young graft- ; to such pro- bi this useful l d-}h'-\ r- ■ . Irt^t . hi ■ 7g. a , Bofrcn in its husk of F7g.6,Anut I ■ • . ■' — ^■,s#- JUGlAl angu culoi This •where : Louisia of the at whic Jersey , tains , i that po 77' anc have o vegetal varies advanc tiplied excepti where it is me an exte in Vir of Geo soil is I. .///WW^%WVfcWlt l V>VV>"VVVWVVVtV>V>V > V > ^^ BLACK WALNUT. J i JuGLAMS NIGBA. J. foJioUs qiiindems , subcordatis , supernk angustatb , serratis : fructu globoso , punctato , scabrius- culo ; mice comigatd. .- . This tree is known in all parts of the United States •where it grows , and to the French of Upper and Lower Louisiana , by no other name than Black Walnut. East d- of the Alleghany Mountains , the most Northern point at which it appears , is about Goshen in the Sate of New- Jersey, in the latitude of 4o.°5o'. West of the Moun- tains , it exists abundantly two degrees farther north , in that portion of Genesee , which is comprised between the 77* and 79° of longitude. This observation, as I shall have occasion to remark , is applicable to several other vegetables , the northern limit oi whose appearance varies with the climate, and this becomes milder in advancing towards the West. The Black Walnut is mul- tiplied in the forests about Philadelphia, and with the exception of the lower parts of the Southern States , where the soil is too sandy, or too wet as in the Swamps , it is met with to the banks of the Mississippi, Ihroughout an extent of 2000 miles. East of the Alleghany mountains in Virginia, and in the upper parts of the Carolinas and of Georgia , it is chiefly confined to vallies where the soil is deep and fertile , and which are watered by I. 20 ! m at Mirn.i.,^r. '■^■'■,:7^l V> t54 BLACK WALWJT. Creeks and Rivers : in the Western Country, in Genesee and in the States of Ohio and Kentucky, where the soil inf general is very rich , it grows in the forests , with the Coffee-tree , Honey Locust, Red Mulberry , Locust , Shellbark Hickory, Black Sugar Maple, Hack Berry, and Red Elm; all of them trees that prove the good- ness of the soil in which they are found. It is in these Countries that the Black Walnut dis^- plays its full proportions. On the banks of the Ohio and on ,the Islands of this beautiful river , I have often seen trees of 3 or 4 i^ct in diame|a|. and 60 or 70 feet in height. It is not rare to finoM^m of the thickness of 6 or 7 feet. Its powerful vegetation clearly points out this , as one of the largest trees of Ame- rica. When it stands insulated , its branches , exten- ding themselves horizontally to a great distance , spread into a spacious head , which gives it a very majestic appearance. The leaves of the Black Walnut when bruised emit a strong aromatic odour. They are about 18 inches in length, pinnate, and composed in general of 6, 7, or 8 pair of leaflets surmounted by an odd one. The leaf- lets are opposite and fixed on short petiole^; they are acuminate , seri'ate , and somewhat downy. The barren flowers are disposed in pendulous and cylindrical aments, of which the peduncles are simple , unlike those of the Hickories. (PI. 3o. fig. i.) The fruit is round , odo< riferous , of ralher an uneven surface , and always ap- BLACK WALNUT. 1 55 * pears at the extremity of the branches : on young, and viguroua trees , it is sometimes 7 or 8 inches in circum- ference. Tlie husk is thick , and is not as in the Hickories divided into sections ', but when ripe it softens and gra- dually decays. The nut is hard , somewhat compressed ft the sides , and sulcated. The kernel « which is divi- ded by firm ligneous partitions, is of a sweet and agreeable taste , thoug interior to that of the European Walnut . These nuts are sold in the markets of New-York , Philadelphia , and Baltimore , and served upon the ta- i^ bles. The atur of the fruit varies considerably, and de* pends uponrlJR vigour of the tree , and upon the nature of the soil and of the climate. On the banks of the Ohio , and in Kentucky, the fruit with tke husk is 7 or 8 inhes in compass with the nut proportionally large : in Genesee on the contrary^ where the cold is intense , and in fields exhausted by cultivation , where these trees have been preserved since the first clearing of the land , it is not of more than half this bigness. Some varia- tions are observed in the form of the fruit , and in the moulding of the shell ; but these I consider as merely, accidental differences. Indeed there is no genus of trees in America , in which the fruit of a given species exhib- its such various forms, as in the Walnut ; and doubtless this circumstance has mislead observers , who , being acquainted only with the small number of trees existing in European gardens , have described them as distinct dpcciesi :' •.: •■ • •?••. ■ ■ •■ ^ ■• "-"^ ■■ ■ ■ ♦ 1 56 BLACK WALNUT. Hie bark of the Black Walnut is thick, blackish, and on old trees deeply furrowed. When the timber is ite»h\y cut , the sap is white and the heart of a violet eolour, which after a short exposure to the air assumes in intenser shade, and becomes nearly black : hence probably is deriyed the name of Black Walnut. There •re several qualities for which its woo^is principally eiiecmed ; it remains sound during a long time , even when exposed to the influences of heaf and moisture ; but this observation is applicable only to the heart , the iap speedily decays : it is very strong and in^ tenacious : when thoroughly seasoned it is not liallll% warp and iplit.; and its grain is sufficiently fine and compact to admit of a beautiful polish. It possesses in addition to these advantages , that of being secure from worms. On account of these excellencies , it is preferred and iuccessfully employed in many kinds of work. East of the AUeghanies , its timber is not extensively used in building houses, but in some parts of Kentucky and Ohio, it is split into shingles i8 inches long and from 4 to 6 inches wide , which serve to cover them : sometimes also this timber enters into the composition of the frame. But it is chiefly in cabinet making , that the Black Walnut is employed wherever it abounds.By selecting pieces from the upper part of the trunk, immediately below the first ramification , furniture is sometimes made, which from the accidental curlings of the grain is highly beau- tiful ; but as its colour soon changes to a dusky hue, the :i ■#.. BLACK WALHITT. i5r Wild Cherry wood is frequently preferred for this use. The Black Walnut is also employed for the stocks of military muskets ; it is stronger and tougher than the Red flowering Maple, which, from its superior lightness and elegance . is chosen for fowling pieces. In Virginia posts are very commonly made of Black Walnut , and as it lasts undecayed in the ground from 20 to 25 years , it appears every way tit for this purpose. I have been^ assured that it makes excellent naves for wheels, which farther proves its strength and durability. At Philadel- phia, coftin^ffe universally made of it. The timbnr^f this tree is also excellently adapted to certain uses in Naval Architecture. It should never be wrought till it is perfectly seasoned, afler which it is asserted to be more durable , though more brittle , than the White Oak. Breckel in his history of North Carolina , afHims that it is not liable , like the Oak , to be attacked by sea-worms in warm latitudes. This advantage if it is real , is highly important , andS de- serves to be ascertained by farther observation. In the marine lumber yards of Philadelphia , I have oflen seen it used for knees and floor timber ; but in the vessels built at Wheeling and Marietta , small towns on lihe Ohio , it constitutes a principal part of the frame. On the river Wabash , canoes are made of it which are greatly esteemed for strength and durability. Some of them fashioned from the trunk of a single tree , are more than 4o feet long , and 2 or 3 feet wide. i58 BLACK WALHVT. The Black Walnut is exported in small quantities to England in planks of. a inches in thickness. These planks are sold at Philadelphia , at four cents a foot. The husk of the fruit yields a colour similar to that which is obtained from the European Walnut. It is used in the country for dying woolen stuflk This tree has been long since introduced , in England and France , into the gardens of the lovers of foreign culture. It succeeds perfectly and yields fruit abundantly. Though differing widely from the European species , it bears a nearer resemblance to it than anY|Olher Ameri- can Walnut. By comparing the two species as to their utility in the arts and in commerce , it will appear , that the wood of the Black WaLpiUs more compact , heavier and much stronger ; that it i& susceptible of a finer po- lish , and that it is not injured by worms ; qualities < which f as has been seen , render it fit not only for the same uses with ours , but also for the larger works of architecture. These considerations suiliciently evince that it is a valuable tree , and that it is with great reason , that many proprietors in America have spared it , in clearing their new lands. On high roads « I am of opinion that it might be chosen to succeed the Elm; for experience has proved , that to insure success in the continued cultivation of trees or herbaceous plants on the same soil, the practice must be varied with species of different genera. Nuls of the European Walnut and of the Black Walnut in England of foreign abundantly. species, it her Ameri- ( as to their ppear , that ►act , heavier ; a finer po- s ; qualities only for the ;er works of |ently evince •eat reason , ipared it , in ^ BLACK WALMUT. • l50 have been planted at the same time in the same soil ; those of the Black Walnut are observed to shoot more vigorously , and to grow in a given time to a greater height. By grafting the European upon the American species , at the height of 8 or lo feet, their advantages , with respect to the quaUty both of wood and of fruit , might be united. *^ PLATE XXX. A leaf of half its natural size. Fig. i , A nut with its hiik. Fig. a , A nut without its husk. Fig. 3 , A barren ament. m i-u-. a :::rtit ^' ... . . --l ' ■- .'I' -■ .-•.•! ,->■-." <■ ' ■ ^i-^t^'l: ' Hr^i:' \U' ■■■■ BUTTERNUT, JuflLAVI CATPARTICA. S.foliolts subguindenis , lanceolatisi basi rotundato-obtusis , subtiis tomentosis , leviter serratis: fmctu oblongo , ovato , apice rimoso , viscido , long^ pedun- cutato, mice oblongd, acuminatd, insigniter insculptk- Mfabrosa. This species of Walnut is known in North Ame- rictt , under different denominations. In MassachuseUs, New Hampshire , and Vermont , it bears the name oi Oil tiut ; in Pennsylvania and Maryland , and on the banks of the Ohio , it is generally known by that oi While Walnut ; in Connecticut , New York , New Jersey, Virginia, and in the mountainous districts of the upper parts of the Garolinas , it is called Butternut. The last of Ihese names I have retained , because it is not wholly unknown in those parts of the United States where the others are in general use , and because the wood id employed in the neighbourhood of New York , for a greater variety of uses than elsewhere. I think also thai the latin specific name Cathartica , which was long since given it by Doctor Cutler of Massachusetts , should be definitively substituted for that o£ Cinerea, by which it has hitherto been distinguished among Botanists. This last appellation, derived from the colour of the secondary branches , whose bark is smooth and greyish, suggests only an unimportant characteristic, /•/.>'/ rth Ame- iachuselts, e nanieoi nd on the by that oi iew Jersey, the upper it. The last not wholly ates where ! the wood fork , for a think also which was sachusetts , o£ Cinerea, led among the colour >mooth and iracteristlo , /'.'««*•/■/ Jit'/lil/;/ v*'c Bmior Nut BUTTiPNltT. |6l while the first exprcMes one of the most interesting properties of the tree. The Bntlemut is found in tipper and Lower Canada, in the District of Maine , on thi* shores of Lake Erie, in the States ofKentucky and Tennessee and on the banks of the Missouri; but I have never met with it in the lower parts of the Garolinas, of Georgia, and of East Florida, where the nature of the soil and the intemperate heat of the summer, are unfavorable to its vegetation. In cold fpgions, on the contrary, its growth is luxuriant ; for in the State of Vermont, where the winter is so rigorous that sledges are used during four months in the year , this tree attains a circumference of 8 or lo feet. I have nowhere seen it more abundant , than in the bottoms which border the Ohio between Wheeling and Ma- rietta : but the thickness of these forests , which are hardly penetrated by the sun , appears to prevent its utmost expansion. I have seen here no trees as large as some in New Jersey , on the steep and elevated banks of the Hudson , nearly opposite to the city of New York. The woods in this place are thin , and the soil cold , un- productive , and interspersed with large rocks , in the interstices of which the biggest Butternuts have their root. I have measured some of them, which at 5 feet from the ground , were lo or 12 feet in circumference , and which were 5o feet in height, with roots extending even with the surface of the ground , in a serpentine direction , and with little variation in size , to the dis- I. 91 «\. 1 6a BUTTERNUT. tance of 4o feet. The trunk ramifies at a small height, and the branches seeking a direction more horizontal than those of other trees , and spreading widely, form a large and tufted head , which gives the tree a. remarkable appearance, ^u. ■'> • ..•«ni;v>T'»f;'' ."'•'•' ■^/f'i'- •:;?■•• .. The buds of the Butternut , like those of the Black Walnut , are uncovered. In the spring its vegetation is forward , and its leaves unfold a fortnight earlier than those of the Hickories. Each leaf is composed of 7 or 8 pair of sessile leaflets, and terminated by a petiolated odd one. The leaflets are from 2 to 3 inches in length , lanceolate , serrate , and slightly downy. The barren flowers stand on large cylindrical aments , which are single y ^ nv S inches long , and attached to the shools of the preceding year ; the fertile flowers on the con- trary f come out on the shoots of the same spring , and are situated at their extremity. The ovarium is crowned by two rose coloured stigmata. The fruit is commonly single , and suspended by a thin , pliable peduncle, about 3 inches in length ; its form is oblong-oval without any appearance ofseam.lt is often 2 inches and a half in length, and 5 inches in circumference, and is covered vdth a viscid adhesive substance , composed of small transpa- rent vesicles , which arc easily discerned with the aid of a glass. The nuts are hard , oblong , rounded at the base , and terminated at the summit, in an acute point; the surface is very rough , and deeply and irregularly farrowed. They are ripe , in the neighbourhood of New Jfc ■M BUTTERNUT. i63 York, about the i5* of September , a fortnight earlier than the other species of Walnut. Some years they are so abundant , that one person may gather sevei*al bush- els of them in a day. The kernel is thick and oily, and soon becomes rancid; hence, doubtless, are derived the names of Butternut and Oilnut. These nuts are rarely seen in the markets of New York and Philadelphia. The Indians who inhabited these regions, pounded and boi- led them , and separating the oily substance which swam upon the surface , mixed it with their food. "When the fruit has attained about half its growth , it is some- times used for making pickles , being iirst plunged into boiling water, and thoroughly wiped , to clean it of its down, and ailerwards preserved in vinegar. : ■ ■ .. The Black Walnut and Butternut , when young , re- semble each other in their foliage , and in the rapidity of their growth ; but when arrived at maturity , their forms are so different, as to be distinguishable at first sight. Remarkable peculiarities are also found , on exa- mining their wood , especially when seasoned ; the Black Walnut is heavy , strong , and of a dark btown colour ; while the Butternut is light , of little strength, and of a reddish hue : but they possess in common, the great advantage of lasting long, and of being secure from the annoyance of worms. From its want of solidity and from the difticulty of procuring pieces of considerable length , Butternut timber is never used in the cities , in the cons- truction of houses , though it is sometimes employed • #•■ l64 BUTTERNUT. for this purpose in the country. In some Districts oi New Jersey , it is often taken for the sleepers which are placed immediately on the ground, in the framing of houses and barns. As it long resists the effects of heat and moisture , it is esteemed for the posts and rails of rural fence, and for troughs for the use of cattle. For corn shovels and wooden (Sshes , it is preferred to the Red flowering Maple , because it is lighter and less liable to split ; consequently articles made of it, are sold at a higher price. Near New-York, I have observed it to be made use of for canoes formed of one or two logs , and for the futtocks destined to give them solidity; but in boats of considerable size some stronger wood is selected for this purpose. At Pittsburgh on the Ohio, the Butternut is sometimes sawn into planks , for the construction of small skiffs , which, on account of their lightness , are in request for descending the river. At Windsor in Vermont, it is used for the pannels of coach- es and chaises ; the workmen tind it excellently adapt- ted to this object, not only from its lightness, but because it is not liable to split , and receives paint in a superior manner : indeed I have remarked that its pores are more open than those of the Poplar and Basswood. The medicinal properties of Butternut bark , have long since been proved , by several eminent Physicians of the United States , and among others , by Doctor Culler. An extract in water , or even a decoction sweet- P BUTTERNUT. l65 ened with honey » is acknowledged to be one of the best cathartics afforded by the materia meflica ; its purgative operation is always sure , and unattended in the most delicate constitutions, with pain or irritation. Experience has shewn that it produces the best effects in many- cases of dysentery. It is commonly given in the form of pills, and to adults, in doses from half a scruple to a scruple. It is not however in general use , except in the country , where many of the farmers wives provide a small store of it in the spring, for the wants of their families and of their neighbours. They obtain it by boiling the bark entire in water , till the liquid is reduced by evaporation , to a thick , viscid substance , which is almost black. This is a faulty process ; the exterior bark, or the dead part which covers the cellular integument, should first betaken off, for by continued boiling, it becomes charged with four fifths of the liquid , already enriched with extractive matter. I (have also seen this bark successfully employed as a re- vulsive , in inflammatory ophthalmias and in the tooth- ache : a piece of it soaked in warm water , is applied in these cases to the back of the neck. In the country it is sometimes employed , for dying wool of a dark brown colour ; but the bark of the Black Walnut is preferable for this purpose. On a live tree , the cellular integument , when first ex- pos'^d, is of a pure white , in a moment it changes to a beautiful lemon colour, and soon after to a deep brown. 4* ^ 166 BUTTERNUT. -- *' li'thetnink of the Butternut is pierced in the month which preceds thvbnfoiding of the leaves, a pretty co- pious discharge ensues of a slightly sugary sap , from which , by evaporation , sugar is obtained of an quality inferior to that of the Sugar Maple. Although the Butternut , as has been seen » possesses useful properties, I do not think it sufficiently valuable, either in the arts , or for fuel , to recommend its intro- duction into the forests of the old continent : it should find place only in our pleasure grounds. '' ' 'i* J«fi PLATE XXXI. A leaf of half its natural size. Ftg. i , A nut with its husk. Fig. 2 , A nut without its husk. t I e month retty co- p, from n quality possesses yaluable, its intro- it should h its husk. ,"tepvood , also, is proved in America to be inferior to that of the following species , I think it should not be propa- gated in the forests of Europe. - j ;»;.,;. PLATE XXXIII. :(IV' A Uaf of its natural size. ttg. i , 'A nut with its husk^ fig. 3 , A mU mthout its husk. ?,% M:: ..bi:4>. ,t:A. .-.wi! i,r>' •'*:• ■ 1^"! ..11 ^4 1!1, ■-''. ■..I- #4» /.;.. .J. ■; ■>■ u -«t*^'' 0^ qh^ ■ i vr > rrtwvvwvifn i v i (V> i V)fvrv^^ WATER BITTERNUT HICKORY. 'iJ t\i%< »il»'\j».. r^ .14 . fc # *. y '. ,/S ^ *• J- .!ui JuGLAMS AQUATICA. 3. foliolis g — II"", Innceolttto-acumi- natis , subscrratis, sessillibus , impari breviter petiolato: fructibus pedunculatis , nuce subdepressd , parvd , nibigi. nasd, tenerd.. - •. . ■ .V V V No specific name has hitherto been given to this spe- cies , ivhich is confined to the Southern States ; it is con- founded with the Pignut Hickory , though difTering from it in many respects. The name which I propose, appears sufficiently appropriate , for I have always found this tree in swamps, and in the ditches which surround the rice fields , where it is accompanied by the Red flowering Maple , Tupelo , Cypress , and Carolina Po- plar. The Water Bittemut Hickory grows to the height of 4o or 5o feet , and in its general appearance , resem- bles the other Hickories. Its leaves are 8 or 9 inches long, and of a beautiful green. They are composed of 4 or 5 pair of sessile leaflets surmounted by a petiolated odd one. The leaflets are serrate , 4 or 5 inches long , 8 or 9 lines broad , and very similar to the leaves of the Peach tree. The husk is thin , and the nuts are small , angular, a little depressed at the sides , somewhat rough , of a reddish colour , and very tender. The kernel is formed in folds like that of the Bitternut Hickory : as may be supposed, it is not eatable. The wood of this species « M. ■o-acumi- netiolato : this spe- lt is con- ring from ;, appears ound this surround the Red rolina Po- the height e , resem- ches long, of 4 or 5 lated odd ig, 8 or 9 res of the , angular, ugh , of a is formed as may be is species ♦ ' ^ttt//im.i (if Mocker- heart Hie- n Virginia, [1 use. The Walnut. The plive of the )ears it that [1 Pennsyl- ickories. I ew Ilainp- hbourhood It is most m the coast I cover the ; but in the •are in ap- .^f.f^rtn I '.'■ MorktM- Xiil Hickory Jihff(tn.<- ft'/tic/ifosd . MOCKERNVT HICKORY. ' I77 proaching the sea , as the sterility of the soil , in general dry and sandy , is unpropitions to its growth. I have noticed , however , that this is the only Hickory which springs in the Pine Barrens : the sprouts are burnt every year, and never rise higher than 3 or 4 feet. I have made the same observation , in traversing the big Barrens of Kentucky and Tennessee, where the Mocker- nut Hickory and Black Jack Oak alone are seen. They survive the conflagrations , which almost every spring envelop the prairies , but their vegetation is checked by ihe lire, and they do not exceed the height of 8 or lo feet. ■;-! :- • i.'»^> ' '■ •■' .t y<- • .'■ u < • ■- ■'/.- , r. M>f.. . Like most of the Walnuts , the Mockemut Hickory flourishes in rich soils , and chiefly on the gentle accli- vities which surround the swamps , where it grows , mingled with the Sweet Gum , Poplar , Sugar Maple , Bitternut Hickory , and Black Walnut. In these situa- tions it reaches its greatest size , which is commonly about 6o feet in height, and 1 8 or 20 inches in dia- meter. I remember to have seen larger Mockernut Hickories , near Lexington in Kentucky , but this extra- dinary growth in several species of trees , is rarely seen on this side of the Alleghany , and is attributable to the extreme fertility of the soil , in the Western Country. Of all the Hickories , however , the Mocker- nut succeeds best on lands of a middling quality ; for it for forms a part of the waste and impoverished for- ests , which cover the meagre sandy soil of Lower J. 23 •7^ MOCKEDNUT niCKORY. Virginia ; though under these disadvantages it exhibits but a mean and stunted appearance. The buds of this species are la^ge , short, of a greyish white , and very hard ; in the winter , aftet the falling of the leaf, vhey afford the only characteristic by which the tree can be distinguished , when it exceeds 8 or lo feet in height. In the beginning of May , the buds swell, the external scales tail off, and the inner ones soon after burst and display the young leaf. The leaves grow M rapidly that I have seen tbem gain ao inches in eighteen days. They are composed of 4 pair of sessile leaflets , and terminated by an odd one. The leaflets are large oval-acuminate , serrate , prety thick , and hairy underneath , as is also the common petiole to which they are attached. With the first frosts, the leaves change to a beautiful yellow and fall soon after. The barren flowers appear on pendulus , downy , axillary amenii , 6 or 8 inches long ; the fertile flowers which are not very conspicuous , are of a pale rose colour , and are situated at the extremity oi the young shoots. The fruit is ripe about the i5'^ of November. It is odoroua, sessile or rarely pedunculated , and commonly united in pairs, in form and size , it exhibits remarka- ble varieties : on some trees it is ronnd , with depressed teams, on others oblong, with angular or prominent teams; it is sometimes a inches long and 12 or i5 lines in diameter , and sometimes of less than half this size. It diflera also in weight , as well as in configuration and MOCkEBMCT HICKORY. i;*) yolume , yaryiog from one dram to four. The largest nuts might be confounded with those of the Thick Shellbark Hickory, and the smallest , with those of the Pignut Hickory : I have selected ior the drawing a nut of the most common size. The shell is very thick , some- what channeled, and extremely hard. The kernel is sweet but minute , and difficult to extract , on account of the strong partitions which divide it : hence , pro- bably , is derived the name of Mockernut , and hence also , this fruit is rarely seen in the markets. The trunk of the old Mockernut Hickory is covered with a thick , hard , and rugged bark. Its wood is of the same colour and texture , with the other Hickories .^ and characterised by the qualities which render this. class of trees so remarkable. It is particularly esteemed lor fuel , for which use , trees of 6 or 8 inches in diameter are preferred At this stage of its growth , while the heart , the proper colour of which is reddish is not yet developped, it frequently goes by the name of White heart Hickory. In the country , a greenish colour is sometimes extracted from the bark , but it is not extensively in use. Of all the Hickories , this species is of the slowest growth : a fact which I have proved by planting nuts of the several species , and by comparing the length, of their annual shoots. I have also been led to believe ,' that it is the most liable to be attacked by worms , and especially by the Callidium Jlexitosum , whose larva eats ^^% m l8o MOCKUMUT niCKORT. within the body of the tree. These considerations ap- pears sufficiently weighty, to induce cultivators, in form- ing large plantations , to prefer some of the species which are described in the sequel. PLATE XXXV. A leaf of a third of its natural site. Fig. i, A nut with its husk. Fig. 2 , A nut without its husk. Fig. 3 , Callidium Jlemiosum* * -"■ •' ' -' ' . :;a .'■n '» <"' ;• ./».. Y - '( * s .','VM ,ik'>;i->^^> t t, t ' ' ■ ' : .■■; i .itU -:*., J ■ > „ i Hit, 1 - ■ .- m Y.'K - ,-■ V ,':"^i'«r;v -* J- t r « . .:,^:i ^ifi^ ' ^ r. • . , : ' ■ .■» Eitions ap- , in form- ke species A nut with Callidium "■m^ -^H: '^ il X".n Shell l)aik Mil ki)r\ /^/. ^J^ l ^^vww>^vvv^^^' | ****^**^*********** »||*«****»*«^« | . ^t^ » «|*,^»^ ^^ .,. Yy i ^yiyyYy | fy ^Y| y ^ y^^^ www^^ft vswk yv\ w^ SHELLBARK HICKOR^. JUGLAMS SQUAMOSA. J. foliolis qiiini's , majorihus , longe petiolatis , ovato-acuminatis , serratis, subiiis zillosis , impari sessUi ; amentis masculis, compositis , glahris , filifomubus : fructu globoso , depresso, majore; nuce com" pressd, albd. The singular disposition of the bark , in this species, has given rise to the descriptive names of Shellbark , Shagbark, and Scalybark Hickory, the first of which as being most generally in use in the middle and southern states , I have adopted. Many descendants of the Dutch settlers, who inhabit the parts of the of New Jersey near the city of New York , call it Kisky Thomas nut , and the French of Illinois , know it by the name of Noyer tendre^ or Soft Walnut. BeyoE.d Portsmouth in New Hampshire , I have not observed the Shell bark Hickory ; and even there , its vegetation being impeded by the rigours of the climate , its stature is low, and its I'ruit small. I have not found it in the forests of the District of Maine , nor in those of Vermont , situated a little higher towards the North. It abounds on the shores of Lake Eric , about Geneva in Genesee , along the Mohawk river , in the neighbour- hood of Goshen in New Jerscv , and on the banks of the Susquchannah and Schuylkill rivers in Pennsylva- 1 8a SHELLBARK HICKORY. nia. In Maryland , in the lower parts of Virginia , and » ». ' in the other southern states it is less common. In South Carolina , I have nor noticed it nearer Charleston than theparish of Goose-Creek about 24 miles distant. It is met with in the Western States , but not as frequen- tly as the following species , the Thick Shellbatk Hic- kory, to which it bears a striking aaalogy , and with which it is confounded by the inhabitants. East of the AUeghanies , the Shellbark Hickory grows almost ex- clusively about swamps and wet grounds , which are exposed to be inundated for several weeks together: in these situations , it is found in company with the Swamp White Oak, Red flowering Maple , Sweet Gum, Bottonwood and Tupelo. Of all the Hickories , this spe- cies grows to the greatest height with proportionally the smallest diameter , for it is sometimes seen 80 or 90 feet high , and less than 2 feet thick. The trunk is destitute of branches , regularly shaped , and of an al- most uniform size for three quarters of its length , thus forming a very fine tree. The greatest peculiarity in its appearance , and that by which it is most easily distin- guished , is the surface of the trunk. The exterior bark is divided into a great number of long, narrow plates, which bend outwards at the ends , and adhere only in the middle. Bristling in this manner with projecting points , the Shellbark Hickory attracts the attention of the most careless observer. This remarkable exfoliation of the epidermis takes place , only in trees wliid) pec ■r SHELLBARK HICKORY. i83 exceed lo inches in diameter, though it is much earlier indicated by seams. This characteristic, by which the tree may be reco^^nlsed in winter when stript of its leaves , does not exist during the 7 or 8 first years of its growth ; and during this period , it may easify be confounded with the Mockernut Hickory and Pignut Hickory , if recourse is not had to the buds. In these two species , and generally in all trees , the buds are formed of scales closely applied one upon another ; in the species which we are considering , the two external scales adhere for only half the length of the bud , and leave the upper part uncovered. I allow myself the con- jecture, that in this disposition of the scales , which is pc *:. Var to this and the following species , should be so- ' I. e origin of the exfoliation of the bark. When the >>dp begins to ascend in the spring, the outer scales fall, and the inner ones swell and become covered with a yellowish silky down : after a fortnight , the buds , which are already a inches long , open and give birth to the young leaves. The growth of the leaves is so rapid , that in a month they attain their full length, which on young and vigorous trees,, is sometimes 20 inches. They consist of a pair of leaflets with a ses- sil odd one. The leaflets are very large , oval -acumi- nate , serrate , and slightly downy underneath. The barren flowers, which in the Stale of New York appear from the i5^ to the 20^ of May, are disposed as in the preceding species , on long , glabrous , filiform , pen- # I 1 * 'f» •r l84 ' SHELLBABK HICKORY. ' dulous aments , of which three are united on a com- mon petiole , attached at the basis of the youna shoots ; the fertile flowers , of a greenish hue and scar- cely apparent , are situated at the extremity. The fruit of the Shellbark Hickory is ripe about the beginning of October. Some years it is so abundant , that se- veral bushels may be gathered from a single tree. It varies in size , according to the soil and the exposure in which it is produced , but five inches and a half may be assumed as the average of its circumference, The vshape is uniformly round, with four depressed seams , in which the husk opens at the season of perfect maturity , dividing itself completly into equal sections. The entire separation of the husk , and its thickness disproportioned to the size of the nut , form a character peculiar to the Shellbark Hickories. The nuts of this species are small , white , compressed at the sides , and marked by four distinct angles , which correspond to the divisions of the husk. The Shellbark nut contains a fuller and sweeter ker- nel than any American Walnut, except the Pacane- nut. The shell , though thin , must be cracked before being brought upon the table , as it is too hard to be crushed in the fingers like the European Walnut, which is certainly a superior fruit. These nuts are in such request, that they form a small article of com* merce , registered on the list of exports of the products of the Unite^ States. This exportation , which does ^ SHEIXBAKK KtCAOllT. i85 not exceed four of five hundred bushels annually, takes place from New York and from the small ports oi Connecticut , to the Southern States , to the West India Islands , and even to Liverpool ; where the iruit it known by the name of Hickory nuts. In the market o New York , they are sold at two dol- lars a bushel. They are gathered in the forests , and from insulated trees , which , in some places , have been spared in clearing the lands : a precaution which I have particularly noticed to have been used near Goshen in New Jersey, and on several estates about 3a miles beyond Albany. The Indians who inhabit the Shores of Lake Erie and Lake Michigan , lay up a store of these nuts for the winter , a part of which they pound in wooden mortars , and boiling the paste in water , collect the oily matter which swims upon the surface , to season their aliments. #" -i;4.^ Before speaking of the properties of the wood , I cannot forbear mentioning a fine variety of Shellbark nuts , produced upon a farm at Seacocus , near Snake- hill in New Jersey. They are nearly twice as large as any that I have seen elsewl^ere , and have a white shell with rounded prominences instead of angles. A cen- tury of cultivation , perhaps , would not advance the •pecies generally to an equal degree of perfection, I. : - -^ "' fl^*" ' ' 1 86 SHELLBARK HIGKORT. and probably this variety might still be improved by grafting. . * The ivood of the Shellbark Hickory possesses all the characteristic properties of the Hickories , being strong , elastic and tenacious. It has also their common defects of soon decaying and of being eaten by worms. As this tree strett^hes up to a great height with nearly an uniform diameter, it is sometimes employed at T9ew York and Philadelphia for the keels of vessels ; but it is now seldom used for this purpose , most of the large trees near the sea ports being already consu- med. Its wood is found to split most easily and to be the most elastic ; for this reason it is used for ma- king baskets, and also for whip-handles which are esteemed for their suppleness; several cases of them are annually exported to England. For the same excel- lence , and for the superior fineness of its grain it is selected , in the neighbourhood of New York and Philadelphia, for the back-bows of Windsor chairs, which are wholly of wood. I have frequently observed that among the Hickory wood brought to New lork for fuel , this species predominated. ■Such are the uses to which the Shellbark Hickory J i"' . appears peculiarly adapted. It has before been seen to be a tree of lofty stature and of majestic appear- ance : I should therefore recommend its introductbn into the £uropean forests , where it should be con- SBELLBARK BICKOET. " " " 1S7 signed to cool and humid places, congenial with those in which % flourishes in America. In the North of Europe it could not fail of succeeding, as it securely braves the extremest cold. PLATE XXXVI. Jilg. I , A ma mth its husk, Ftg. a, 'A section of the husk, fig. 3, A nut without its husk. ftg. 3 , A barren ament tU- tfided into three parts, . ('•'i'h(i(:>!ir^ .? fit? i' hi'U.,: . t ^ > ■ •; » f f I...I; M^ijJ'^ijLuu. "■>.' U' ■< iir!;)i!!:T '<'.\W "''t 1''- 'I t .i;ifi !j"'i»iv;i-'u;'' h 'i I'fisfei't' ^ si* ^ ^ ? , ^ . - y- > 1 ••t /«.? ^»..- | ».*».»..«»>.>>,..*.*.fc.^...^^..^....j.^>-.^.^^^^^- ^ ^- | ^^y yy^y^^yj^ y j ^ ik THICK SHELLBARK HICKORY. , >,:i'4' JuOLAMS LACiNiosA. J. foliis mo^toibm , ^^-^^ , droA). acuminatis f serratis ^ subtomentosis , impari , petiokUo: fructu majore, OfHJto ;ni»ee e^hngd, crassd, mediocriter compressd. . . . « . 1 1 ■ I I 4 ' .; V This species bears a striking analogy to the preceding, and is frequently confounded with it by the inhabitants of the Western Country : some of them distinguish it by the name of Thick Shellbark Hickory, which should be preserved as its appropriate denomination. East of the Alleghanies this tree is rare , and is found only in a few places ; it grows on the Schuylkill river 3o or 4o miles from its junction with the Delaware , and in the vicinity of Springfield i5 or 20 miles from Phi- ladelphia , where its fruit is called Springfield nut. It is also found in Glocester County , in Virginia , under the name of Glocester Walnut. These diflferent deno- minations confirm my observation , that this species is little multiplied on the eastern side of "the Alleghany moun- tains ; a fact of which I became assured in travelling through the country. It abounds , on the other hand, in the bottoms which skirt the Ohio and the rivers which empty into it, where it unites with the Honey Locust , Black Maple, Hackberry , Black Walnut, Wild Cherry, White and Bed Elm, Box Elder, White Maple, 1. r LORY. l, petiolato: mediocriter , I .; \ e preceding, inhabitants istinguish it b'hich should lation. East found only kill river 3o laware , and s from Phi- eld nut. It is inia , under erent deno- lis species is ;hany moun- in travelling other hand , d the rivers I the Honey alnut , Wild i^hite Maple, »//■■ rinrk Shell Imrlc llirkorv THICK SHELLBAIK HICKORY. 189 and BuitCHi wood, to form the thick and gloomy forests i^ch cover these rallies. Like the Shellbark Hickory it grows to the height of 80 feet , and its ample head it supported by a straight trunk , in diameter , proportio- ned to its elevation. The bark exhibits the same singular arrangement with that of the Shellbark Hickory : it is divided into strips from i to 3 ieet long , which are warped outwards at the end , ard attached only in the middle. They fall and are succeeded by others sim- ilarly disposed. It is only observable that in this spe- cies the plates are narrower , more numerous , and of a lighter colour ; from which differences , I have thought proper to give it the specific name of lacUuosa. The outer scales of the buds do not adhere entirely to the inner ones, but retire as in the ShellLaric Hickory. The leaves also , which vary in length from 8 to ao inches , observe the same process in unfolding , and are similar in size , configuration , and texture ; but they differ in being Composed of seven leaflets, and sometimes of nine instead of five, the invariable number of the Shellbark Hickory. The barren aments are disposed, in the same form , though they are , perhaps , a little long- er than in the other species. The fertile flowers ap- pear, not very conspicuously, at the extremity of the shoots of the same spring. They are succeeded by a large oval fruit , more than 2 inches long , and 4 or ^ inches in circumference. Like that of the Shellbark Hickory, it has four depressed seams , which at its com- f S igo THICK SHELLBARK HICKOHY. plete maturity , open through their whole length for the escape of the nut. The nut of this species is widely dii. ferent from the other ; it is nearly twice as hig , it is longer than it is broad , and is terminated at each end in a firm point. The shell is also thicker and of a yellow- ish hue, while that of the Shellbark nut is white. From the colour of its nut , the Shellbark Hickory re- ceived the specific name oialba^ which I have changed, as it indicates a character possessed by it in common with another species, found in the Royal gardens o( the Petit JHanon, This species , originally from North America , belongs to the Scalybark Hickories. The nuts are white , and the entire fruit , though a little inferior in size, resembles that of the proper Shellbark Hickory. By its foliage, it is related to the Thick Shellbark Hic< koi*y , each leaf being composed of 4 pstir of leaflets with an odd one. The specific name of ambigua^ might with propriety be given to it. . '■ ' - The nuts of the Thick Shellbark Hickory are brought every autumn to the market of Philadelphia, but the quan- tity does not exceed a few bushels , and they are generally sold mixed with those of the Mockernut Hickory, which resemble some varieties of this species.The GlocesterHick- ory I consider only as a variety of the Thick Shellbark Hickory, to which it bears the strongest likeness in iJs ap- pearance , in its young shoots , in the number of its leaflets , and in its barren aments. The only essential difference is in the nuts ; those of the Glocesler Walnut THICK SHELLBARK HICKOHY. igi are a third larger, with the shell one half thicker , and so hard that it requires pretty heavy blows of a hammer to crack them. In colour, they resemble the nuts oi the Mockernut Hickory , with the finest varieties of which , they might from this circumstance be confounded. The Thick Shellbark Hickory, as has been said, is nearly related to the Shellbark Hickory, and its wood, which is of the same colour and texture , unites the peculiar qualities of that species, with suiS as are common to the Hickories. Its fruit , though t'arger , is inferior in taste and this consideration should induce pro- prietors in the Western Country, in clearing thdr new lands, to spare the true Shellbark Hickory in prefer- ence, when both species are found upon the savr-r^ soil. For the same reason , and for its favourable gro>\'h in less fertile grounds, and even in elevated situations , a iact which I have observed near Brownsville on the Alleghany river , the same preference should ,1 think, be given to it in the forests of Europe. ■ I In the description of the Scaly bark Hickories it has been seen , that they exhibit many striking traits of re- semblance , which may warrant the grouping of them into a secondary section. Besides their r^^neric and specific characters , they possess others peculiar to themselves , by which they are so nr^rly related, that were it not for some remarkable '^ifTeiences, they might be treated as a single species. The general characters of the Hickories are , thrce-cleftcd , pliable , and pen- *. ■^IM t ■%^ iga THICK SHELLBARK BICKORT. dulous barren aments , and certain common proper- ties of the virood. To these are added in the Scaly Hick> ories , a very thick husk covering the nut completely, and divided into four parts when ripe ; a shaggy bark on the trunk , indicated , in my opinion , by the external scales of the buds not adhering to those be- neath ; and leaves composed of very large leaflets of an uniform shape and texture. In comparing the three species with each other , essential differences are ob- served. The Shelibark Hickory , for instance , and the Jugland'anUtigua are constantly distinguished by the num- ber of leaflets , which is always five in the first spe- cies , and nine in the last. Their nuts and the entire fruit , on the other hand , are so much [alike , that they might be mistaken for the product of the same tree; the fruit of both is round with depressed seams, and the nuts are similarly moulded and equally white. If, on a more attentive examination , the Gloces- ter Hickory is determined to be a distinct species from the Thick Shelibark Hickory , it will be observed that they resemble each other in their leaves, composed of seven and sometimes of nine leaflets , and in the luxuriant force of their vegetation ; but that they difie'* in their fruit, which in the Thick Shelibark Hickory is oblong with a compressed nut , like that of the Shelibark Hickory, of twice the size , and of a yellowish colour , and in the Glocester Hickory spherical and very large , with a big , greyish while TniCK 8HELLBAAK HIGKOAT. 1^3 nut, nearly round, whose shell is two lines thick and extremely h%rd. In fine , it is to be remarked , that the species and the variety of the Scalybark Hickory which have been described , grow , or at least, are most abun- dantly multiplied in regions far remote frop^ each other. ■JSU PLATE XXXVII. Aleaf of one third of its natural size. JPig.i, A section of the husk. Fig. a , Nuts, .^i in> (,H\n i'f ri K'iitiiAi •■i^ *^* t*i<» Ulr'-Vi »T ■!-'*• «. ■3'-t!l'.i^ ■}{ SMritt-ti v»/ »/^ Jii i** r,n ')fi1 sft7pv.''.! ^ ,I,>/4; jtnilr "sn*!'*^'.*^^?'; .i.or. j' u )i}fM»H. 'j«in i :ti.:y i VfT, .■■Jli.U, M .\U «■ !UfJ irtii >^,. l-JS-'iTM - f . , J >» hi . Wiii Mifjl.M^ .-« I'-'gSvls '3 iv 1*1 'li»M*' (V.f. J >'=:i. a5 ■*■ # ■■'%, ^ x_ t^ll JMu; )^\i\\ ^,*MKi V nit iJ^uii*. . ..v.wiri yi'^ori /i-n " - PIGNUT HICKORY ivh JuGLANS PORCINA. J. foUoUs 5— y"**, oi^ato-ocuminatis, semUis , glabtis : amentis masculis compositis , ^li/brmi- bus , glabris ; fmctu ppiformi vel globoso ; mice mirdmd , levi , durisstmd, \ i ./ j:_£ Jl >i • ^ ; m ■"•mi This species is generally known in the United States by the name of Pignut and Hognut Hickory, some- times also by that of Broom Hickory. The first of these names is most commonly in use ; the others are known only in some districts of Pennsylvania and particularly in the County of Lancaster. Portsmouth in New Hampshire may be considered as limiting towards the north, the climate of this tree. A little farther south it is abundant , and in the Atlantic parts of the middle States , it helps , with the Mockernut Hickoi7 , White Oak, Swamp while Oak, Sweet Gum, and Dogwood, to form the mass of the forests. In the Southern States , especially near the coast , it is less common in the woods , being found only on the bor- ders of swamps and in places which are wet without being absolutely marshy , or exposed to be long inun- •datod. This tree is met with in the Western Country, but less frequently , I believe , than the Thick Shell- bark and ^lockernut Hickories. I have observed that the last mentioned species grows wherever the hj ) • 1 , i . ! f 1 Vi'Ki) , li ,, wuminatis, , filiform- ce minimd, lited States >ry, some- he iirst of others are Ivania and Portsmouth IS limiting ;e. A little lantic parts Mockernut weet Gum , forests. In ist , it is less on the bor- et without long inun- n Country , hick Shell- ; observed lerever the PJOMUT HICKORY. tgS Pignut h found , but that the Pignut does not always accompagny the Mockemut, which i.*> satisiied with a less substantial soil. This remark I have made more particularly in the lower parts of Virginia, of the two Carolinas , and of Georgia. If appears then , that,, with the exception of States of Vermont and New Hamps- hire, of the District of Maine, of the Genesee Coun- try! and of the cold and mountainous tracts along the whole range: of the Alleghany mountains, this tree is more or less abundant ia the forests., throughout the United States. --'- •: :; :.h':l 'the Pignut Hickory is one of the largest trees of the United States. It grows to. the height of 70 or 80 fleet, with a diameter of 3 or 4 feet. In the winten when stripi of its leaves , it is easily known by the ihoots of the preceding summer ,. which are brown , less than half as large as. those of the Mockernut and Shellbark Hickories , and terminated by small oval buds. At this season , it is easy also to distinguish the Bit- lernut Hickoiy , by its naked and yellow buds.. The buds of this species, as in the other Hickories, with tcaly buds , are more than an inch in length , a few days before their unfbldinjg. The inner scales are the largest and of a reddish colour. The donot fall tilLthe leaves are 5 or 6 inches long. The leaves are compound , and vary in size andin thenumber of leaflets , according to the mois#> lure and fertility of the soil. In rich grounds , they are ift inches long; and the complete number of leaflets is 3 pair ^5 N ig6 PIOMUT HICKORY. with an odd one. The leaflets are 4 or 5 inches long , acuminate , serrate , nearly sessile , and glabrous or smooth on both sides. On vigorous trees , which grow in shady exposures , the petiole is of a violet colour. < The barren aments are smooth, filiform, flexible, and pendulous : they are 2 inches long , and in their arrangement , resemble those of the other Hickories. The fertile flowers are greenish, not vei7 conspicuous, and situated at the extremity of the shoot : the fruit succeeds them in pairs as often as single. The husk is thin and of a beautiful green :when ripe, it opens through half its length , for the passage of the nut. The nut is small , smooth , and very hard on account of the thick- ness of the shell. Its kernel is sweet but meager and difficult to extract , from the firmness of the partitions. These nuts are never carried to market , but serve i'or food to swine , racoons , and the numerous species of squirrels which people the forests, r j* i« • ' fi 1 *' ♦'« •' < < '■ In the Pignut Hickory , the form and size of the nuts, ▼ary more than in the other species. Some are oval , and when covered with their husks, resemble young tigs ; others are broader than they are long , and others are perfectly round. Among these various forms , some nuts are as large as the thumb , and others not bigger than the little finger. Although the same tree yields fruit of the same form every year , I cannot , after an attentive examination of the young shoots and of the aments, consider these differences in any other light thanasva- ^^, PIGNUT HICKORY. 197 neties. The two most remarkable of them are described in the new edition of the Species plantamfn by Willde- now , as distinct species. That with oblong fruit is called Juglans glabra ^ and that with round fruit and a husk somewhat rough , Juglans obcordata. Doctor Muhlen- berg admits this distinction , but with all the deference which I owe to his botanical knowledge, I cannot adopt his opinion. ..^s* .,„,,, :4,.if.; The wood of the Pignut Hickory resembles that of the other species , in the colour of its sap and of its heart : it possesses also their excellencies and tlieiv defects. I have conversed with wheel-wrights in the country, who aflirmedthat it is the strongest and the most tenacious of the Hickories, and who , for that reason , preferred it to any other for axle-trees and ax-handles. These con- siderations lead me to recommend its introduction into the forests of Europe , where its success would be certain. PLATE XXXVIII. » -^ - A branch with its leaves of one third of the natural size. Fig. I , A nut with its husk (oblong variety ). Fig. 2 , A nut without its husk. Fig. 3 , u4 nut with its husk ( round va- riety). Fig. 4, A nut without its husk. -m ";'fW Ci'ii'Eiri^ 'JiJi>rIo ifj«;j;;:?i . - I. ^y it, s'.iu' I s ; • < I /f T>v i Y i ft¥ i nrt i >i%vnfrvvv¥WVYvvAy»v i f^^ NUTMEG HICKORY. vrii.i 'Hi: JUGLANS MYRISTIC.CFORMIS. J. folus quints, /oUoUs OVato- acuminatis , sermtis , glabns : fructu ovato » scabriuscuk ; nucemimmd, dunssimd. I'"!! )f; v>i') •'./(rVi;it; No specific denomination has hitherto been given to this species by the inhabitants the Middle States , to which it is peculiar : that of Nutmeg Hickory which I have iormed appears sufliciently appropriate , from the resemblance of its nut to a nutmeg. I have not myself found this tree in the forets, and hence I conclude that it is not common. It Is true I had not, at the period of my residence in that part of the United States , conceived the design of the present work, and did not devote myself entirely to the researches , which have since given birth to it. I am acquainted with the Nutmeg Hickory only by a branch and a handfuU of nuts, given me at Charleston in the fall of 1802 by the gardener of M'. H. Izard, which he had gathered , in a swamp on his master's plantation of the Elms , in the Parish of Goose crccii. From this specimen alone I have included the tree among the Hickories. The leaves , which are composed of four leaflets with an odd one , are symetrically arranged. I remarked also, that the shoots of the preceding year were flexible and toug^ I P/.:i. foUoUs ovato- scabnuscuk ; I. r'.*i'arhr, ..•/.;' >eeii given to e States , to ory which I te , from the the forets, ramon. It is dence in that design of the rself entirely n birth to it. ry only by a at Charleston A\ H. Izard, his master^s Goose creek. ded the tree r leaflets with I remai'keil were flexible .,<■/' ji^\> Nil I meg- riirkory Nut f »*.% MVTMEO HICKORY. ig^ The nuts are very small , snu>oth , and of t brown col^ marked with lines of white ; the husk is thin and somewhat rough on the surface. The shell is so thick that it constitutes two thirds of the volume of the nut , which , consequently , is extremely hard , and has a minute kernel. This fruit is still inferior to the Pignut. ._.,:^...,i. ...,,.., ,_,,, „^ I suspect that the Nutmeg Hickory is more common in Lower Louisiana * : it belongs to inquirers who en- gage in researches analogous to those which I have pur« sued in the Atlantic and Western States , to study this tree more fully than I have been able to do, and to com- plete the imperfect description which I have given of it«- '^^'*' PLATE XXXIX. ■''''' ''' uii J : r. Ji;nt . . . \.'. A branch and nuts with their husks. Fig. i , A nut with-' out its husk. rA .^i^>^m'l•JiJ^ -xll (It, hi i^ ji,;! '!(!; «Jt i^'in' i*JCj|»> rl Ovv Hi'^uivMimmr. y. .(.' .»'' j> m;"-; hnfi 'u,'Ai,-i * In the interesting work of M'. W. Darby on Louisiana , published at Philadelphia in 1817, the Nutmeg Hickory is said to abound on the waters of Red river in the Miisissipi Territory. F. A. M, jR ? I ;2oo. ,»ir» » i>wiirinn<»iiwn»«ri»i>i>wii>w*imwiiwm><iwwiiww»wmw»»»w»w>i»ii«»»»>»»» . '^ ^1 If . •i4!) RECAPITULATION t OF THE PROPERTIES AND USES ■% vt r IN' v.. OF HICKORY WOOD. . M «^tl > «4II< .t>t4|ljt '< I I '•Dill »t l>4|||fl In the summary introduction to the History o( the Walnuts of North America , it ivas remarked , that those of the second section , or the Hickories , exhi- bit great variations in the size and shape of their fruit , in the number of leaflets which compose their leaves , and in their general appearance , from the ef- fect of soils of different degrees of moisture. Hence result, in many cases , mutual resemblances so stri- king, that a person not familiar with this class of trees , might easily confound distinct species , or describe as different species what are mere varieties. On taking of the epidermis or dead part , the same organisation is observed in the bark of all the Hickories. In other trees the fibre and the cellular substance are con- founded ; here , on the contrary , they are separate , and the fibre is regularly disposed in the form of lo- zenges , which are smaller in young trees , than in such as are more fully grown. An arrangement so pe- culiar and remarkable has a beautiful effect , and great advantage might be taken of it in cabinet-making , iithis park, was np| , like other species , liable to warp. It affords nevertheless an interesting object in vegetable physiol- X< «• •f V RECAPITITLATIOlf. 301 . ogy.So close an analogy exists in the wood of these trees, that when stript of the bark , no rliflerence is discerni- ble in the grain , which is coarse and open in all , nor in the colour of the heart , which is uniformly reddish. To these conspicuous properties are added others wor« thy of remark, which, as has been observed , though modified in the several species , are possessed by them , all in a higher degree , than by any other tree of the same latitude in Europe or America. These are great weight , strength , and tenacity , a speedy decay when exposed to heat and moisture, and peculiar liability to injury from worms. According ID these prominent excellen- cies and defects , the uses of their wood are pretty well determined , and to these uses they are indiscriminately applied. * • ' ' ,'' Hickory timber is employed in no part of the United States in the building of houses , because , ns has been before observed, it is too heavy, and soon becomes worm eaten. But if its defects forbid its employment in architecture , its good qualities , on the other hand , render it proper for many secondary uses , which could not be as well subserved by any other wood.Throughout the Middle States , it is selected for the axle-trees of carriages , for the handles of axes and other carpenter's tools, and for large screws, particularly those of book- binder's presses. The cogs of mill-wheels are made of Hickory heart thoroughly seasoned ; butitis proper only for such wheels as are not exposed to moisture ; and for I. 2.Q ti •* f A^ i, ■-^f *»# .1 . t ,* .^^ ^* ao2 "recapitulation. •** this reason some other wood is,by many mill-wrights, pre- ferred. The rods which form the back of Windsor chairs, coach-whip-handles, musket-stocks, rake-teeth, flails for threshing grain , the bows of yokes , or the elliptical pieces which pass under the necks of the cattle ; all these are objects customarily made of Hickory. At Balti- more it is used for the hoops of sieves , and more es is teemed than the White Oak, which is equally elastic , but more apt to peel off in small shreds into the substance silled. In the country near Augusta in Georgia , I have remarked that the common chairs are of Hickory wood. In New Jersey it is employed||0r shoeing sledges , that is, for covering the runners or parts which slide upon the snow ; but to be proper for this use it must have been cut long enough to have become perfectly dry. Of the numerous trees of North America east of the Alleghany mountains , none except the Hickory is per- fectly adapted to the making of hoops for casks and boxes. For this pui*pose vast quantities of it are consu- med at home , and exported to the West India Islands. The hoops are made ofyoungHickoriesfromGto 12 feet high , without choice as to the species. The largest hoop- poles sold at Philadelphia and New York in February 1808 , at three dollars a hundred. Each pole is split into two parts , and the hoop is crossed and confined by notches , instead of being bound at the end with twigs, like those made of Chesnut. From the solidity of the wood , this method appears sulliciently secure. *f^»».i t**'^ ^^^f^^ -*^. RECAPITULATION. aoS "When it is considered how large a part of the pro- ductions of the United States is packed for exportation in barrels, an estimate may be formed of the necessary consumption of hoops. In consequence of it, young trees proper for this object have become scarce in all * parts of the country i|vfaich have long been settled. The evil is greater, as tney do not sprout a second time from the same root , and as their growth is slow. The cooper can not lay up a store of them for future use, for unless employed within a year, and often *^ wilhin six months after being cut, they are attacked by two species of insect ; one of these , which eats within ^ the wood, and commits the greatest ravages, is represent- ted on the plate of the Mockernut Hickory , the wood of " which species I have observed to be peculiarly liable to ^*t' its attacks. » ^^ , '* The defects which unfit the ftickory for use in the building of houses , equally exclude it from the construction of vessels. At New York and Philadelphia , the Shellbarka nd Pignut Hickories have been taken for keels , and are found to last as long as those of other wood , owing to their being always in the water. Of the two species, the Pignut would be preferable as being less liable to split , but it 16 rarely found of as large di« mensions as the other. In sloops and schooners the rings by which the sails are hoisted and confmed to the mast, are always ol Hickory. I have also been assured, that for atlacliing llit» ^t -^ ^ i?> 0^ ■fr., 4. 'i* ao4 RECAPITULATIOM. cordage it makes excellent pegs, >vhich are stronger than those of Oak: but they should set loosely in the holes, as otherwise for want of speedily seasoning , they soon decay. For handspikes the Hickory is particulary es- , teemed on account of its strength : it is accordingly employed in most American v^s^els , and is exported for the same purpose to England^ where it sells from Soto loo per cent higher than Ash , which is brought * also from the North of the United States. The Hicko- ries are cut without distinriion for this use^ but the * Pignut , I believe , is the best. All the Hickories are very heavy , and in a given volume contain a great quantity of combustible matter. They produce an ardent heat, and leave a heavy, com- pact , and long lived coal. In this respect , no wood of the same latitude, in Europe or America , can be com- pared to them : sU'cH , at least, is the opinion of all Europeans who have resided in the United States. At New York , Piiiladelphia and Baltimore , people in easy circumstances , burn no other w ood , and though it is sold 5o percent higher than Oak, it is found proJitable iu use. It sold at New York tlie 20^'' of October 1807 at 1 5 dollars a cord, and Oak wood at 10 dollars. From its superior quality , the Hickory is always sold separately. , I have noticed that at New York , the Shellljark predom- inated in the fuel, and at Philadelphia and Baltimore, the Mockernut. At Baltimore the Shellbark, easily recog- nised by its scaly bark , is never seen. .6-> ^ tj. ^k^. ^< REGAPITULATIOIf. ao5 The quantity of the respective species of Hickory consumed in the cities, is regulated hy a soil and climate , more favorable to one than another , and not by an opinion entertained of their comparative excel- lence ; though experieree shews the Mockernut ^^e the best and the Bit||^iiutthe poorest. This difference g however, is too slig^ to be generally regarded. Of the uses to which the Hickory is devoted in the tJnited States , two will principally contribute , together with the slowness of its growth , to its entire extermi- nation ; these are , the cutting of the saplings for hoops, and of the trees for fuel. These considerations indepen- dantly of many accessory causes , which hasten the de- struction of the forests in this part of the new world , lead me to believe , that in lest than 5o years , they will not furnish a tenth part of the hoops demanded in commerce. Hence arise motives sufficiently powerful to engage proprietors , who seek to preserve their woods , and to augment their value , to multiply in them the most useful trees , and especially the Hickories. The object might be fully attained by planting walnuts , previously made to germinate in boxes filled with earth, and kept moist in the cellar : the success of this sim;)le method is certain. It would be advantageous also , to plant a greater number than the soil can sustain , that when the poles are an inch in diameter, a part of them may be cut for hoops , while the rest are left to grow for fuel, or for other uses to which the Hickory is a]»propriate. # '^^i -I * # ■t .'% ,i» i^' 0' .V ■* • % ■*iu 9 *' V, , 4< « * > ' ^ >v ao6 RECAPITULATION. It has been seen by what nrecedc^ , that though the Hickory wood has essenti . ^elects , 4hey are com- pensated by good properties which rendeMidl valuabl'e m the arts, and which entitle it to the attqniion of Si(|||foeans ; above all , as a combustible. Though itg y'owth is slow during its early T^ifej it should iorm a part of our forests. But I doubt wMmer this can be ei< fected except by planting nuts in the woods, for the trees, even when very young, witll difficulty survive transplant tation. Before they are 3 lines in diameter and i8 inches tall , they have a tap root 3 feet liSng and destitute of fibres. Hence it has happened , that of mpre than a hundred thousand ||pung plants , produced by nuts which I have at different times sent to France, very few are found alive. They have perished in the re- moval from the nursery , or in the second transplan- tation to the place of their ultimate destination. The Black Walnut and Bitternut, on the contrary, whose roots do not descend deeply and are plentifully garnisheit with fibres^/ easily recover themselves after transplan- tation , even wh^n 6 or 8 feet high at the time ot their removal, .^^ In concluding this article I recommend pari 1(mn lary for propagation in European forests the Shellhark Hickory and the Pigrut Hickory , whose wood unites in the highest degree the valuable properties of Ihe group. I think also t^at the Pacanenut merits attention from promoters of useful culture, not so much for its wood as for its fruit, winch is excellent and more dcli- >i^. 'i£* ♦' ^» 4 ■% #*, <^ RICAPITVLATIOM. 207 cate than that of the European Walnut. It 'might prob- ably be doubled in size, if the practice was successfully adopted of grafting this species upon the Black Walnut or upon the Common European Walnut. ■ *f, ¥0 «i. 4 » ■ -n #•<■• ■ i m • 5^ - I • ♦ ■• ^* ♦ • **■ \ - •■' » ."^ >*-w ,•*' #.' *t^ ^ ^ ■A' • •'- #^. f ■««T lt% .(■'\ '*A %" •^ • « . % # '|)|^ ^P^ *f % ^. \ '*»' • ■V'f' y ^pn • t «• 41 JV «. *#- ^V :i K 0,. 1'-. •»■ > ■•••v 2^- i i M l M^»n »¥>VnV' "'*'*''**********"**" **********'*******'*'*'* '* ****'""**'*** '*""**'*''>'^^^^^ i ^f^^ MAPLES. MV Or the species which compose this genus, the number known is already considerable , and will probably be augmented by the future researches of Botanists, espe- cially on the continent of North America. The Maples , in general , are lofty and beautiful trees. One of their principal characters consists in opposite leaves divided into several very distinct lobes.Gapable of enduring an intense degree of cold , Ihey form in the North of the Old and of the New continent , extensive forests , which , with those of the Beech , appear to succeed the Spruce , the Larch, and the Pine , and to pre- cede the Chesnut and the Oak. Such,at least, seems to be in America between the 45 and 46 degrees of latitude, the place assigned by nature to the true Sugar Maple. The species of Maples hitherto described amount to tourteen , of which seven belong to Europe , and seven to Iiorlh America. Among these last I have not included the Dwarf Red Maiple, Acer coccineum, which is a diminu- tive species , and concerning which I do not possess ade- ouate materials for a description. It abounds in Nova Scotia and has always been confounded with the proper Red Maple ; I have also observed it in the upper parts oi New Hampshire. It scarcely exceeds 12 or 18 feet in height, and its flowers and seeds are of a more vivid red than those of the Red Maple. The Black sugar Maple I. ^7 .r aiO MAPLES. grows to about the same height with the Sugar Maple, but it is plainly a distinct species. In the collection ot dried plants made by Gap **. Lewis and Clarke during their journey to the south sea , I saw specimens of a beautiCul Maple from the banks of Columbia river. From this brief summary it results that the North American species are more numerous than those of Europe. The wood of the Maples differs so widely in quality in different species , that it becomes difficult to characterize it by general observations: it may be remar- ked that it speedily ferments and decays when exposed to the weather, that it is liable to be injured by worms, and that hence , it is unfit for building. It possesses properties however , which compensate in part for these defects , and which render it useful in the arts and in domestic economy. For more particular information , I must refer the reader to the descriptions of the respective species. i rii/. n; . ■.■,iX^: i . i |n' . •■ Ho m f>. 'IK ■■it IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TAkGET (MT-3) 1.0 *^ lU 12.2 I.I : us 12:0 Photographic Sdmces Corporation 4o fi-Ait 1 ^ * « ^1 w •'I ^^ *% \ N> ^. 7Z WUT MAIN STRUT WnSTIR.N.Y. I4SM (7!*)t7a-4S03 4^^^V 6^ ) <\ ^ /tfsnrtr Jff . While Maple, j^Ci'r cfiocarviim Oithn ' '.ly ^/<3. ^|IW(W^<^^^^ftWMMWM of g the sugar is iment rapidly ite of iron, here this tree iperipr value: by the unim- t # tiplied in nur- brds hopes of of the world, species. In for- hitherto been ;round , which annual inunda- rould be supri- Fig. I, Barren 'd of the natural •ii'jy' r ■« ' ^r^ ■llillll^lllll ^^a ^' Red Ihmoni.o \ Fault' . ('Jlw .'- ^y^YV rahrii/n . ~ r • : ^ . ■- ^>l f0^f^H¥^^^ttlMI0t>milt*^0>Ml^^^00t>0/tMt^^^^^M*fi^^Afi^^^^^ WWWWiWW) W»»W>W%W»W»»W» S » W)»%^^>»%^>»»»»»W RED FLOWERING MAPLE. AciH RUBRUM. A. folUs oppositis , inlobis , inaequaUter dentatis, subtus glaucis : Jloribus rubris, aggregatis ; ger- mint glaberrimo ; umbellis sessUibus : capsuUs rubris p^ peduncuiatis. ^ DiiTERENT names are given to this tree in different parts of ttie United States : east of the Alleghany moun- tains it is called Red flowering Maple , Swamp Maple and Soft Maple ; in the Western Country, simply Maple. The first denomination , which is most generally in use , is also most appropriate,as the young shoots, the flowers, and the fruit are red. ■% Toward the north, the Red flowering Maple, ap- pears first about Malebaye , in Canada , in the latitude of 4B*; but it soon become more common in proceeding southward , and is found abundant to the extremities of Florida and Lower Louisiana. Of all the trees which flourish in wet grounds occasionnally overflowed , this species is most ip vitiplied in the Middle and Southern States. It oncupies,ir great part,the borders of the creeks, and abounds in all the swamps which are of1:en inun- dated, and always miry. In these situations , it is accom- panied by the Blackgum , Sweetgum , Shellbark Hick- ory , Swamp White Oak , Black Ash and White A«h, To these are added in the Carolines and Georgia , the Small Magnolia or Swamp Bay, the Water Oak, Lob- 1. 28 # ai8 BED FLOVVEBIlfO MAPLK. / ^ lolly Bay » Tupelo, and Red Bay. It is a remarkable fact, that west of the mountains , between Brownsville and IHttsburgh, the Red flowering Maple is seen growing on elevated ground with the Oaks and the Walnuts. I have nowhere observed it of as ample dimensions as in ^ Pennsylvania and New Jersey : in these States exist exten> sive marshes, called Maple swamps , exclusively covered with it, wher£ it is found 70 feet high and 3 or 4 feet in diameter. the Red flowering Maple is the earliest tree whose bloom announces the return of spring ; it is in flower near New York from the 10 to the i5 of April. The blossoms of a beautiful purple or deep red, unfold Jtaiore than a fomight before the leaves. They are sessile^ aggregate, and situated at the extremity of the branches. The fruitis suspended by longflexible peduncles and is of the same hue with the flowers , though it varies in size and in the intensity of its colouring , according to the exposure and dampness of the soil. The leaves are smaller than those of the preceding species , but in some respects , they resemble them. They are glaucous or whitish underneath , and are palmated or divided into 3 or 4 acuminate lobes , irregularly toothed. The extre- mities of this tree , which are formed by numerous twigs united at the base, have a remarkable appearance when garnished with flowers and seeds of a deep red, before vegetation has begun generally to revive. Before the Red flowering Maple exceeds 2S or 3o HID rLOWSBIMG MAPLI. 319 feet in height and 7 or 8 inches in diameter, its bark if perlevtly imoolh, and marked with white blotches, by which it it easily distinguishable. Afterwards , the trunk, like that of the White Oak and Sweet Gum, becomes brown , and chapped. In this tree , as in others which grow in wet places , the sap bears a large proportion to the heart , if indeed the name of heart can properly be given to the irregular star which occupies the center of large trunks, with points, from i to 3 inches in length , projecting into the sap. The wood of the Red flowering Maple is applicable to interesting uses. It is harder than that of the 'White Maple, and of a liner and closer grain : hence it is easily wrought in the lathe , and acquires by polishing a||| r^louy and silken surface. It is sufliciently solid, and lor many purposes it is preferred by workmen to other kinds of wood. It is principally employed for the lower part of Windsor chairs : the pieces are turned in the country, and so considerable is the demand, that boats laden ^th them arrive at Mew York and Philadelphia,; y/htti an extensive manufacture is carried on , for the consumption of the neighbouring towns, and for exportaf tion to the Southern States andto theWest India Islands. The whole frame of japanned chairs is of this wood> except the back , for which Hidcory is chosen on ac-» count oi its superior strength and elasticity. The frame, the nave , and the spokes of spinning wheels are made of it t at Philadelphia it is exclusively employed for sad^ AM BID FLOVirERIMO MAPLI. die trees , and in the country it u preferred for yokes . and also for shovels and wooden dishes , which are hrooght to market , and purchased by the dealers in wooden ware. It sometimes happens that in very old trees, the grain instead of following a perpendicular direction, is undu- lated, and this variety bears the name of Curled Maple. This singular arrangement y of which 1 am able to assign no cause , is never witnessed in young trees , nor in the branches of such as exhibit it in the trunk : it is also less conspicious at the center , than near the circum- ference. Trees offering this disposition are rare , and do not exist in the proportion of one to a hundred. The |j|aerpentine direction of the fibre, which renders them difficult to split and to work , produces in the hands of a skilful mechanic, the most beautiful effects of light and shade. These effects are rendered more striking, if, after smoothing the suriace of the wood with a double ironed plane , it is rubbed with a little sulphuric acid, and afterwards anointed with Knseed oil. On examining it attentively,the varying shades are found to be owing en* tirely to the inflexion of the rays of light ; which is more sensibly perceived in viewing it in different directions by candle light. fieiore Mahogany became generally fashionable in the United States , the most beautiful furniture was of Red flowering Maple, and bedsteads are still made of it, which,in richness and lustre, exceed the finest Mahogany. f HBD rLOWIRINO MAPLI. Sai Xt Bolton loini! cabinets makrrs saw it into thin plitcf for Inlaying Mahogany. Bni the most constant UM of the Curled Maple is for the stocks of fowling picccf and rifles* which to elegance and lightness unite a lolidity reiulting from the accidental direction of the fibre. The cellnlAf Integnmcnt of the Red flowering Maple ii of a dusky red. By boiling , it yields a purplish colour , which,on the addition of sulphate of iron, becomes dark blue approaching to black. It is used in the country, with A certain portion of Alum in solution, for dying black. The wood of the Red flowering Maple does not bum well , and is so little esteemed for fuel that it is ra- rely brought into the cities. The French Canadians make sugar irom the sap of thii Maple , which they call Plaine , but, as in the prece- ding specie! , the product of a given measure is only half as great as is obtained from the Sugar Maple. it iihould be observed that the Red flowering Maple never attains its full dimensions except in swamps where the bottom is composed of fertile soil. When the popu- lation of the country become denser, these tracts will be cleared atid improved by some mode of culture more profitable than the growth of woods , and especially oClbis species , which is fit neither for the uses of the wheelwright nnr for any other solid work ; for it pos6e»ies little strength , is liable to injury from worms, c^ ^ aaa rkd flowibino maplv. § and ferments and speedily decays when exposed to the alternations of drj^nessand moisture. Though at present it is eitensively used, its importance in the arts is not such as to entitle it to presenration,anditwilldoubtlesspneday become rare.When the period arriycsthatit is necessary in the United States as in Europe , to renew the forests or to keep on foot those which have escaped destruction, the American Woodman will find among the Oaks, the Walnuts, and the Ashes, many species more deserving of his care. The Sugar Maple also will beprefered , which grows on uplands, and possesses in as superior degree all the good properties of the other.From these considersh tions the Red flowering Maple appears to have nppreten* aions to a place in Evropean fdrests* PLATE XLI. A branch with leaves of the natural size. Fig. i , Barren jhtpers. Ftg. 2, Fertile Roofers. Fig. 5, Seeds of the natural sue. ^ ■ >8ed to tb t at present is not such less one day s necessary the forests kstructioD, e Oaks, the leservingof red, which nor degree e considera> enopreten* f. I , Barren 'the natuml V J KfdmUf 4U Sii^'ar Manic. . Iirr .fiii-i/uiritiiiftt . hiiiii :>i 2n^ UH »> «1 i '' (ljMMI»MWrW^WM*^<****»W*W»*W***l»llllWI>tl»»»>»>»«WI»» SUGAR MAPLE. ::■/ r-: AcEB SACCHARIMVM. A. foUis qmnque-partUo-pobnatis , glabris, margine itUegris , subtus glaucis : Jloribus pedun- cuUUis , penderUibm. . -^v;/ This species , the most interesting of the American Maples, is called Rock Maple, Hard Maple, and Sugar Maple. The first of these names is most generaly in use, but I have preserved the last , because it indicates one of the most valuable properties of the tree. According to my father's researches into the topography of American vegetables, the Sugar Maple begins a little north of Lake St. John , in Canada, near the 48° of la- titude , which , in the rigour of its winter , corresponds to the 68" in Europe. It is nowhere more abundant than between the 46* and 43", which comprise Canada , New Brunswick , Nova Scotia , the States oi Vermont and New Hampshire , and the District of Maine : in these regions , it enters lai^ely into the composition of the forests with which they are still covered. Farther south, it is common only in Genessee in the State of New York, and in the Upper parts ol Pennsylvania. It is estimated by D' Rush , that in the northern parts of these two States , there are ten millions of acres which produce these trees in the proportion of 3o to an acres Indeed I have noticed , in traversing these districts , large masses of woods formed of them almost exclusively. 22!^ SUGAR MAPLE. ' # In Genessee , however, a great part of the Maples belong to a species which I shall describe , which has hitherto been confounded by Botanists with the Sugar Maple. In tl^owers parts of Virginia , of theCarolinas, and of Georgiflbd likewise in the Mississipi Territory, this tree is unknown or very rare. It is rapidly disappearing from the forests about New York and Philadelphia , where it is no longer drained for sugar, but is felled for fuel and for other purposes. Between the parallels mentioned as bounding the tracts where this tree is most abundant , the forests do not resemble those of a more southern latitude : they are composed of two different descriptions of trees divided into two great classes , which alternately occupy the soil and which exist in nearly equal proportions. The first class comprises the resinous trees such as Pines and Spruces , and covers the low grounds and the bot- toms of the vallies ; these forests are called Black mod lands. The second class consist of leafy trees , such as the Sugar Maple , the White and the Red Beech, the Birches and the Ashes ; of which the Sugar Maple is most multiplied. They grow on level grounds or uii gentle declivities , and form what are denominated Hard wood lands. In proceeding from the 46° of latitude northward , the trees of the second class a^e observed to become more rare, and the resinous trees in the same proportion more abundant : below 4^" 1 on the other hand, the resinous trees are found less common, and the SUGAR MAPLE. aaS Cabers loose their predominance in the forests , as they become mingled with the numerous species of Oaks and Walnuts. The Sugar Maple covers a greater extent ofthe Ame-< rican soil than any other species of this genus. It flourn ishes most in mountainous places , where the soil though fertile is cold and humid. Besides the parts which I have particularly mentioned, where the face of the country is generally of this nature , it is found along the whole chain of the Alleghanies to their termination in Georgia, and on the steep and shady banks of the rivers which rise in these mountains. The Sugar Maple reaches the height of 70 or 80 leet with a proportional diameter ; but it does not com- monly exceed So or 60 feet with a diameter of 12 or 18 inches. Well grown , thriving trees are beautiful in their appearance , and easily distinguishable by the whiteness of their bark. The leaves are about 5 inches broad , but they vary in length according to the age and \igourof thetree. They are opposite, attached by long petioles, palmated or unequally divided into five lo- bes , entire at the edges , of a bright green above , and glaucous or whitish underneath. In autumn , they turn reddish with the first frosts. Except in the colour of the lower surface they nearly resemble the leaves of the Norway Maple. The flowers are small , yellowish , and suspended by slender , drooping peduncles. The seed is contained in two capsules united at base and termina- 1. 29 ^ ' 226 SUGAR MAPLE. ted in a membraneous wing. It is ripe near New York in the beginning of October, though the capsules attain their full size six weeks earlier. Externally they appear equally p%rfect,but I have constantly found one of them empty, li^ fruit is matured only once in two or three years. The wood when cut is white , but after being wrought and exposed for some time to the light, it takes a rosy tinge. Its grain is fine and close , and when polished, it has a silky lustre. It is very strong and sufliciently heavy, but wants the property of durability , for which the Ghesnut and the Oak are so highly esteemed. "When ex- posed to moisture it soon decays, and lor th^s reason it is neglected in civil and naval architecture. In Ver- mont , New Hampshire , the District oi Maine and hr- ther north , where the Oak is not plentiful , this timber is substituted for it , in preference to the Beech , the Birch , and the Elm. When perfectly seasoned , which requires two or three years, it is used by Wheelwrights for axle-trees and spokes , and for lining the runners of common sleds. It is also employed as well as the Red flowering Maple in the manufacture of Windsor chairs. In the country where the houses are wholly of wood , Sugar Maple timber is admitted into the frame ; and in the District of Maine, it is preferred to the Beech for the keels of vessels , as it furnishes longer pieces : ^th the Beech and the Yellow Pine it forms also the lower frame , which is always in the water, r, , SUGAR MAPLE. 227 This wood exhibits two accidental iorms in the arran- gement of the fibre , of which cabinet-makers take ad- vantage for making beautiful articles of furniture. The first consists in undulations like those of theCurled Mapl&, the second , which take places only in old ti v^es that are still sound , and which appears to arise from an inflexion of the fibre from the circumference toward the center, produces spots of half a line in diameter, sometimes contiguous, and sometimes several lines apart. The more numerous the spots , the more beautiful and the more esteemed is the wood : this variety is called Bird's eye Maple. Like the Curled Maple it is used for inlaying Mahogany. Bedsteads are made of it and portable wri- ting desks , which are elegant and highly prized. To ob- tain the finest effect , the log should be sawn in a direc- tion as nearly as possible parallell to the concentrical circles. • When cutat the proper season the Sq^ar Maple forms ex- cellent fuel. It is exported from District of Maine for the consumption of Boston, and is equally esteemed with the Hickory. The opinion entertained of it in this respect , in the North of America , accords with the interesting experiments of M' Hartig on the comparative heat af- forded by different species of European wood , from which it results, that the Sycamx}re.,Acer pseudo-platanusi is superior to every other. The ashes of the Sugar Maple are rich in the alkaline principle, and it may be confidently asserted ,. that aa8 SUGAR maple. ' they furnish four fifths of the potash exported to Europe irom Boston and New York* In the forges of Vermont and the District of Maine , the charcoal of this wood is preferred to any other, and it is said to be one fiRh heavier than the coal made from the same species in the Middle and Southern States ; a fact which sufficiently evinces that this Maple acquires its characteristic properties in perfection , only in nor-^ them climates. The wood oi the Sugar Maple iseasily distinguished from that of the Red flowering Maple, which it resembles in ap- pearance, by its weight and hardness. There is, besides , a very simple and certain test : a lew drops of sulphate of iron being poured on samples of the different species, the Sugar Maple turns greenish, and the White Maple and Red flowering Maple change to a deep blue. The extraction of sugar from the Maple is a valuable resource in a country , where all classes of society daily make use of tea and coffee. The process by which it is obtained is very simple , and is every where nearly the same. Though not essen- tially defective, it might be rendered more perfect and more profitable, by adopting hints which have been thrown out in American publications. The work is commonly taken in hand in the month of February , or in the beginning of March , while the SUGAR MAPLE. 339 cold continues intense , and the ground is still covered with snow. The sap begins to be in motion at this season, two months before the general revival of vegetation. In a central situation , lying convenient to the trees from which the sap is drawn , a shed is constructed , called a sugar camp , which is destined to shelter the boilers and the persons who tend them , from the weather. An auger 3/4 of an inch in diameter, small troughs to receive the sap , tubes of Elder or Sumac, 8 or lo inches long, corresponding in size to the auger,andlaid open for a part of their length , buckets for emptying the troughs and conveying the sap to the camp, boilers of i5 or i8 gallons* capacity, moulds to receive the sirop when reduced to a proper consistency for being formed into cakes , and lastly, axes to cut and split the fuel , are the principal ustensils employed in the operation. The trees are perforated in an obliquely ascending direction , 1 8 or 20 inches from thei||Vound, with two holes 4 or 5 inches apart. Care should be taken that the augers do not enter more than half an inch within the wood , as experience has shewn the most abundant flow of sap to take place at this depth. It is also recom- mended to insert the tubes on the south side of the tree ; but this useful hint is not always attended to. The troughs , which contain 2 or 3 gallons , are made in the Northern States, of White Pine, of White or Black Oak, or of Maple ; on the Ohio , the Mulberry , which is very abundant , is preferred. The Chesnut , the Black a3o SUGAR MAPLK. Walnut , and the Butternut should be rejected , as they impart to the liquid the colouring matter and bitter principle, with which they are impregnated. A trough is placed on the ground at the foot of each tree , and the sap is every day collected and temporarily poured into casks, from which it is drawn out to fill the boilers. The evaporation is kept up by a brisk fire , and the skum is carefully taken off during this part of the process. Fresh sap is added from time to time , and the heat is maintained till the liquid is reduced to a sirop , after which it is left to cool , and then strained through a blanket or other woolen stuff, to separate the remain- ing impurities. Some persons recommend leaving the sirop twelve hours , before boiling it for the last time ; others pro- ceed with it immediately. In either case , the boilers are only half filled, and by an active, steady heat, the li- quor is rapidly i|||iuced to the proper consistency for being poured into the moulds. The evaporaration is known to have proceeded far enough , when , upon rub- bing a drop of the sirop between the fingers , it is per- ceived to be granular. If it is in danger of boiling over, a bit of lard or of butter , is thrown into it , which in- stantly calms the ebullition. The molasses being drained off from the moulds, the sugar is no longer deliquescent , like the raw sugar of the West Indies. Maple Sugar manufactured in this way , is lighter col- oured , in proportion to the care with which it is made •IIOAH MAPLl. a3l and the judgment with which the evaporation is conducted. It is superior to the hrown Sugar of the Colonies , at least, to such as is generally used in the United States : its taste is as pleasant , and it is as good for culinary purposes. When refined , it equals in beauty the finest Sugar con- sumed in Europe. It is made use of , however , only in the districts where it is made , and there , only in the country : from prejudice or taste , imported sugar is used in all the small towns , and in the inns. The sap continues to flow for six weeks ; after which , it becomes less abundant , less rich in saccharine mat- ter, and sommetimes even incapable of chrystalisation. In this case, it is consumed in the state of molasses, which is superior to that of the Islands. After three or four days exposure to the sun , Maple sap is converted into vinegar , by the acetous fermention. In a periodical work , published at Philadelphia sever- al years since , the following receipt if given for making Sugar Maple beer : Upon 4 gallons of boiling water , pour I quart of Maple molasses ; add a little yeast or leaven to excite the fermentation , and a spoonful of the essence of spruce : a very pleasant and salutary drink is thus obtained. The process for extracting the sugar which I have described is the most common one , and it is the same from whatever species of Maple the sugar is made. The amount of sugar manufactured in a year varies from different causes. A cold and dry winter renders the € a3a 8U0AE MAPLE. trees more productive than a changeable and humid •eason. It is observed , that when a frosty night is fo|. lowed by a dry and brilliant day , the sap flows abun* dantly ; and a or 3 gallons are sometimes yielded by a single tree , in twenty four hours. Three persons are found suflicient to tend aSo trees , which give looo pounds of sugar , or 4 pounds from each tree. But this product is not uniform , for many farmers on the Ohio have assured me , that they did not commonly obtain more than a pounds from a tree. Trees which grow in low and moist places aflord a greater quantity of sap than those which occupy rising grounds , but it is less rich in the saccharine principle. That of insulated trees, left standing in the middle of fields or by the side of fences , is the best. It is also remarked , that in districts which have been cleared ol' other trees , ana even of the less vigorous Sugar Ma- ples, the produci of the remainder is, proportionally, most considerable. While I resided in Pittsburgh , the following curious particulars appeared in the Greensburgh Gazette : h Ha- iring introduced » says the writer , « twenty tubes into a Sugar Maple , I drew from it the same day , 23 gallons and 3 quarts oi sap , which gave 7 pounds and a quarter of sugar : 33 pounds have been made this season from the same tree ; which supposes 100 gallons oi sap. » It ap- pears here , that i§h1y a little more than 3 gallons , was required fora pound,though four are commonly allowed. •VOAK MAPLI. a33 In the forffgoing experiments , 5 quarts were drawn in one iJay from eai-h tube , which is about equal to to the qijiiiiity discharged , when two pipes are em- ployed. Might a not hence be concluded , that the sap escapes only from the orifices of the vessels , which have been dirided by the auger, without being divert- ed to this bsue , from the neighbouring parts ? I am the more inclined to this opinion , as in rambling one day , in the profound solitude of the forests , on the banks of the Ohio, the idea suggested itself to me of cuttinginto a Maple which had been bored the preceding year. I iound amid the white mass of its wood, a green column , equal in width and in depth to the hole beneath. Tlie organisation appeared not to be afleciud ; but this it not sufllcient to warrant the conchision, that these vessels would be in condition to give pas- sage to the tap f the succeeding year. It ioiay be objected, that trees have been drained for 5o years , without diminution oi their produce. But a tree of two or three feet in diameter, presents an extensive surface, and the tubes are every year shifted : besides, the successive layers of 3o or 4o years , would restore it nearly to the state ot one that never had been per- forated. In the United States , Maple iugar is made in greatest quantities , it the upper part of New Hampshire , in Vermont , in the Siale of New Y^k , particularly in Genesee, and in the Counties of Pennsylvania which I. 3o .T a34 AUOAR MAPIK. lie on the eastern and western branches of the Susque- hannah ; west of the mountains , in the country borde- ring on the Alleghany , Mononghahela , and Ohio rivers. The farmers, after laying aside a suflicient store for their own consumption , sell the residue to the shop- keepers in the small towns of the neighbourhood , at 8 cents a pound , by whom it is retailed at 1 1 cents. A great deal of sugar is also made , in Upper Canada, and on the Wabash near Michillimackinac. The Indians dis- pose of it to the commissioners of the North Western Company established at Montreal , for the use of the numerous agents who go out in their employ, in quest of furs , beyond Lake Superior. In Nova Scotia and the District of Maine , and on the highest mountains of Virginia and the Carolinas , where these trees are suiliciently common , the manufacture is less conside- rable , and probably six sevenths of the inhabitants consume imported sugar. It has been advanced, and doubtless correctly*, that the northern parts of New York and Pennsylvania con- tain Maples enough to supply the whole consumption of the United States. But the annual produce by no means answers to this patriotic calculation. The trees grow * The annual consumptioa of sugar in the United States is about 80 millions of pounds; of which more than 5o millions of pounds arc imported ; more t^Mi 10 millions produced by the cane in Loui- siana ; and, probably, as much as 10 millions made from the Sugar Maple. sugah maplk. a35 upon excellent lands , which by the infloi of emigrants from the older settlement!, and by the surprising increase of the population already established , are rapidly clear- ing; so that in less , perhaps , than half a century, the Maples will be confined to exposures too steep for cul- tivation , and will afford no resource , except to the proprietor on whose domain they gk^w. At this period also, the wood will probably produce a greater and more ready profit than the sugar. It hat been proposed to plant Sugar Maples in orchards or about the fields : but would it not be more certainly advantageous to multiply the Apple tree, which grows in soils too dry to sustain the vegetation of the Maple ? All that has been said on this subject , must be considered as speculative merely , since , in the Eastern States , where information is gene- r/>lly diffused , no enterprises of this nature have been undertaken , by which the importation of sugar might be diminished. Wild and domestic animals are inordinately fond of Maple juice , and break through their enclosures to sate themselves with it. . The details into which I have entered, concerning the Sugar Maple, furnish the means of estimating its im> portance, with reference both to its sap, and to its wood. I have indicated the regions where it grows , and the soil in which it thrives; and 1 feel authorised in seriously recommending it for propagation in the North of Europe. Us sap and its wood are superior to 1r ^ d36 SVGAft MAPLS. those of the Norway Maple and of the Sycamore , and in the same countries where these two species abound in the forests, its success would be most complete, and its cultiyation most profitable. PLATE XLIL A branch nith leases and seeds of the natural size. Fig. I , A smaUtwig wUhfiwoers. ,;?v^\ ^- # ., -P. - :S-, * N^a fer *1 : *^- m re, and abound mplete, al size. 2^7 ^ ^ ^^^ 1 ^^^^^ ^■^**** ** ** **■*****»*••** — >•■ •>*> * i *ii ^^^ ^^ ^^^^^^y ^ vw^v fc wv V w^ i ywuvwyw wvmmm i BLACK SUGAR TREE. Acer nigrum. A. foltis qmnque-partito-palmatis , sinubus apertis , margine Integra, subtiis pubescentibus , atro- viridibus : floribus corymbis : capsuKs turgidk subglo- bosis. In the Western States , and in the parts of Pennsyl- vania and Virginia , which lie between the mountains and the Ohio , this species of Maple is designated by the name of Sugar Tree , and frequently , by the more characteristic denomination of Black Sugar Tree ; pro- bably , on account of the dark colour of its leaves , in comparison with those of the true Sugar Maple, which sometimes grows with it. In the extensive country of Genesee both species are indiscriminately called Rock Maple and Sugar Maple. This confusion seems to have arisen from the country's being settled principally by emigrants from the Eastern States , who , finding the Black Sugar Tree applicable to the same uses with the other , and equally productive of sugar , have given it the same name.The two species have also been confound- ed by Botanists , in describing the vegetable produc- tions of America, Towards the north , I first observed the Black Sugar Tree, near Windsor in Vermont , on the Connecticut river. But from its inferior size , and its scarceness , it ■* ^38 BLACK SUGAR TREE. may be inferred that it belongs to a more southern climate. Accordingly , a few degrees lower , it forms a large part of the forests of Genesee , and covers the immense vallies , through which flow the great rivers of the West. In these bottoms* it is one of the most com- mon and one of the loftiest trees. The leaves are 4 or 5 inches long , and exibit , in every respect , nearly the same conformation as those of the true Sugar Maple. They differ from them , principally , in being of a deeper green and of a thicker texture, and in having more open sinuses : they are also slightly downy , which is most sensibly perceptible on the main rib. 1 The flowers , like those of the Sugli* Maple , are sus- pended by long , flexible peduncles : the seeds , also , are similar , and are ripe about the same time, that is, about the I •» of October. The wood is much like that oi the other species , but it is coarser-grained , and less brilliant when polished. It is little used , because , wherever it abounds , other trees are found , such as the 0ttk , the Walnut , the Cherry tree, and the Mulberry, which are more esteem- ed for building and for cabinet making. It is , howe- ver , preferred for the frames of Windsor chairs , and is considered afler the Hickories as the best fuel. Its * This word has become authorised by general use in the Uiiited States. * BLACK SUGAR TREE. laSg inost important use is for making Sugar , of which it annually yields a vast amount , in the neighbourhood of Pittsburgh. > When the Black Sugar Tree stands alone , it naturally assumes a regular and agreeable shape. Its foliage , of a darker tint and more tufled than that of the other Ma- ples , renders it proper for forming avenues , and for adorning parks and gardens ; in tine , for every situation where thick shade is desired , as a shelter from the sun. PLATE XLIII. , ■ » - . ' A branch with a leaf and seeds of the natural size. .■.-'VL^.'-' . ^m ^ ^tf" NORWAY MAPLE. Acer platanoides. h. folHs qmnque-lobis , acuminatis, utn'iu/ue glabris , lobis dentatis : corymbosis etvctts, pedurtr cidis glabris. This species of Maple is found in the same parts of Europe with the Sycamore , but it is. most multiplied in Sweden and Norway ; whence it has received the name of Norway Maple. Like the Sycamore it attains a lofty height and a dia- meter of several feet , and ranks among the largest trees of the north of Europe. Its leaves are broad, of a fme texture , and of a light green colour ; In shape , they resemble those of the Black Sugar tree and the Sugar Maple. They are not whitish underneath like those of the Sugar Maple, and when the petiole is bro- ken a milky fluid distils from it , which does not take place in the American species. The flowers of the Norway Maple are small, yellowish and suspended by pretty long peduncles. The seeds grow in two capsules , which are united at the base , compressed , and garnished with large divergent , mem- braneous wings. They are ripe in the month of Septem- ber. In the winter , when the Norway Maple and the Syca- more are stripped of their leaves , they may still be dis- •st^ tKWVVWt^^W^ Tunatis , pedurir parts of ultiplied ived the nd a dia- e largest e broad, ilour; in r tree and neath like ole is bro- s not take yellowish riie seeds the base , :nl , mem- if Septem- [1 the Syca- still be dis- tingui year's thebu other ted in Sugar der, a The fine g] nearly Amon requei direct! th^ii The Maple Sycam ropcfi pose t^ and si seasoi ted in I tuml iU k' MOMWAY MAPLE. 2^1 tinguiihed by their buds. On the Sycamore he last year's shoots are brger than on the Norway M lie , and the buds ore of a yellowish colour , while thOM of the other species are of a reddish complexion , and are uni- ted in groups of three. On the two species of American Sugar Maple, the shoots are still more tapering and slen- der , and the buds ore nearly black. The wood of the Norway Maple is very white and very fine grained : it is easily wrought , and is employed for nearly the same purposes with that of the Sycamore. Among cabinet-makers in Germany such trees are in request as present agreeable accidental variations in the direction of the fibre , similar to the Curled Maple and th^ird's Eye Maple. The rapid and beautiful vegetation of the Norway Maple in soils Inferior to such as are required by the Sycamore , causes it to be extensively planted in Eu- rope for the embellishment of gardens; for which pur- pose trees are preferred that develop their foliage early , and shed it late , and that afford through the intemperate season a refreshing shade ; all which advantages are uni-^ ted in the Norway Maple. .11 1^1 PLATE XLIV. fig. I , A leaf of half the tiatund size. A seed of the na- tural tiu. ^1 '■■^' -'f^'"' t TT I. u&miii&i U' .df}tp:-> •ei 3i ¥ ;'-,>■ it " ;iAi lO mn im *w i¥m ui >i> m i> M >t»ivii> m mm mmM immm^fmtmM»»m»»tt»M»»m0i IMMIMIMlMMIMiMIMMfMMMMy SYCAMORE TREE. Acm P8BVDO«>PLATA!nT8. K./olus qutmfoe lobis , inteqma- iiter dnUatU subtiu giaueeseetUibus : Jtotibus subspicaiti , ■ penduHs. Tuis beautiful tree is diffused oTer all the center oi Europe , and abounds especially in Qohemia , Hungary , and Poland. It tlirives most luxuriantly in moist and fertile soils, and when expanded to its full dimensions, it is 60 or 70 feet in hei|^t , and a or 3 feet in diameter. Its head in spacious, and its foliage thick. On old trees, the bark of the trunk is deeply fuiTQWcd ; on sucl^ as are less thaii6 inches in diameter , it is perfectly smooth. The leaves of the Sycamore are opposite with long peti- oles, large, and distinctly divided into five unequal lobes ; they are of a dark green above , and whitish underneath. In the. heat of midsummer , they are covered with a very sweet » viscid substance , which 10 gathered with a.vidity by bees. ThQ flpwers appear towards the end of April ; they are small, greenish r and g^uped into pen- dulous clusters from 3 to 4 inches in length. The seed is in capsules about an* ibch in length , united at the base, and terminated by a,membraneous wing. ,^ ^ When the Sycamore is fully grown , its wood is fine grained and susceptible of a brilliant polish. In those parts of Europe where it is most common , it is in vK •YCAMOmi TRKK. 34^ demanil with turn«rt for making-wooden ware. It is uied fur mailing yioling , and when its grain it undula- ted , fur urnanM'nling forte-pianos. By the interesting experimenU of M'. Ilartig , Grand Master of the forests of Prusi'ut , on the comparative value of different spe- cies of woodascomhustibles, the Sycamore was found to afford more heat than any other wood of the North of Europe. For severfll years past, sugar has been made from the Sycamore , in Bohemia and Hungary. Though the at- tempt has completely succeeded, it appears certain that the sugar is yielded in a smaller proportion than by the Sugar Maple. In France and England , the Sycamore is a rare tree in the forests , but it is multiplied in pleasure grounds , on account of its rapid growth, the early developement - of its foliage in the spring , and the iine shade which it affords through the summer. It has been observed in England that the foliage oC ibis,;,, tree is less injured than that oi others,by the saline ^)Ours walled Irom the sea ; hence it is chosen for .situations exposed to these winds. The justness of the observation I have never had an opportunity of examining. The Sycamore appears to me to possess no one su- perior jtroperly , which entitles it to preference in the United Slates, over the Sugar Maple and the Black Sugar Tree ; but individuals who wish to possess the spe- cies may , I doubt not , obtain seeds , by addressing 344 SYCAMORE TBEE. themselves to the politeness of Gol. Steevens , who has it at his delightful seat at Hoboken near New York. PLATE XLIV. FUga, A leaf of half the natural size. A seed of the no- turalsite. ttii "t< '!1S r J\ ril^Jd^i^^itfii?^ i;i ( ! V ■■- i- /.■«tl«. # **4^::"4-^- r*«4* .V.li, ■'» * . i<*v. ■»-.** Aloosi' Wood r.A^ I MOOSE WOOD. Acer striatum. A. foliis infeme rotundatis , supemk acuminaio-tricuspidibus , argute serratis : racemis sim-. pUcibus, pendentibus. In the Provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brun- swick , in the District of Maine , and in the States 6f Vermont and New Hampshire , this Maple is known only by the name of Moose Wood : in New Jersey and Pennsylvania it is called Striped Maple. This last denomination , which is preferable as being descriptive, I have thought proper to reject , be- cause it is in use only in a part of the United States whese the tree is rare , and is wholly unknown , in those parts in which it abounds. The name of Moose Wood was given it by the first settlers , from obser- ving that the Moose, an animal now become un- common in this region , subsisted , during the latter part of winter and the beginning of spring upon its young twigs. . • v This tree makes its first appearance near Lake St. John , in the latitude of about 47°> that is to say , a little farther north than the preceding species. In Nova Scotia and the District of Maine , where I have most particularly observed it , it fills the forests. In approach- ing the Hudson it becomes more rare, and beyond 4 MOOSE WOOD. . f*N^'*tf* '•f^ttf^f ffj^ ftt.. 346 this boundary , it is confined to the mountainous tracts of the AUeghanies , on which it is found , in cold and shaded exposures, along the whole range to its ter- mination in Georgia. In the District of Maine I have always found the Moose Wood most vigourous in mixt forests , or what are called Mixture lands ; where the woods are compo- sed of the Sugar Mai^e , the Beech , the White Birch, the Yellow Birch , and the Hemlock Spruce. In these fo- rests , it constitutes a great part of the under growth ; for its ordinary height is less than lo feet , though I have found individual trees, of more than twice this stature. nnin r , > . , The trunk and branches of the Moose Wood are clad in a smooth, green bark, longitudinally marked with black stripes, by which it is easily distinguishable, at all seasons of the year. This is one of the earliest trees of North America , whose vegetation announces the approach of the genial season. Its buds and leaves , when beginning to unfold , are rose coloured , and have a pleasing effect ; but this hue soon changes to green. On luxuriant trees , the leaves are of a pretty thick texture , and finely serrate. They are 4 or 5 inches broad , rounded at the base , and divided mto three deep and acute lobes, The flowers are of a greenish cast , and grouped on long , pendulous peduncles. The fruit, which in the main re- sembles that of the other Maples , is remarkable for a MOOSE WOOD. small cavity on one side of the capsules : it is produced in abundance , and is ripe about the end of September. The inferior size of the Moose Wood forbids its use in any kind of construction ; but as it is white and fine-grained , the cabinet-makers of Halifax , employ it instead of the Holly, which does not grow in so north- em a climate , for forming the white lines , with which they inlay Mahogany. Its principal advantage to the inhabitants consists in furnishing them , at the close of winter , when their forage is exhausted , a re- source for sustaining their cattle, till the advancing season has renewed the herbage. As soon as the buds begin to swell ; the famished horses and neat cattle are turned loose into the woods, to browse on the young shoots , which they consume with avidity. Poor as this resource may appear, it is not wholly inadequate, since the twigs are tender , and full of saccharine juice. A similar practice prevails , also , in the new settlements of the West. This species of Maple has been long cultivited in Eu- rope in parks and extensive gardens. It is in request , as one of the earliest trees to feel the approach of spring , but more particularly , on account of the plea- sing effect of the white veins , which variegate its trunk. In the primitive forests , where it grows beneath a can- opy of impervious shade , these veins are black : the change of colour seems owing to its being planted in drier soils , more open to the sun. Most of the treei> "■Si, ";t;j 248 MOOSE WOOD. of this species , which now grow in Europe , have been grafted on the lofty Sycamore , whose vigor is felt by the Moose Wood , and expands it to four times its na- tural dimensions. PLATE XLV. A hranch with fruit of the natural size. Fig. i , Bark of a tree in the forests of North America. Fig. 2 , Bark of a tree cultivated on dry and open ground. ■ ' 't ■ •. .:*:?( 1 . 1 » JV, ti^i 11 ./ .■ 1 * • . - ■ ■ y ■ r ' * ■1 a k: i^ovu .;>■- ve been felt by s its na- I, Bark \arkof a ,•»-!:(' ■ ftii^-' .nrr:^, • J'./O'-i '^:n;., '•fj v^l ■■;;: n*r?t TC'i:..; /f '.:; :ri JM- fu t>n«^ ''4 vllnr ** 'V%\\» jitn;-' ':''i' /'/.,i. /. .., y,/ Box Filder . A('4'r net/itfu/o , ^uiArii/i'iU. ^ l!«J-Mf»4il•■' ^ ■nil ij»J Ik the Country west of the Alleghanies , where this tree is common , it is called Box Elder ; east of the mountains it is more rare , and haying been less atten- tively observed , it has received no specific name. Some persons , however , distinguish it by that of Ash leaved Maple , which is a perfectly appropriate denomination : I have chosen the other, though absolutely insignificant of any characteristic property of the tree , because it is sanctioned by general use. The French of Illinois call it Erable a Gigui^res. The leaves of the Box Elder are opposite , "and are from 6 to i5 inches long , according to the vigour of the tree , and the moisture of the soil in which it grows. Each leaf is composed of two pair of leaflets with an odd one. The leaflets are petiolated , oval-acuminate , and sharply toothed : towards fall , the common petiole is of a deep red. The barren and fertile flowers are borne on different trees , and are supported by slender, pendulous peduncles , 6 or 7 inches in length. Of all the Maples of the United States , this species I. 3-2 »l*.^' ^ ^mfi. ■) It .* if aS©'- — '— .- .M lOX ELDER - ..«•.... ventures least into northern latitudes, for in the Atlantic States, it is first seen on the hanks of the Delaware, in the neigbourhood of Philadelphia , and even there it is rare. In the maritime parts of the Southern States, also ,it is far irom being a common tree ; whith is less attributable ^to the heat of the summer , than to the marshy nature of the soil on the borders of the rivers. West of the moun- tains , on the contrary , it is extremely multiplied , and instead of being coniined , as in the upper parts of Vir- ginia and of the Garolinas, to the river sides , it grows in the woods , with the Locust , Wild Cherry , and Coffee- Tree. But in the bottoms which skirt the rivers , where the soil is deep , fertile , constantly moist , and often inundated , this tree is most abundant , and most fully expanded. Even here, it can be considered only as a tree of secondary size : the largest Box Eluers that I have seen were not more than 5o feet in height , and 20 inches in diameter , and trees of these dimen- sions are found only in Tennesee and in the back parts of Georgia , which lie far to the south. In Kentucky they are of only half this height. Though growing in thick forests , the Box Elder expands into a head like that of the Apple tree. I have remarked this form , par- licularly , on the banks of the Ohio , where I have also observed that the trunk bulges into knots at une- qual ilistafKes, and is often decayed at the heart. A fine row of Box Elders in the botanical garden of Paris , along the Rue de Bu/fon , affords a sufficiently just ■^. OR ASH LKAVKD MAPLE. aSl idea of their appearance in the forests , on the Monon- ghahela and Ohio rivers. It may be concluded from what has been said , that to attain its full proportions , this tree requires a climate three or four degrees milder than that of Philadelphia , Pittsburgh , and Paris. The Box Elder branches at a small height. The bark of its trunk is brown , and I have remarked a disagreeable odour in the cellular integument. The proportion of the sap to the heart is large , except in very old trees : in these the heart is variegated with rose coloured and bluish veins. Some cabinet-makers in the Western Country , employ it to ornament furniturfef made of Mahogany or Wild Cherry Tree. The wood is of a fine and close grain, and is said to split with diftieulty : but as it soon decays when exposed to the air, it is little used. It has been erroneously asserted that sugai* is made from the sap of this species. More than 5o years since, the Box Elder was intro- duced into France by Admiral La Gallissoni^re. Subse- quently , it has spread into Germany and England, where it is in great request for adorning pleasure grounds , on account of the rapidity of its growth , and the beauty oi its foliage , whose bright green forms an agreeable contrast with the surrounding trees. Its young branches , of a lively green , contribute to the favour in which it is held , and serve to distinguish it in the winter , whea Us leaves are fallen. The utility of its wood, I believe it has, of late,. ^ Q # aSa BOX ELDER OR ASH LEAVED MAPLE. been exaggerated; both Europe and America possess many trees superior in strength as well as in size. It appears certain , however , that , growing in copses , and cut ' every three or four years, it would afford a protitable product in its sprouts , which are very niunerous , and ^ which , during the first years , shoot with astonishing rapidity. The success of this experiment will be more certain , if it is made on grounds unfailingly moist and cool ; though the Box Elder may seem , for a few years, to prosper in dry and meager soils, it sooner or later pines and perishes. Of this I became convinced in conver- sing with several proprietors, in the environs of Paris, who , afler some recent publications on this tree , had made an unsuccessful attempt to derive profit from their poor lands, by planting them with the Box Elder. PLATE XLVI. A branch ixfiih leaves and seeds of the natural size. y, .TTh \r Wti 'Itiliii-- "T. *T\ :I7K~.S- ."'I- «•' j*" ikii v^»i^ V*8f[ h irnibij I /feW^/ *}?!> ri^*»' *' = M^i # ^^H ssmany appears and cut >roiUable nu8 , and tonishing be more moist and ew years, laterpines in conver- 18 of Paris, tree , had >rofit from iox Elder. •<» f size. T\i .1.1 , r itiwa piht Mountain Maple . \iri- iih'iititiiiini . tiitrui Milf :^% ^^MiM»»ltHll»»lllt>M>NII**ti'**»Ml»***»M»/*imM>^ M I»^M^I>M>^\Ki^* ^ ^ MOUNTAIN MAPLE. ,t,« ,1 i.it-j*-*-t ■•-" Acer montamum. A. /oUls tri-mbqumquelohis, acunuha- tis , dentatts, rugosis i racemis spidfonnibus , suberectis , petaUs Unean'bus,"'^ ''" " This species is more abundant in Canada , Nova Sco' fia , and along the whole range oC the Alleghany Moun« tains than in any other pari of North America. It is called Mountain Maple and Low Maple. Tlioughthe last oi these names indicates the stature t)f the tree , I have retained the first, which is more generally in use , and which is likewise appropriate , as this Maple grows of preference on the declivities of mountains exposed to the north , and in cool , moist , and Kbady iilualions , on the abrupt and rocky banks of torrents and rivers. On the Mohawk, for instance , near the Utile falls , it abounds among the enormous rocks which lie scattered along its sides. The Mountain Maple is 6 or 8 feet in height , and it blooms even at a smaller elevation. It most frequently grows in the form of a slirub , with a single and straight slock. The leaves are large , opposite and divided into three acute and indented lobes ; they are slightly hairy at their unfolding , and when fully grown , they are uneven and of dark green upon the upper surface. The bloss6ms are small, of a greenish colour, and produced in semi-erect spikes from a to 4 inches in length. The seeds, which are smaller than llio»r of any other Amer ^54 MOUNTAIN MAPLZ. ican Maple, are fixed upon slender, penduloiilfootstalks : they are reddish at their maturity , and each of them is iarmbunted by a membraneous Hiring , and has a small cavity upon one side. The Mountain Maple is too small to be profitably cultivated for its wood , and as its flowers , its roots , and its bark are destitute of any very sensible odour, it promises no resources to medecine. It is found in the gardens of the curious , rather to complete the se- ries of species , than for any remarkable property of its foliage or of its flowers. This species is commonly grafted upon the Syca- more , and like the Moose Wood , it is thus augmented to twice its natural dimensions. This surprL!''vg devef- opement proves how great are the advant- ^ -hich may be derived from this process and from ^^/iiunued cultivation, in meliorating inferior vegetables. PLATE XLVII. A branch with the leaves and /lowers of their natural size Fig. I , A bunch of seeds of the natural size. rpr lem )l8. mr. in se- lf its P , f /^.U-yfi- rfV v/r/V...'.'/ on tb.5 rcns l)()(r\vo«)(l ^s. '■ •:: -III'.' DOGWOOD. Tetrandriainoiiogynia,LiRir. Caprifolia , Jon. CoBNUS FLORIDA. C. foKis ovolibus , acunwnotis , subtiis aibicantibus : fiorihus sessiliter capitatis ; involucro ma- ximo , foUoUs apice deformi quasi obcorduiis : fructibus ovatis, rubris. i . . ,1 ♦ ■ :. . n.-. ■-::-. .(.■ ',■. Among the eight species of Dogwood which have been observed in North America , this alone is entitled by its size to be classed with the forest trees. It is the most interesting , too , for the value of its wood , the properties of its bark , and the beauty of its flowers. In the United States at large , it is known by the name of Dogwood , and in Connecticut it is also called Box Wood. The Dogwood is lirst seen in Massachusetts between the 4^° And 43° of latitude , and in proceeding south- ward , it is met with uninterruptedly throughout the Eastern and Western Stales , and the two Floridas , to the banks of the Mississippi. Over this vast extent of Country , it is one of the most common trees , and it abounds particularly in New Jersey , Pennsylvania , Maryland , and Virginia , wherever the soil is moist , gravelly, and somewhat uneven ; farther south , in the Carolinas , Georgia , and the Floridas, it is found only on the borders of swamps , and never in the pine bar- rens , where the soil is too dry and sandy to sustain its ;..* 256 DOGWOOD. vegetation. In the most fertile districts of tCentucky and West Tennessee it does not appear in the forests except where the soil is gravelly , and of a middling quality. The Dogwood sometimes reaches 3o or 35 feet in height , and 1^ or lo inches in diameter ; but it does not generally exceed the height of i8 or 20 feet, andthediame< ter of4or 5 inches. The trunk is strong, and is covered with a blackish bark, chapped into many small portions, which are often in the shape of squares more or less exact. The branches are proportionally less numerous than on other trees , and are regularly disposed nearly in the form of crosses. The young twigs are observed to incline upwards in a semicircular direction. The leaves are opposite , about 3 inches in length , oval , of a dark green above , and whitish beneath : the upper surface is very distinctly 'sulcated. Towards the close of summer they are oflen marked with black spots , and at the approach of winter they change to a, dull red. ' . In New York and New Jersey the flowers are fully blown about the 10 or i5 of May , while the leaves are only beginning to uniold themselves. The flowers are small, yellowish , and collected in bunchelf which are surrounded with a very large involucre colnposed of 4 while floral leaves , sometimes inclining to violet. This line involucre constitutes all the beauty cf the flowers, pWhich are very numerous, and which , in their season, robe the tree in white , like a full blown Apple tree , DOGWOOD. 257 and render it one of the fairest ornaments of the Amer* ican forests. The seeds of a "vivid , glossy red , and of an oval shape , are always united. They remain upon the trees till the first frosts , when notwithstanding their bitter- ndb they are devoured by the Robin , Jhrdus mi'gra' tomif, which about this period arrives from the northern regions. The wood is hard , compact , heavy , and tine grain- ed, and is suceptibleof a brilliant polish.The sap isperlipct* ly white, and the heart is of a chocolate colour.This tree is not large enough for works which require pieces of con- siderable volume : it is used for the handles of light tools such as mallets , small vices , etc. In the country some farmers select itfor harrowteeth,forthehames of horses* collars , and also for lining the runners of sledges ; but to whatever purpose it is applied, being liable to split , it should never be wrought till it is perfectly seasoned. The shoots when 3 or 4 years old, are found proper for the light hoops of small , portable casks ; but the consumption in this way is inconsidera- ble. In the Middle States, the cogs of mill-wheels are made of Dogwood, and its divergent branches are taken for the yokes which are put upon the necks of swine, to prevent their breaking into cultivated enclosures. Such are the profitable uses of this tree ; it affords also excellent fuel , but it is too small to be brought into the markets of the cities. I. 33 %J» m 258 DOGWOOD. , The liber or interior barHof the Dogwood is extreme- ly bitter, and proves an excellent remedy in inter- mitting fevers. It has been known and successfully used by the country people, as a specific in these maladies, ipr more than 5o years. Its medicinal properties were made the subject of a thesis sustained in the College of Physic at Philadelphia, in i8o3 , in which was presen- ted an analysis of the bark of the Dogwood and of the Blue Berried Dogwood,compared with the Peruvian bark: by the experiments made on this occasion , the Dogwood bark was shown to have a close analogy to the Peruvian bark , and to be capable, in many cases, of supplying its place with success. The author of this excellent piece cites a Physician of Pennsylvania , who , during 20 years, had constantly employed it, and who estimated 35 grains of it to be equivalent to 3o grains oi the Peruvian bark. The only inconvenience accompanying its use was that , if taken within a year after being stript from the tree , it sometimes occasioned acute pains of the bowels : but this evil was remedied by adding to it 5 grains of Virginia Snake root, Aristolochia serpentaria. The same author gives a receipt for making an ex- cellent ink in which this bark is substituted for gall nuts : Put 1/2 an ounce of Dogwood bark, a scruples of sulphate of iron , and 2 scruples of gum arabic, into 16 ounces of rain water ; during the infusion shake it repeatedly. ? r^ ^' ' ' f ? * The Dogwood merits the attention, of Europeans , for # DOGWOOD. a59 the value oi its wood , and especially ior the brilliancy oi its flowers , by which it is better adapted than almost any other North American tree , to the embellishment of forests , parks , and extensive gardens. PLATE XLVIII. A branch with leaves and powers of the natural size. Fig. I , A branch with fruit of the natural size. Hi' 1^ .c. . ' ♦,■ '■ f ' > .1 -L:} • .-1 ' ' '*. -^ ■"■'■i ..r;*'*^^.. ji. :j.>;rs.,o % xk ' 1 1'ninmr i nriM i wvum i i i GEORGIA BARK, Pentradria monogynia. Linir. Bubiacc*. Jva«. -^' PiNCKNETA PiTBENS. P. foUis oppositis , ovoUbus, utrinque aciUis; subtomentosts. Obs' Floribus majusriilis , pallrntibus et purpureb-linea- ribus, fascirulaih-paniculatis. Capsulis subrotundU , modic^ compressis : seminibus numerosis « alatis. This tree, still more interesting by the properties of* its bark, than by the elegance of its flowers and oiits foliage , is indigenous to the most southern parts of the United States : probably its grows also in the two Floridas and in Lower Louisiana. My father found it for the first time in 1791 on the banks of the St. Mary. He carried seeds and young plants to Charleston], and plan- ted them in a garden which he possessed near that city. Though entrusted to an ungrateful soil, they succeeded so well, that in 1807 I found several of them a5 feet high and 7 or 8 inches in diameter; which proves that the vegetation of this tree does not require a very warm climate, nor a very substantial soil. With a great aflinity to the Cinchona which yields the Peruvian bark , my father discerned in the Georgia Bark suificient differences, to distinguish it as a new genus. In testimony of his gratitude and respect , he consecrated it to Charles Colesv\ orlh Pinckney , an en- « ii-AiL- f'AJm/f'M Pt/ir/c'iri/ii i'f//>r/h>- ■ ^ •' (.' .# some erties er oi cts to learly Bot- '0 /' . ' Re.v,4 ,U ii,'Hdi\i ■ ;i(>^, iffSW »»»»ll»W»W»WI» . .' Vi :j". hffft ,-f* ),,'. , >;'!'« t>"J;i ;■'(■ iii •?'nt*U'" }., ■ii:i.n< omM ■V(>. ,/5rj,l *n f/, . f i u H >* tf r '- v'm d v.t\Um^ .-i^^^tui'^tii * A^!_ I.'"* • Ui •iJ '*r1) ''i£,i :titilW::^i} :')'m}^ 'fitiV tt;m ii'iaiuu- .1. cUl t <.« >IUU Wt: -i fiJiJJSU •a>f?m'» rja i^Jini rH, ^Hki I'j €it' j;^i nSI^'m i#i qo;c| .5 * i -Di';:snift^^i^ •j^. T■> yfit !;« wiifc >^ lyKiii- :nom' *5:inr>t1 61 ^^H*/i • -t Pit p: i iftfiiHvnfi i>j.s/ :Ki7 r/j»rP'n' ^m ji-i/.-uit.-ii .. .o'^w *jj *;»'*/. r^.^j' .»-, -;♦■ 'uftirl' t -.-^ .» I .'i^r' 'jT IKIJ U 4J* .» • t^ THE xl-^ NORTH AMERICAN "i ^i:t;#i34 'iit>s SYLr^. Jl *^ a>»WMM<^HWM^M^M^W»M^^WW^WMM^MMWMrt^W^^M ■*. :i68 MAGNOLIAS. '^^ attains the height of So or 40 feet , and its flowers , which are nearly -6 incheMn diameter, dif&se a deli- cious odour. It has biften cultiTated during several cen- turies , and serves particularly for the embellishment of the Emperor of China's gardens. In Chinese poetry it ijgures as the symbol of candour and of beauty. , Of the eight remainkp species, which are natives of the New World , one belongs to the West Indies , and seven to the United States : others will perhaps be dis- covered in the Floridas and in the country west of the Mississippi. Two species from America have lately been exhibited as new ones , one of which , called Magnolia pyramidata , bears a close analogy in its foliage to the Magnolia auricidata , and the other , to the Magnolia cordata; but as no botanist has seen their flvwers and fruit , which furnish the only constant specific charac- ters, our opinion on this point must remain sus- pended. It should be remembered that nursery-men are interested in multiplying the species of such exotic ' vegetables as are esteemed for their beauty, ,1 * .,\ U\ f^"^ ' ;i,il m,rtt iM^^ iiU-rH 4*3 , -■.uv:./ :vdi >.; h^^^-^n;^> >. I ^H^' :.'. '.-.uii ■)(». i >wers, addi- >1 cen- lent of )etry it ives oT , and )e dis- of the ly been ^qgnoUa ! to the ers and charac- in su£- iry-meu 1 exotic ■K' ( f ,/■ jifjeiii, y/ 21,^ jji i tfi i ifKinifumtimmrnnT'v nrmii'n 'tiii i t"* i ! I; u v^wT*/ .., V , T^.BIG LAUREL. i» ,■ k I 4 Polyandria pollAinyi. LlRR. Magnolia. lou. Maomolia ORAtfDirLORA* M, foiUs pereimarUibus ^ ova-- Ubus, rigidi cmsa^tfue conaceis; pistilils lanatis, petalis dilatatO'WuUbm , ttbrupti in unguent angustatis, ! ..,«.,..» Of all the trees of North America, east of the- Missis ' sippi , the Big Laurel it the most rDaaaikable for the majesty of its form, the roagnificence of its foliage , and the beauty of its flowen. It is first seen in the lower part, of North. Carolina, near the river Nuse , in the latitude oC 35", 3i' ; proceeding from this point, it is iound in the maritime parts of the Southern States and of the Floridas , and as far up the Mississippi as Natchez, 3oo mHes above New Orleans; which em- braces an extent of 2,000 miles. * -r'^ y'**^* At Charleston, S.^C. , and in its vicinity, this tree is commonly called Large Magnolia ; but it is more generally known in the country by the name of Big Laurel : the French of Louisiana caWitiLaurier Tulipier. The Big Laurel claims a place among the largest trees of the United States. It sometimes, though rarely, reaches go feet in height , and 2 or 3 ieet in diameter ; but its ordinary stature is from 60 to 70 feet. Its trunk is commonly straight , and its summit: nearly in tho shape of a regular pyramid. Iti leaves are entire , oyal.^ ^\ ■?• IIO LAURBL. lomelimes accuminate and sometimes obtuse at the summit, 6 or 8 inches long, and borne bjr short pe. iiolii. They are ever-green, thick, coriaceous, and very brilliant on the upper surface. On trees which, for their beauty, have been left standing here and there in clear- ing the land , the foliage , upon being exposed to the •un, assumes a rusty, ferruginous colour beneath. A similar fact is observed with respect to trees growing on the skirts of the forests ; the foliage on the side which is open to th ^yip^ rusty , and on that which is veiled by the neighbSRw^BMt it is of an untarnished The flowers of the Big Laurel are white , of an agree- able odour, and 7 or 8 inches broad. They are larger than those of any other tree with which we are ac- quainted, and on detached trees they are commonly f cry numerous. Blooming in the midst of rich foliage , they produce so tine an effect , that those who have seen the tree on its native soil agree in considering it as one of the most beautiful productions of the vegetable kingdom. The fruit is a fleshy, oval cone, about 4 inches in length : it is composed of a great number of cells , which, at the age of maturity, open longitudinally, shewing two or three seeds of a vivid red. The seeds soon after quit the cells , and for some days remain sus- pended without , each by a white filament attached to the bottom of its cell. The red, pulpy substance , which BIO LAVltL. 371 furrouiub ibt ilon«, decays and leaves it naked. The stone contains a white « milliy kernel. In Carolina « this tree blooms in May, and its seeds are ripe about the beginning of October* The trunk of the Big Laurel is covered with a smooth, greyish bark , resembling that of the Beech. The wood is soft , and ranuirkable for its whiteness , which it pre- serves even alter it is seasoned. I have been informed that it is easily wrought and not Kable to warp , but that it is not durable when exposedyto ^e weather : for this reason Big Laurel boards are uiM only in joinery •in the interior of buildings. In irees from i5 to 18 inches in diameter, 1 discerned no mark of distinction between the sap and the heart of this wood, except a deep brown point , six or eight lines in diameter , in the centre of the trunk. The trees from which I drew this observation had been felled about three weeks , and I remarked that some of the chips , after a slight fermentation , had changed to a rose colour. I have taken notice of an analogous fact in the Poplar or Tulip Tree, which will be particularly mentioned in the des- cription of that tree. The Big Laurel grows only in cool and shady places, where the soil , composed of brown mould , is loose , deep and fertile. These tracts lie contiguous to the great swamps, which are found on the borders of the rivers and in the midst of the pine-banmst or form themselves a part of these swamps } but they are never seen in the *7* BIG LAVRECr long and narrovr marshes, called branch-swtanps ^ vrhich traverse the barrtns in every direction, and in ivhich the miry soil is shallow , with a ^|fd of white , quartieous sand beneath. In the situations mentioned above , it is gene^ rally accompanied by the Swamp Chesnut Oak, Spanish Oak, Beech, Wahoaand Devil Wood. I have uniformly remarked that wherever the Big Laurel grows it is ac- companied by the Umbrella Tree , but that the Umbrella Tree , which endures an intense degree of cold , is not always acconiDU^d by the Big Laurel. 'i The seeds o^ffi^i^Laurel become rancid less speed- ily than those of the Mirer species of Magnolia ; they may be kept several mobths before they are sown. This apecies also furnishes the greatest number of young stocks , which are as thriving as plants earefuUy raised in the nursery, and so numerous in the districts where the tree abounds , that several hundreds of them may be plucked up in an hour. - j---^> >...i '■ ^.^v • Insulated trees bear a proportionally greater number of blossoms and of cones than those which are enclosed in the forests : a single tree sometimes yields 3oo or 400 cones, each of which contains 4o or 5o seeds. ^ The Big Laurel is deservedly esteemed in Europe by the curious in foreign, vegetables. It is valued , not only for the magniticence of its foliage and of its flowers, but also for its insensibility to cold. It is hardier than the Orange Tree , and in America it grows five degrees iarther north : the Orange Tree does not multiply v*|t »,m^<^^ ' Bl-G LAUlBLt 975 in the American forests above the 98' of latitude. In Europe, the most northern point at which the Big Laurel passes the vdnteig|ttcurely in the open air is about Nantes, in the ktitilae of 4^'t ^^i but it begins to yield ripe fruit near Grenoble, in the latitude of 45°; 11'. In the garden of the late Mr. W. Hamtlton, near Philadelphia , I saw a Big Laurel which bore uninjured the rigorous climate of this part of Pennsylvania , which is much more severe than that of Paris and of London. From theseiacts it may be inferred that , with time and perseverance , this tree may be hfibitntted to a degree of cold far exceeding the tempeintore of its native skies; and that it will one day become '^i finest ornament of our parks and gardens. »f^ . PLATE LL I A leaf of the natural size. JFl'g. 1 , A flower of half the natural size. Fig. 2 , A cone of the natural nu^ I • ' ' ' ..,t., li% \\.l nt '>■" . i ti.' . , M'- if VMi fi r i ir ri Y r> -» v> - i f>fi- i fr i YY>- i V- i ' i 1^'> ' vrin-v i -- i V nviiv i vi* v ii - iv ifV « W)> n nmm ,_^ SMALL MAGNOLIA, WHITE BAY. MaoMOLIA OlAUCA. M. folus asqualiter ovalibus , velovdU- oblongis ; subtits glfuicis. This tree , though inferior in sise to the preceding species and less regularly formed , is interesting on account of its beautiful foliage and flowers. The Small Magnolia has lately been found near Gape Anne in Massachusets , in the latitude of 45*, 5o'. It is common in Lower Jersey , and becomes more so in proceeding towards the South. In the maritime parts of the Southern States , in the Floridas and in Lower Loui- siana , it is one of the most abundant among the trees which grow in wet grounds. It is not found far in the interior of the country, and in New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland , it disappears 3o or 4o miles north of the capitals of these States. In the Carolinas and in Georgia, it grows only within the limits which I have assigned to the phie-baireits. I do not remember tp have met with it in the back part of these States , nor in the country west of the mountains. In Philadelphia and New York, and in their vicinity, this tree is called Magnolia, which denomination has entirely superseded those of Swamp vel ovali- preceding Bsting on The Small Anne in \ common >roceeding ts of the wer Loui- g the trees I far in the nnsylvania »rth of the n Georgia, issigned to e met with le country Sew York, ilia , which of Swamp SMALL MAGNOLIA. ayS Sassafras and Beavei* Wood , which were in use among the Swedish settlers who first fixed themselves in the country. In the Southernfjitates it is generally called White Bay or Sweet Bay; In the lower parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania , and farther south , the Small Magnolia is seen only in the most miry swamps , which , during the greater part uf the year, are so wet as to be impassable. Here it is accompanied by the "White Cedar, and by the different species of Andromeda and of Whortleberry. In the Garolinas and in Georgia, it is^rareiy found in the large swamps which border the rivers ; but it grows abundantly, I may almost say ej;chisively, in the long and narrow marshes which traverse the pine-barrens , and of which the black and miry soil reposes upon abed of sterile sand : with the Loblolly Lay and Red Bay , it constitutes the mass of these woods. In the last men- tioned States the Small Magnolia sometimes rises to the height of 4o feet , vnih a diameter of 12 or 14 inches ; but it does not ordinarily exceed 30 or 5o feet. It is still smaller about New York and Philadelphia ^ where it' yields fruit at the height of 5 or 6 feet. ' ' "'* - The leaves are 5 or 6 inches long, petiolated , alter- nate ,• oblong - oval and entire. They are of a dark , shining green above , and glaucous underneath , thus presenting an agreeable contrast in the colour of the two surfaces. The leaves fall in the autumn, and re- appear early iu the spring. 1$' * • ' ' '\j$^^ 53 4 M:' ■i. m 376 SMALL MAGMOLlAv«;< The flowers, which are single and situated .at the extremity ol the branches , are j or 3 inches broad , white, and composed of s<|ireral concave, oval petals. Near Charleston , S. C. , the tree blossoms in May, and a month later in the neighbourhood ol Philadelphia and New York , where the women and children penetrate into the swamps and gather its sweet-scented flowers to sell them in the markets. , ,,. j...,^. , -. ., -, ., The fruit is small, green and conical, composed of a great number ot cellules , and varying in length from an inch to an inchan4a half When ripe , the seeds, which are of a scarlet colour , burst their cells , and remain some days suspended without, by white , lax, slender filaments. The seeds of the Small Magnolia very speedily become rancid. To preserve for a length of time their faculty of germinating, they must be placed as soon as they are gathered, and before the pulp which envelopes the stone is withered, in rotten wood c; in san' slightly moistened, vhere they are kept cool \\]\ .hey arc com- mitted to the ground . tais is the only mode c f C/btaining the tree from the seed. Although the Small Magnolia is .su abundant in Lower Louisiana, in the Garollnas and in Georgia , young plat-ts are very rarely met • vi h. The bark of this tr«e is smooth and greyish, audits rrii'jk is always crooked and divided into a great number of divaricating braiiches. Its wood, which is of a white colour and very light , is employed for no use. The name ^ -«. SMALL MAGNOLIA. 277 of Beaver Wood , formerly given to the Small Mag- nolia , proves that the Reaver OBce inhabited those parts of the Middle States to which this tree is indigenous, and that on account ofits soilness it was felled by these animals in preference to other trees, for the construc- tion of their dams and houses. The bark of the roots has an aromatic odour and a bitter taste. Some of the inhabitants di-ink an infusion of if in brandy, in rheu- matic affections , as a slight sudorific. In Lowier Jersey , the countr;- people steep the cones in rum or in whiskey, and this liquor, which is very bitter, is regarded by them as a preservative against autumnal fevers. • The SinatI Magnolia possesses the advantage of suc- cessfully resisting the rigorous winters of Fi*ance , Ger- many and England. In 181 1 , a great number ortrees of this species yielded ripe seeds in the environs of Paris. Of all indigenous and'exotic trees capable of endiirihg an equal degree of icold, there is none which rivals it in the beauty of its foliage and of its flowers. It is deservedly m great request among the amateurs of gardening , to whom its multiplication , for the embeirishment of their country residences, cannot be too warmly recom- mended. . PLATE LIL ^#> A hranrh ivifJi femes and a jloix^a of llic natural size. Fig. I , A cotte iX'/lh seeds of the tuiinral size. '■}. ■'■•■\ .Ja o.-fl> <»»W»<^»»M%»W W MW%M ^ ft»WWM^WWM ftWft <^ < W^MWW»»»»»»»w%^^ ^ ♦ ► ^' , " / '«^A CUCUMBER TREE. #' Magmolm acuminata. M. foUis ovaltbus, amminatis, subtits pitbescentibus ; Jloribus Jlcu'O-cceruiesccntibus In all parts of the United States where this tree is found, it is known only hy the name of Cucumber Tree. It is a beautiful vegetable, equal in hei^ijht and in diameter to the Big Laurel. Among the trees of this genus hitherto discovered in North America , these two species alone exhibit very large dimensions. The most northern point at which I have myself observed the Cucumber Tree , is on the Niagara river , near the cele- brated cataract of that name^ in the latitude of 43° ; and I believe it docs not exist fur beyond this limit. It abounds along the whole mountainous tract of the Alleghanics, to their termination in Georgia, over a distance of 900 miles. It is also common on the Cum- berland Mountains , which divide the State of Tennes- see. The situations peculiarly adapted to its growth ;ire the declivities of mountains, narrow vallics, and the banks of torrents , where the atmosphere is constantly moist , and where the soil is deep and fertile. At the distance of 40 or 5o miles from these mountains , either eastward or westward, the Cucumber Tree is met with only accidentally upon the steep banks of rivers ,, where • /y.;..; acnminatis , sccntibm this tree is Cucumber eight and in rees of this \ , these two . The most bserved the ear the cele- ; of 43» ; and lis limit. It Iract of the rgia , over a )n the Cum- : of Tennes- s growth :ire 05, and the is constantly irtiie. At the tains , either I is met with ivers , where 'W.M (M fia/'iiW ..•.■„,.■ Cuoiimhor Trco. MiJifno/ia avuniuutlti . #' G]UCt)MBBH TREE. 379 the atmoiphere is c:nnfttantly reireshed by the evapo- ration from their lurface. We may conclude then that this tree is a stranger to all the rcgioni north of the river Hudson, and to all the atlantic parts of the IJniled States, to the distance of 100 , i5o and aoo miles from the sea; the nature of the soil and the extreme heat of the climate in summer being utterly uncongenial to its growth. It is also rare in the parts of Kentucky and West Tennessee which are most remote from the mountains , where the face of the country is less uneven. ' - The leavei of the Cucumber Tree are 6 or 7 inches long , and 3 or 4 inches broad , upon old trees ; upon saplings growing in moist places they are sometimes twice as large, Their form is oval, entire, and very acuminate : they fall in the autumn and are renewed in the spring. fr ■ ; i^ ;, u The flowers, which are 5 or 6 inches in diameter, are bluish, and somclinies white with a tinct of yellow. They have a feeble odour , but as they are large and numerous, they have a fine effect in the midst of the superb foliage. The cones or fruit are about 3 inches long , 8 or 10 lines in diaineier, of nearly a cylindrical shape, and uflcn a little larger at the upper end than at the base. They are convex on one side and concave on the other, and when green they nearly resemble a young cucumber, whence the tree has derived its name. The celb are IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 125 >u Ki2 122 1.1 ■ 40 ym 2.0 11.25 Photographic Sciences Corporation •'^ \ <^ ^ C^ >!!S. ^V 23 WIST MAIN STiiiT WitSTH.N.Y. USSO (716) •72-4503 •%^ Sl8d ' CUCUMBER TRKlAf arranged as in- the other species of this genus^ and each of them contains one rose-coloured seed , which, before it escapes , remains suspended like those of the Great and Small Magnolias. Most of the inhabitants of the couiftry bordering on the Alleghanies gather the cones about midsummer, when they are half ripe , and steep them in whiskey : a glass or two of this liquor, which is extremely bitter, they habitually take in the morning , as a preservative against autumnal fevers. Its efficacy I do not deny, but it has not been made sufHciently evi- dent to induce any physician to attempt its verification. The Cucumber Tree sometimes exceeds 80 feet in height , and 3 or 4 feet iti diameter at the same number of feet from the ground. The trunk is perfectly straight, of an uniform size, and often destitute of branches for two thirds of its length. Tlte summit is ample and k(^- larly shaped , and the tree is one of the finest in the American forests. On old stocks the bark is greyish and deeply furrowed. The heart or perfect wood* is sofl , and of a yellowish brown colour , bearing, in this respect, some analogy to the Poplar or Tulip Ttee^ Like the poplar wood , it is fine grained and susceptible of a brilliant polish ; but it is less strong and Fess durable when exposed to the weather. Being a rare tree , it is only accidentally employed in the arts. Sawn into boards, it serves in joinery for the interior of wooden houses , and', for its size and lightness , it is selected for large canoes. As its wood possesses no properties which fit it for any deter- (PVCUMBER THEE. a8f minate use , the Cucumber Tree is esteemed only be- cause its foliage and flowers render it ornamental , and because, like the other trees of this genus, it blooms at an early age. Like the Small Magnolia, it passes unin- jured the rigorous winters -of England, Germany and the North of France , and flourishes and blooms in the open fields. The seeds, it is true, seldom ripen ; but when the trees become a little older , if proper atten- tion is bestowed upon selecting for them a shaded southern exposure , we may hope to see their fruit arrive at maturity. PLATE LIII. A leaf of the natural size. Fig. i , A flower of half the natural size. Fig. ^, A cone with seeds of the natural sue. f ■ ■> ■V:..;. ■ ■■V'^.\ '4 Jitiy? ilO^Ju W:- , '*!('»< • .4 .: ■ ' ■* *-f* • i: M £ iVfii'A , ■Vi \ViyJ. r ' i'r . ■:'< .. ■« » ■' i" m m il W i rtwww i vtKVnrwwttii'iiiv i wnn i iv" —"''""""i ivirnijjlpYinvr vwif i -w i m i wwmnYw i mmjt f '^wrr,-;r-T :'i nriT 7-u}irrrr--"> '■(' HEART-LEAVED CUCUMBER TREE. .• I ii; 9»lAONOLiA coKOKTki M, foliis eordatls, subitu'subtomen- jMin v;«»"Hi.K»ii *^''iosts ; flaribus flapis. juTvv species of Magnolia , wMch , in its general ap- pearance and in, the form of its fruit ,. very nearly re- sembles theipreceding, has been confounded with it by the inhabitants of the regions in which it grows ; hence it has received no distinguishing name., and , to supply the defect , I have given it ^^at pf Heart-leaved Gu- cumber Tree. The banks of the river Savannah in Upper Gieor^a, and those of the streams which traverse the back parts of South Carolina, are the places where my father and myself particularly observed this tree. The nearest point to the sea at which I have found it , is the plantation of Good-rest^ la miles from Augusta, where, in my last journey in the United States ^\ noticed it along the sides of Horn Creek. The Heart-leaved Cucumber Tree is 40 or 5o feet in height , and 13 or i5 inches in diameter. Its trunk is straight , and covered with a rough and deeply furrowed bark, very much'resembling that of the Sweet Gum and of the young White Oak. Its leaves , which are borne upon long petioles , are from 4 to 6 inches in length , from 3 to 5 inches wide , smooth and entire. The flowers, which appear in April, are yellow, with the Ik. '^" i mninfwwu^m^^ I'^W Wk mm .!»'■ W W L ' ^^SKm. fe-; • ^IF'' -^ CL^^^^^K i r I J,/. lloaiM Icavoii cucumber Tree. MiUfiio/ia rort/a/o . Gatritl •rfiff «-.-. BEAET-LSAVKD CUCVMBIH TRbB. s8S interior of the petal longitudinally marked with several reddish lines. These flowers , though somewhat smaller than those of the Cucumber Tree, are nearly 4 inches in diameter* The cones are about 3 inches long and 10 or i« lines in thickness , of a cylindrical form , and of a similar construction to those of the other Magnolias. The seeds also are similar in colour and arrangement. The wood of the Heart-leaved Cucumber Tree re- sembles, in every respect, that of the Cucumber Tree. From its softness and its readiness to decay , it is not employed for any determinate use. Besides, the tree, is rare even in Upper Georgia, being found , as has already been observed , only on the elevated banks of the rivers, and never making its appearance in forests composed of Oaks , Walnuts , etc. The beauty of its yellow flowers, which form an agreeable contrast virith its luxuriant foliage , and the advantage of resisting an intense degree of cold , are its only recommendations to amateurs : but in these respects it deserves , as weU as any other spedea of the genus, to figure in parks and gardens. ' . PLATE LIV. iiy>i 'A leaf of the natural me. Fig. i , A flower of half the natural size. tig. a , A cone with seeds of the natural size. i\.^^\\y- *-fcii S7 A 58A *'"—'■ ««■■»■■■««■■«■■■—■■■■««■« ■■« ■■■■« » * i iinv i> iYvv»Mw»»Mm 1 iiGm. U M B RE L L A T R E E. * ,_• ...^... Magnolia tripetm^a. M. fatus ampUoribus, ttbhnpSy subcuMoto-obovaiikis , caiice refieato, Kk»l!i»5S 5i;^ ^ On. Paula Mlito novem. ,":^r'"^ - The Umbrella Tree is tint leen in the northern part of the State of New York ; but it is more multiplied farther south , and in common on tiome of the islands ■in th<*. river Susquehannah , and still more so in the Southern and Western Stales. It is found in the luari- time parts oi the Garolinas and of Georgia, and 3oo miles Drom the sea , on that part of the Alleghanies which traverses these States. The forests which cover the banks , The Umhrolla Tree , like the following species of this genus, is remarkable for the largeness of its leaves and of its flowers. The dimensions of the tree are suclQlis i(f form a connecting link between the larger* shrubs, and trei;8 of the third order; forthouglvit sometimes .rises t<» the height of .3a or 35 feet ^. with a diameter of 5 or Ci inches , it rarely attains this size. Its. leaves , which ar^ thin, oval.,, entire and. acuminate at both extremities, are i8.or 20 inches long , and 7 or 8 inches broad; they are oillen disposed in rays at the extremity of vigorouf shoots, and: thus display. a surface of 3o inches, in. dia-r meter : whence is derived the name of Umbrella Tree« l.have almost uniformly remarked that the trunk grow^ in an inclined dire^tioa; the young and feeble stock being laden, before it is as large as the little linger, with ample foliage , is bent by the winds, even when gcowing in sheltered situations. , . .», . , The flowers are 7 or 8 inches in diameter »wHiite, composed of several oblong, concave petals, and situated at the extremity of the branches ; they are beautiful , though less regularly shaped and oi a. less agreeable odour than those of the other species of Magnolia. The conical fruit is 4 or 5 inches long , and about 2 inches in diameter ; it ripens in the beginning of Octo- ber, and is of a beautiful cose colour, with seeds of a 4t # •86 tMBKKLLA TBBI. ptla rtd. Wtll grown and perfectly formed cones contain 60 or 60 aaedi , which , aa they speedily become rancid , •hottid ba town immediately alter they are gathered. A grMt number tit young plants may in this way be iitlly obtained. By keeping the seeds in moss constantly moli^ they may be preserved for se?er«l months. The wood of the Umbrella Tree is soft , porous, and unfit for nie. The bark upon the trunk is grey, smooth end poMihed : if cut while green, it exhales a disagree* Ibleodoar. This MignoHa, which resists an extreme degree of cold , his long been cultivated in pleasure grounds in Franfce and England. It is remarkable among all the in- dlgenoui trees of Europe, for the size and form of its leifesand flowers. For many years it has yielded prolific •ecdt in this quarter of the world , so that it iiiiio longer aeeeifiry to go in quest of it to its native climate. '>/■')■' f>y# fiHy* , 4»nfv PLATE I4V, ^nj^iln'V 'jfqmii uti; ^ka/ ^ a fourth part of the ruttural size. Fig. i , Apetai of iht natumt dee. Fig. 2, A cone mtfysee^ of (hemdwtit^ t tiu. MMMMMMMMMMIMIMI LONG bus, infi bUtSf tm This sp the prece( size of its i is found c and has b result of B lariy confi] iwhidi trai nearly M( thatinthii north, in however rivers whi on one si other ilov p^entuc at "which 55 miles i found hei mountain I have no m LONG -LEAVED CUCUMBER TREE.' i'?/, . 4i -J, MAGKOLfA AVKicviATA. M. folos subr^omboideo-obopoK- bus, infeme angustatis, basi prof undo sinu quasi tmricu- bitist ihenUtranaceis utrinqui-pindibus. This species of Magnolia, equally remarkable with the preceding for the beauty of its foliage and for the size of its flowers, which are also of an agreeable odour, is found only in a small tract &jc retired in the country, and has hut lately become known to Botanists. As the result of my own researches , it appears to be particu- laily confined to that tract of the Alleghany Mountains wfaidi traverses the Southern States, at the distance of nearly 9»o miles from the sea. It should be remarked that in this part the chain is much broader than &rther north, in Virginia. The Long-leaved Cucumber Tree is however sometimes found on the steep banks of the livers which rise in fise lofty mountains , and which on one side roll their waters to the sea , and on the other flow to meet the Ohio , after traversing the States p^entucky and Tennessee. The point nearest the sea at which I have met with it is Two Sisters^ Ferry , about 55 miles from Savannah in Georgia : but it seems to be found here only by accident , for from this spot to the mountains, a distance of i5o miles, it is no more seen. I have no where found it as abundant «s on the steepest t a88 LONG-LJEAYEA CUCUMBER TREE. part of the lofty mountains of North Carolina, particu* laorly those which are called ht the inhabitaifiits Great Father;flountains , Black and Iron Mountains. It is de> signaled by the names o£ Long-leaved Cucumber Tree , a|)d of Indiaa Physic. 7he soil of these mountains « which is brown , deep, and of an. excellent quality,, is pecufiaiiy favourable to its growth , and it multiplies spontaneously with such facility^, that I could have col- lected a thousand young plants in a single day. The Black Oak, the Scarlet Oak , the Red Oak , the Chesnut, the Red Ash, the Buck*s Eye, the Cucumber Tree and the Sorrel Tree compose the remainder of the forests which shade these solitary retreats, where, in the finest days of summer , the atmosphere is charged with moist- ure by evaporation from the numberless torrents which tumble from the summits. ^ ^ The Long-leaved Cucumber Tree is much inferior in size to most of the Trees with which it grows , attaining only the height of 4o or 45 ieet , and the diameter of 12 or 1 5 inches. Its- trunk is sIMpht and well shaped , and often undivided for half its length ; its limbs, widely spread and sparingly ramified, give to the tree, when stript of its leaves , so peculiar an air , that, it i& rcj^ly distinguished. The leaves are of a light green colour, of a fine texture, 8 or 9 inches long, and from 4 to 6 inches broad ; on young and vigorous trees they are often one third or even one half larger^ They are smooth, on ^ •* -is^ LOMG-LEA\ED -CUCUMBER TREE. 389 both surfaces, acuminate at the summit, widest near the top and narrowest towards the hottom. The base is divided into rounded lobes, whence is dei#ed the specific name of AuricuieOa. .w , iii^rnju'it imv> u^uuuAi The flowers are 3 or 4 inches in diameter, of a fine white colour, of an agreeable odour, and situated at the extremity of the young shoots, which are of a purplish red dotted with white. '^ "^ '^« «H*trt*:.i ^f^ Kr«J "^flt The cones are oval, 5 or 4 inches long, and, like those of the Umbrella Tree , of a beautiful rose colour when ripe. They differ from those of the other species by a little inferiority of size , and by a small appendage which terminates the cells. Each cell contains one or two red seeds. ,-.,v.\i\u w\ "v^ Vr, ««. iW^wvX v> \> * Vv,.. t-.. The wood is soft, spongy,, very light, and unfit for use. Tbe^ark is grey , and always smooth even on the oldest trees. When the epidermis is removed, the cellular integument , by contact with the air, instantly changes from white to yellow.^he bark has an agreeable aro- matic odour , and an ]ra|[nsion of it in some spirituous liquor is employed as an excellent sudorific in rheumatic affections. The Long-leaved Cucumber Tree flourishes in the open fields in the neighbourhood of Paris and of London. It is becoming common in Europe in the gardens of amateurs of foreign vegetables , who justly prefer it to the Umbreli» Tree on account of its flowers, v\'hich , though smaller, have the advantage of an agreeable » % • Dtl ■# i' 'H 990 LOKO-LBAYID CUGUMBBE TBSK. perfume. This tree hardily siitUiinA the rigour of the winten of Philadelphia : several stOeJissent by my father Irom #( Mountains of North Caroliaa to Messrs. W. Bunilton and Bartram , who reside near that city , sue- ceed perfectly in the open garden , and have for several jears bloomed and yielded seed. The useful and agrees able productions which seem to have been confined by the hand of nature to a single district, are thus propa- ^ted firom one extremity of the globe to the other, and eerre, by the innocent pleasure attending thdr culti- vation, to solace the afflictions of humanity. PLATE LVL j4 lei^ of a fourth part of the natural sue. Ftg.x, A fUmeroftoPO thirds of the ruxtural size. Fig. a, -4 cone mth seeds qf the natun^ size, '"*-»" >;'*a^'» -•««^-^'^ '- " ' ■•i'iiif ft^#l^^^|^fil*•^i>i*^" m -M_ • -'■' T •„ , A>'0^f^i ^^vg^" ii»'"; s^f'toffiv^v,-.;. ■ ■^ '--'^ -:^^,{-^ir -'VTH0 f"' ■ •.,'>» ;-, ..i-.fl^^-slCt j ^ ^: LARGI Magmctua foIUs om bus, has rUms org Of the t on the O Umbrella ' leaves and the Ameri forests. Oi those of th to been coi ivhich they name of L ently chara ricana , as i it by the n Lijnbrella ' and someti Magnolia 2 specific uai to retain tli In the m by my fat] f J. Redoutr nir>iv*Ti****^*********'i*' > v**********n'***vir t vi r ^¥>in i v>^iv i vnnr>nvrtT^ LARGE-LEAVED UMBRELLA TREE. 7 MagnOUA macrophylla. M. ramis medullosis, fragilibus; folUs omnium amplissimis, oblonge subcuneato-obovaU' bits, basi smuatd, subaunculatis ^ subiits glaucis } Junior ribus argerUeis , densissimi holosenceis. Of the twelve species of Magnolia hitherto dicovered on the Old and New Continents, the Large-leaved Umbrella Tree is the most remarkable for the size of its leaves and of its flowers. It is also the least multiplied of the American species , and is rarely met with in the forests. On account of the resemblance of its leaves to those of the Umbrella Tree, the two species have hither- to been confounded by the inhabitants of the districts in which they grow : I have, therefore, given it the specific name of Large-leaved Umbrella Tree , which is suflicin ently characteristic. My father in his Flora Boreali-^me- ricana , as well as mtiny succeeding botanists , designates it by the name of Magnolia macrophylla , I.e a n«w species of Magnolia. The apot on which wc found litis magnificent vegetable is in North Carolina, 10 miles south of Lincolnton , and aSo miles from Charleston. Our extensive researches in cjuestof it in the upper part of the Southern Stales, and those subsequently made by several English botanists east of the AUeghanies, which were alike uiisuccesitful , stifliciently prove that it is extremely rare between the mountains and the sea. West of the range , in Tennessee , it is more common , but even here only a few trees are found together , at intervals of 40 or 5o miles ; as I had an opportunity of observing during my journey in the Western States in i8o3. The Large-leaved Umbrella Tree, like the Umbrella Tree , on which it » a constant atlendarnt , delights in cool situations sheltered from the wind , where the soil is deep and iertile. In its general appearance , and in the terminal arrangement of its leaves , it most nearly re- sembles the species just mentioned; in the conforma- tion of the inferior surface of the leaf, it is more like the Long-leaved Cucumber Tree. It iorms also a mean between these two species by its size, which does not exceed 35 feet in height , and 4 or 5 inches in diameter. The body of the tree is covered with a smooth and very white bark, by which in the winter, when stript of its leaves, it is readily distinguished from the Umbrella OG .IiA.n\GE? « ^" h^-^nw <\:iy Of all this genus , the Large-leaved Umbrella Tree is the species which bears the. largest leaves : some of them are 35 inches long, and 9 or lo inches broad. They are borne on petioles , short in comparison withthe. size, of the leaves, and are of an oblong-oval shape , pointed at the extremity, and cordifornL at the base : their colour is light green above | and.glaucous beneath: they iall in the autumn and.reappear early in the spring.' The flowers are white and. larger than those of any other species ot Magnolia, for when fully blown they are sometimes. 8 or 9 inches in diameter: they are composed of six petals, longer and broador than those of the Umbrella. Tree. Within the flower,, near the bottom of the. petals,' is a purple spot 7 or & lines ia diameter. The flowers diffuse a fragrant odour , and their beauty is heightened, by the luxuriant foliage which surrounds them. The cones are about 4 inches long-, nearly cylindrical, and of a vivid rose colour when arrived at maturity;. In the arriingement of the cells and of the seeds , they re- semble those of the Umbrella Tree and of the Long- Ifiaved Cucumber Tree : it should be remarked , how- ever, that they are destitute of the appendages visible en the fruit of the last mentioned species , especially M'hcn it is dry. 994 LABGI'LEAVBD VMRRBELA TKlt.' The seeds of the I^arge-leaved Umbrella Tree require, in order to preserve their power of germination , the jame attention with those bf the preceding species. The wood of this tree is softer and more porous than that of the Umbrella Tree , and is of no value in the arts : like many other plants, its only use is to adorn the garden, and to add another charm to the rural retreat. For this purpose only it is eagerly sought for in France and in England by the lovers of exotic trees , and with the more reason as it passes the winter uninjured in the climates of Paris and of Londmi: A tree of this species which I brought from America seven years ago, bloomed in i8i i in the gardens of the Empress Josephine at Malmaison. * ,ii:?i-- ;,i -.• i The Large-leaved Umbrella Tree might he grafted by approach or by inoculation on stocks of the Umbrella Tree , which is far more common : an experiment of this sort, made by my father in his garden near Ghar- lestoii , S. G. , was crowned with complete success./''' " .'ii,; ■ A leaf of a fifth part of the natural size. Fig. i , A pettdoj half the, natural me, '' . \, ''» uire, , the than ithe dorn rural or in , and iured fthis ago. )hine id by kella at of har- ^>A /'/ .>, II M IHI » WHI>II««IMHH GORDOKIi nitidis , conoidet The Lg limils wit maritime Fluridas, in the bn than the 1 which it i 5o or loo lower ths moist by rains. Th( Bay, and vegetable upon a bf is surprisi TheLo with a dii trunk is ] branches form; bi like thos< /' ,/ /-,',/,.///(. ,M Lohlollv Bav ('a6ru^ ^tuL' Jlf^ i»i\mmi>)im»m0mtNi*iit>0m m i)MM» mm m Mn m ' ' w w«iMi>[>«w»iiMiiM[[>i»»>«»wi»wiiM[»>iw(wiw)t>i LOBLOLLY BAY \T. Polyandria MoBogynia. Llfhh- MflTMa. Ztm, oi GoRDOMiA LASYANTRUs. G. foliis ghherrimis , subserratt's, nitidis f coriacets; Jloribus longi pedunculatis ; capsuld conoided, acuminatd. The Loblolly Bay is comprehended within the same limits with |he Long-leaved Pine , being confined to the maritime parts of the Southern States, to the two Fluridas, and to Lower Louisiana. It is very abundant in the branch swamps , and exists in greater proportion than the Red Bay , Swamp Bay and Black Gum , with which it is usually associated. In \\itpirte barrens^ tracts oi 5o or IOC acres are met with at intervals, which , being lower than the adjacent ground, are kept constantly moist by the waters collected in them after the great rains. These spots are entirely covered with the Loblolly Bay, and are called £a^ iSirayn/TS. Although the layer of vegetable mould is only 3 or 4 inches thick, and reposes upon a bed of barren sand, the vegetation of these trees is surprisingly luxuriant. ■: -."r-.-i^ t . r - . - , The Loblolly Bay grows to the height of 5o or 60 feet , with a diameter uf 18 or 20 inches. For a5 to 3o feet its' trunk is perfectly straight. The small divergency of its branches near the trunk gives it a regularly pyramidical form ; but as they ascend they spread more loosely , like those of other trees of the forestt i * < ,• h • LODLOLLT BAT. <*■• '*tf».J<**^t--,^^Jifw rf^.V. .V, - I/, The leaves are ever-green , from 3 to d inches long , alternate, oval-acnminafe, «lij^htly toothed, and smooth and shining on the upper'^surface. The flowers are more than an inch broad , white and sweet-scented ; they begin to appear about the middle of July and bloom in succession during 2 or 3 months. This tree possesses the agreeable singularity of bearing flowers. when it is only 3 or 4 fee bark may be taken off during three or four months. I can add little to this description of the Loblolly Bay ; the luxuriance of its vegetation, the beauty of its flowers, and the richness of its ever-green foliage place it among the Magnolias, and, with the other species , it contri- butes to the ornament of the forests in the southern part of the United States. It is less sensible to cold than the Big Laurel , and with some attention it may be brought through the winter in the climates of Paris and London. This opinion is corroborated by the fact that I have seen several of these trees growing in the Botanical Garden , founded by Dr. D. Hosack, near Newj York, where no other precaution was used than slightly covering them in the winter. PLATE LVIIL - A branch, with leaves and a flower of the natural size. Fig. I , A seed vessel. Fig. 2 , A seed. If # 5^9 fy^^y^^ »^^**»***ft»*»**ftiWft*ft**ft»**»*ftftiwwwft(»»lMWUa»**fti>*****ftAii*^i^i^i^ V FRANRLINIA. y t%ti GoRDONiA PUBESCENS. G. folus lanceolotis , subserratis J subpubescentibus; fionbus subsessilibus , capsuld sphcericd. This species of Gordonia appears to be restricted by nature within very narrow bounds, having hitherto been found only on the banks of the Altamaha in the State of Georgia. It was discovered therein 1770 by John Bartram, who gave it the name of Franklinia in honour of one of the most illustrious founders of American independence : a philosopher equally distinguished by his scientific ac- quirements and by his patriotic virtues. The Franklinia is much smaller than the preceding species, and rarely exceeds 3o feet in height and 6 or 8 inches in diameter. The bark of the trunk presents a smooth and angular surface , like that of the Hornbeam. The leaves are alternate , oblong , narrowed at the base and toothed : they are annually shed in the fall. The Franklinia blooms in Carolina about the begin- ning of July, and a month later near Philadelphia. The flowers are more than an inch in diameter, white and I of an agreeable odoar. Like those of the Loblolly Bay, they open in succession during two or three months , and begin to appear when the tree is only 5 or 4 feet high. - - The friiil is in llio form of round, ligneous cnpsules, PLoi, * i i/v>n i vni i vvmv ^^ mj^ vbserratis , sphcericd. tricted by lerto been le State of iBartram, ' of one of pendence : lentific ac- preceding and 6 or 8 presents a [ornbeam. t the base he begin- phia. The /xhite and lolly Bay, months , or 4 feet copsules, f.'.Xniiu/r ./r/ tr,lSl-v/ ^'Yfl/l Frnnklinia » • which , to releai Altho degrees to be fa trees of about 4 luxurian uninjurc of Pennf TheF England less kinc to be les easily be daily wl to the dc "I < 1 1 n ' • I •all hi .: ji. bra Fig. I, : seed, ,^.; FRAMKLINIA. ^99 which , when ripe , open at the summit in four seams , to release the small , angular seeds. Although the Franklinia is only found two or three degrees farther south than the Loblolly Bay, it appears to be far less sensible to cold ; for I have seen several trees of this species in the garden of J. and W. Bartram, about 4 miles from Philadelphia, whose growth was luxuriant , and which , during aS years , had remained uninjured by the severe winters which congeal this part of Pennsylvania. ' The Franklinia has long been cultivated in France and England; but though the cold is less intense, it growA^ less kindly at Paris than at Philadelphia. This tree seems to be less highly esteemed than it deserves : it might easily be naturalised , and its magnificent flowers , espe- cially when rendered double , would richly contribute to the decoration of our pleasure grounds. >* * ' fmsmn., > •-. ,'ri>/*uT; PLATE LIX.-'""* ifUtm^>^''Ji^\ , A. branch with letwies and a flower of the natural size: Fig. I, The ctm^ wftich. f papains the seeds. Fig. 2, A <5l Ittfttif :n tii; a i34y*xa; ait ^ Mftvitti (> i -»i i in'ivii"i' i V**"*Vl*^ ViW* '**linmnY i '* i riv»iM>->w)anmjim j PAPA W '^^' '"^' ^ '^■•" '»'>! f •y&-|i!l 'J • • - ■ '>i)ly>. >1R-*x|q rolyin*i«polirgtota. LlWB, »l{ ' iriieaa. J«w. '^. («)-; y)' Am UNA TRILOBA, y^. folus giabfiusculia ^ oblongkcuneato- obovedibus ; petalls eaeterionbut odwulatis v /mctibus maximis , crassms €*mwn»M Although the Papaw must frequently presents itself in the form of a shrub, it iometimet exhibits such di- nensioxis that it may be ranked among trees of the third order ; as it is «uflicienlly interesting in other res- pects to merit attention « I haire « therefore , thought proper to describe it, f^-. .'' ; ' ' - •: By the French of Upper Loubiana and nf the two Canada^, the ^m)iia /n/o6a it called ^jiMOi^er, and by the Americans , Papaw. I liave not observed it north of the Schuykill river , and it appears to be unknown , or extremely rare , in the low and maritime parts of the Southern States. It is dot uncommon in the bottoms which stretch along the rivers of the Middle States ; but it is most abundant in the rich vallies intersected by the western waters, where, al intervals, it forms thickets exclusively occupying several acres. In Kentucky and in the western part of Tennessee , it is sometimes seen also in forests v>c it at- ^ # //, (>',l /?,■,.■..„ ,/,./, t ' li Aniioiui /n/o/nt. Cii/iru>/ >ii'iiff< y { tMlM ihi yation. Thele nate , 5 g widei|in( fine text brilliant, peduncle When the begii an inch i an oval fc pulp is s yeral larg (he mark ren. At '. making fr ing this ( tainedof ( The tn Iwurk , wfa is spongy applicable ticed that ticularly 1 seous ode long respi " ~»r tmm tliehcigbl'of'Bo feet and* the dialnefer of 6 or S^ 'mchea^ thou^ it (^nerally stop* short of h«lf this ele* yation* .«4C«;i|/vV jttfV* hnii*'»'»*'<">J^ «ti'^«^'»UJR^ri The leaves are borne chi short petioles , and are alter- nate , 5 or 6 inches in length, and of aii elongated form , widening fron^ the base ,,tQ the summit. They are of a fine texture , and the superior surface is smopth and brilliant. The flowers » which are attached by short peduncles , are pendent and of a purple hue. When the- fruit is ripe y. which, takes place towards the beginning of August , it is about 3 inches long and an inch and a half thick , of a yellowish colour , and of an oval form , irregular and swelling into inequdlites. Its pulp is soft and of an insipid' taste, and it contains se- yeral large, triangular stones. It is never brought into the markets , and is sought in the woods only by child- ren. At Pittsburgh some persons have succeeded in- making from it a spirituous Uquor ; but , notwithstand- ing this experiment , very feeble hopes can be enter- tained of cultivating the tree with profit for this purpose. The trunk of the Papaw is covered with a silver-grey Mrk , which is smooth and even polished. The wood is spongy, extremely soft , destitute of strength, and applicable to no use in the mechanical arts. I have no- ticed that the cellular integument of the bark, and par> ticularly that of the roots , exhales in summer a nau- seous odour , so strong as to occasion sickness if it is long respired in confined air. m #^ ** jp"'. Ji^ '•% w ^- doa PAPAW. This tree has bloomed in Europe for many years; bat it rarely fnictiiies, and is principaUy esteemed lor the beauty of its flowers and of its foliage. • • i m n.r !u;fol t>:ilc;|(iol.vM» PLATE L3L '. j4 branch mih leaves and flowers ||f! the natural sue: Fig. I, fhuii of the naiural size and colour. Ftg. a. A stone soHtnUed from the pulp, ^.h-iiiftof n&U] 't'iihii (h'td^ , oqh «« iiiri't JMSI^ "♦»«! /? f)fw ^aol M&j£ti L iaada ?i Si , hi/jjiiA Jo viiiomy nl if!; . ^' ' ' MlL^ m . ' • . fnifc iltw. i-I |i Mf -iju, Uvifl ,3|ifi»i lAt lo *nHniM§'^fi»i tbIoJh') yHt tijuU h^f-; "x •fiii b'»»s^<»» ifi b*>ut|'';j> ;^< ■?l* **' M: r'lr •i'^ ♦ »^.' ■t Zt% ...... . i tl . Us,','. POPLAR, OR TULIP TREE ■uU Ltriodindaum t jlipifira. L. folUs trilobis; lobo medio iruncato; calice tript^Uo. I (.ri t 'T rti I I »!'' This tree, which suirpasses most others of North America in height and in the beauty of its foliage and of its flowers, is also one of the most interesting from the numerous and useful applications oi its wood. Wher- ever it abounds , and throughout the greater part of the United States, it is called Poplar. In Connecticut , New York, and New Jersey, it is known by the name ot fyfute fVood and of Canoe Wood^ and more rarely, by that of Tulip Tree. This last denomination , which , since the introduction of the tree, has been adopted in Europe, is certainly the most proper, because the flower nearly resembles the tulip , and because the tree bears in none of its characters any analogy to the Pop- lars , which are in every respect inferior to it. But the name of Poplar has become so generally sanctioned by use in the United States , that I have not felt at liberty to change it, and have only annexed the other as a syno- nyme , with a feeble hope of its ultimately prevailing. > The southern extremity of Lake Cham plain, in latitude 45% may be 'considered as the northern limit , and the Connecticut river, in the longitude of 72% as the east- ern limit of the Tulip Tree. It is only beyond the Hud- i j«' M: # 5o4 PaPLAR, OH TtJLlP TBIE. ' """ — • son , which flows two degrees iarther west , and below the 43* of latitude, that it is frequently met with and I. fully developed. Its expansion is not here repressed , as in Vermont and in the upp^r part of Connecticut , by the excessive cold, and by a mountainous surface unfa- j, vourable to its growth. It is multiplied in the Middle States , in the upper parts of the Giirblihas and oi Georgia, atnd still tnore abundantly in ihe western country , piairticularly in K^titucky. Its comparative rareness in the maritime parts of the Garolinas and of Georgia, in the Floridas and ki /Lower Ldtiisiana, is owing less to the beat of the^ilmmer than to the nature of the soil, which in some parts is too dry , as in the pine-barrens , atid in others too wet, as in the swamps which border Ihe rivers. Even in the Middle and West- em States, the Tulip Trbe is less abundant than the v% Oaiks, the Walnuts, the Ashes and the Beedhes, because ' it delights only in deep, loamy, and extremely fertile soils, such as are found in the rich bottoms that \h along the rivers, and on the borders of the great swamps that are enclosed in the forests. . ^ In the Atlantic States, especially' aV a 'c6risT^rab1& distance front the sea. Tulip Trees are of^en seen 70, 80, and 100 feet in height, with a dianieter from i8t inches to 3 feet. But the Western States apjpear to be the natural soil of this maghifldent tree, and here it displays its most powerful vegetation. It is commonly found mingled.with other trees, such as the Hickories, POPLAR, OR TULIP TREE. 3o5 the Black Walnut and Butternut , tlie Coffee Tree and the Wild Cherry Tree : but k sometimes constitutes alone pretty large trsicts of the forest, as my father ob* sei*ved ip Keqtiif^ky , on the road from Beard Stone to Louisville. In, no ojther part of the United States did he lind Tulip Trees so lolly , and of so great a diameter. He obs.(>; *r.*i!,'.j..» i-ii-i The bark , till the trunk exceeds 7 or 8 inches in diam- eter, is smooth and even : it afterwards begins to crack, and the depth of the furrow and the thickness of the bark are proportioned to the size and to the age of the tree. *»-..:«.-^fVt -t-iri.Vl .lyAbt'f viij'f .fi'xiliiitiiiJ 'V,' liir.J The heart or perfect wood of the Tulip Tree is yellow, approaching to a lemon colour, and its sap or alburnum is white. Though this tree is classed as a light wood, it is much heavier than the Poplars ; its grain is equally fine and more compact , and the wood is easily wrought and polishes well. It is found strong and stiff* enough * for uses that require great solidity. The heart , when separated from the sap and perfectly seasoned, long resists the influence of the air , and is said to be rarely attacked by worms. Its greatest defect , when employed in wide boards and exposed to the weather , is that it is liable to shrink and warp by the alternations of dryness and moisture ; but this defect is in a great mea- 40 I 5o8 FOPI.AR, OH TV1.IF TREE. «nre compeiMated by its other properties. Ihe natore of the soil has so striking an influence upon the colour and upon the quality of the Tulip wood, that the mechanics who employ it have made the remark, and have distin> guished it by the names of White Poplar and Yellow Poplar. The external appearances which mark these va- rieties are so equivocal , that it can be ascertained to which a tree belongs only by cutting it. It is known in general that the White Poplar grows in dry , gravelly, and elevated places ; it is recognised too by its branchy summit , and by the small proportion which the light yellow heart bears to the sap. The grain also is coarser and harder, and the wood decays more speedily; hence it is always neglected when the other variety can be obtained. The Yellow Poplar possesses every quality requisite to fit it for so great a variety of uses, that I shall content myself with mentioning the most common. At New York and Philadelphia, and in the adjacent country, the Poplar is often employed, in the constraction of houses , for rafters and for the joists of the upper stories , for which purposes it is esteiemed on account of its lightness and strength. In the other Mid- dle States, in the upper parts of the G|r6litias , and above all in the Western States , it is im>re geuerally used in building , and is considered as the best substi- tute for the Pine, the Red Cedar and the Cypress. Wherever it abounds it serves for the interior work of houses, and sometimes for the exterior covering , as I POP£An, OR TULIP TR£i. ^og[ observed in several smaU towns situated between Laurel Hill and the Monongahela river. It is not easy in this negion to procure pine boards, which otherwise would be preferred , as they do not, like those of Poplar , warp- when expofed to the weather. The pannels of doors and of wainscots, and the mouldings of chimneys-pieces ave made of Popltir. In- the States of Ohio and Kentucky , on the banks oi the Miami river., and in the upper part of North. Carolina, Poplar shingles about i.t inches long are preferred for covering roofs , because they are the most durable, and because they are not liable to split by the effect either of intense frost or of ardent sun- In all the Iftrge towns of the United States; Tulip Tree or Poplar boards, which are ofVen a or 3 feet wide, are exclusively used for the pannels of coaches and chaises. When, perfectly dry , they receive paint well , and admit of abrilliani polish; The vicinity of Boston does not pro- duce this tree , and the coach-makers procure it from New York and Philadelphia : it is also sent for the same use to Charleston, S. C. , where the Tulip Trees are few in number and. inferior in size. The seat of Windsor chairs , which, are fabricated at New York , Philadelphia and Baltimore , and in many other towns , is always of Poplar : a larger quantity of the wood than would be supposed is consumed in this way, and also in the manufacture of trunks which are covered virith skins ^ fl % * SlO POPLAR, OR TULIP TREE. and of bed-steads which are itained in imiution of mahogany. I hj»ve remarked that the circular board and the wings of fanning-millf are of this wood ; as it is easily wrought in the lathe , and it very light , it is much used for wooden bowb ; it is also preferred Ju^the head of hair brooms or sweeping brushes. The farmers choose it for the eating and drinking troughs of cattle : these troughs are lormed ot'a single piece, and exposed to the weather they last as long as those made of Ghesnut and of Butternut. In Kentucky I have seen the Tulip Tree em- ployed for the rails of rural fence ; but I must confess my inattention in not learning their duration. It is lound useful also in the construction of wooden bridges , as it unites lightness with strength nd durability. I have been assured that the heart of the Poplar might be profitably employed for the fellies of large mitl*wheels; The Indians who inhabited the Middle States , and those who still remain in the western country, prefeired this tree lor their canoes, which , consisting of a single trunk, are very light and strong, and sometimes carry twenty persons. In fine , the Poplar ailbrds excellent charcoal , which is employed by smiths in districts that furnish no fossile coad. In the lumber^arda of New York , Phila- delphia and Baltimore , a great quantity of this wood is found in forms convenient for the uses which I have enumerated. It is very cheap , being sold at half the price of Black Walnut , Wild Cherry and Curled Maple. # PO»LAB, OE TVLIP THII. Sll, In all the country watered by the river Monongahela , between the 39* and 4o* of latitude , the Tulip Tree is to abundant, that large raits, composed wholly of these logs , are made to float down its stream. At Brownsville they are ayiminto boards, which are used in the environs ; and even1M>ittsburgh , in the construction of houses; and which are sold at 10 dollars for 1,000 feet. I ob- served that the mean diameter of the logs was from la to 1 5 inches ; that of the largest was from ao to a4 inches , and that of the smallest 9 or 10 inches : their two extremities were of a dark blue colour. I have also remarked that when a Poplar is felled , the chips of the heart which are left upon the ground , particularly those which are half buried in the leaves , suffer at the end of three or four weeks a remarkable change; the lower part becomes of a deep blue , and they exhale a fetid , ammoniacal odour. ?f-*M ./ ^if The live part or cellular integument of the bark which covers the trunk of the Tulip Tree , the bark of the branches , and still more that of the roots , has an agreeable smell and a very bitter taste. In Yir^nia, some inhabitants of the country steep the bark of these roots, with an equal portion of Dogwood bark, in brandy during eight days : two glasses ofthis tincture, taken every day , sometimes cure intermittent fevers. Poplar bark, reduced to powder and given in substance to horses , appears to be a pretty certain remedy for worms. :!-.i'm,.»t'' 'vfU li*hlh' ♦' 5C2 roPLJill, OR VULIP TBSE. , ..The American Mufeiii;i. fan December, 179a , con* tains circumitantial details coneerningthe valuable pro<^ pecties.as^mbed to thjt, bark by Dr.. Young oC Philadel- phia,. J thall recall what he haa written on this subject , thoogb these, properties, have siaca been dra^^y other physicians > in. the United .States „ and thoogHne use oi this back is not generol in the couDt.ry, and is unknown in the capitals , where the iacalty are most enlightened. in Dr» Young's opinion^ the most proper time.to gather the Poplar bark for medical.use is the month of Janu- ary.; He. asserts that it is more bitter, than the Peruvian barki^ ;thpugh less astringent * pnd thatit possesses some properties io. common wit^••■■, ifi .hid#f^'? i?'.ii«iljiBi-tVf!"'5 *• rt'.' ! >■»■'.-. 'i.,\ ..t^jui'M ^)tu> imi^ iiHi JJ--;: ^:;'- -lafolsoli ;. ...1 II- iV '/•'■' n,.f.'Ht7, Oi» \l'l1'/f \' / iiiiiii/iun/utr shfiot'illim 3fS. fUkA^Wk%%VUUi iW^U^hAhA <<»W%WWI<»%»V»vv»w»VVV»V»»v«%v»»>»»v»v»»>v»»» % SWEET GUM. V ). ,r '. 'it. Mon«cia PolyMdriu. Lmir, Amentiei*. Juu. LlQUiDABM|R STYRACIFLVA. L. foius pcJmatis , iobis aCU" minaiis^ dentatis j axillis nervorum villosis. No tree has hitherto been found in North Amerkit so extensively diiTused as the Sweet Gum. On the sea- shore it is lirst seen , towards the north-cast, between Portsmouth and Boston , in the latitude of 43' 3o', and it is found as far as Old Mexico, towards the south-west : from the coast of Virginia it extends westward to the Illinois river, thus spreading over more than two thirds of the ancient territory of the United States , together with the two Floridas , Upper and Lower Louisiana , and a great part of New Spain. ,.',.. In the United States this tree is universally called Sweet Gum, and by the French of Louisiana, Copalm. In the Middle , Western and Southern States , the Sweet Gum is suihciently multiplied to be numbered among the most common trees : it is met with wherever the soil is fertile, cool and exposed to temporary inunda- tions, and is usually seen in company with the Maple, the Tupelo, the Swamp While Oak, the Shagbark Hickory and the Butternut. In the South , it grows also in the great Swamps which border the rivers , and here , owing doubtless to the mildness of the winter and to 4t # Ip. 3l6 SWEET GUM. the intense heat of the summer , it disidlbrs its amplest dimensions. The largest Sweet Gum that I have observed was in a swamp , 4 or 5 miles from Augusta in Georgia : at 5 feet from the ground it was i5 feet 7 inches in cir- cumference; it ramified at the height of ^-S^E. 18 feet , and its summit was spacious in proportion to the thick- ness of its trunk. The soil in which it grew was rich and constantly moist , and abounded particularly in the Chesnut White Oak, Willow Oak, Wahoo , Black Gum , Red Maple , Red Ash , and Black Ash. From the form oi a single tree it is not to be concluded that the Sweet Gum generally branches at so small an elevation. When confined amidst other trees , its trunk, like that of the Oak , the Elm and the Poplar , is per- fectly straight and of an uniform size to the height of 3o or 40 feet , at which it begins to divide itself into branches : in these situations it is usually from i to 3 feet in diameter. As the Sweet Gum is profusely multi- plied, it is ofien found on soils unpropitious to its growth. On dry and gravelly land its height does not exceed i5, ao and 3o feet, and its secondary branches are covered with a dry and flaky bark , of which the plates are attached by the edge, instead of the face as on other trees. •. / The Sweet Gum is garnished with fine foliage , which changes to a dull red with the first autumnal frosts , and falls soon after. The shoots upon which the young leaves appear in the spring arc smooth and of a yellow- SWEET GUM. • # r. The leaves vary in sfze from 3 to 6 inches , according to the vigour of the tree and to the- situation of the leaf, being larger and less deeply pal- mated on the lower branches : they are alternate , petio- lated , anc|pdivided into five principal lobes : in this last particular they bear some resemblance to the leaves oi the Sugar Maple and of the Norway Maple , from which they differ in having the lobes deeper and more regul- arly shaped , and in being finely denticulated at the edge. It should be remarked also, that , at the birth oi the leaves , the back part of the principal rib is sur- rounded by a small tuft of red down. In warm weather a viscous substance exudes from the leaves of such of these trees as grow upon dry grounds ; when bruised , they exhale a sensible , aromatic odour. The barren and fertile flowers are borne by different branches of the same tree. The fertile flowers are not conspicuous , and the barren ones are iii oval aments an inch and a half in length. The fruit is globular and brist- ling with points : when arrived at maturity , it is about an inch and a half in diameter , aadis suspended by a flexible pedicle , i or a inches long : the globes , which are green at first and afterwards yellow , are composed of a great number of closely connected capsules. At the beginning of autumn these capsules open and give liberty to the seeds , which are small , blackish , oblong , com- pressed and surmounted by a wing. Each capsule con- tains one or two seeds united with a great number of 3l8 m SWEET GUM. minute bodies incapable of germinati|R resembling oaken sawdust. The trunk of the full grown tree is covered with a deeply furrowed bark , not unlike that of several species of Oak. Sweet Gums are found of the san^ size and on the same soil, some of which have a large propor- tion of sap and only 5 or 6 inches oi heart , while others |P>nsist principally of perfect wood , with only a thin layer of sap. The heart is reddish , and when sawn into boards it is observed to be transversely marked at con- siderable distances with blackish belts. This wood is very compact and fine grained , and is susceptible of a bright polish. Though inferior in strength to the Oak , it suf- iices for many purposes which require great toughness and solidity. At Philadelphia , when perfectly seasoned and stript of the sap , it is used in building in the inte- rior of houses, and especially for the joists of the upper stories : when employed with these precautions , it lasts longer than any species of Red Oak. As it furnishes boards of 3 or 3 feet in width , it is sometimes sawn very thin , and employed by cabinet makers to line the in- side of certain articles of mahogany furniture : its light- ness , the fineness of its grain , and its reddish complex- ion , render it peculiarly proper for this purpose. In the country , furniture was formerly made of the Sweet Gum , which , when preserved with care , was not destitute of beauty , though inferior to the Black Walnut i/ind the Wild Cherry wood , which are B- SWEET GUM, 3l9 harder, and lJpv,T ''<'i t I ded ied. and liar nze. /'/.as. /f.JJivd'ii/f' ^•W.l lillltDM \\o»u) (Kthrlf/ , /'/. l,,U)ll,\' III, I, /i'tifii/i>> 31L >W»W>WIIWP»WWvith deciduous leaves , none in the tem- perate zones , either on the Old or the New Continent , equals the dimensions of the planes. The species which grows in the Western World is not less remarkable for its amplitude and for i^^ magnificent appearance than the Plane of A$ia , whose majestic form and extraor- dinary size were so muoh celebra^ted by the ancients. In the Atlantic States this tree is commonly known by the name of Buttonwood , and sometimes , in Virgi- nia, by that of Water Bftph' On the banks of the Ohio, and in the States of Kentucky and Tennessee , it is most frequently called Sycamore , and by some persons Plane Tree. The French of Canada and of Upper Louisiana give it the name of Cotton Tree. The iirst of these deno- minations appears to be the most widely diffused , and not to be entirely unknown in those districts where the others are habitually employed ; for this reason I have adopted it , though a less appropriate appellation than tl^ of Plan° Tree. According to my dwn observations, the Buttonwood does not venture , towards the north-east , beyond Port- I X <* 5ai BUTTONWOOD, OH SYCAMORE. land , in the latitude of 40" 3o'; but farther west, in the 730 oi longitude, it iit iound two degrees farther north , at the extremity of Lake Ghamplain and at Montreal. I have not observed it myself, in this direction, beyond Onion river in Vermont , and I have never seen it in the District of Maine , nor in Nova Scotia. The trees of this species which exist at Halifax have been planted for ornament , and, though they are 40 feet in height , they do not display the same vigour as in a more southern latitude , where the winter is less rigorous. Proceeding from Boston and the shores of Lake Ghamplain towards the west and the south-west , the Buttonwood is con- tinually met with over a vast tract, comprising the At- lantic and Western States , and extending beyond the Mississippi. "i The nature of the Buttonwood confines it to moist and cool grounds, where tibtfsoil is loose, deep and fertile : the luxuriance of its vegetation depends upon the union of these circumstances. It is never iound upon dry lands of an irregular surface among the White and Red Oaks and the Walnuts : it is also more rare in all the mountainous tract of the AUeghanics than in the flat country. It is remarked in that part of Vir- ginia which lies upon the road from Baltimore to Peters- biirgh, that, though the Buttonwood is multiplied in the swamps, its growth is stinted, and that it does not in general exceed 8 or 10 inchw in diameter. Farther south, in the lower parts of the CaroUnas and of Georgia, / 3u3 ^ BUTTONWOOD, OR SYCAMORE. it is not aburdant even on the sides of the rivers , and is not seen in the branch-si»amps already mentioned , which intersect the pine-barrens , and which are princi- pally covered with the Small Magnolia , the Red Bay, the Loblolly Bay, the Red Maple, etc. The cause of the Buttonword's not being found in these small marshes is, perhaps, that the layer of vegetable mould , which is black and always miry , is not sufficiently thick and sub- stantial to support its growth , and that the heat , in this part of the Southern States, is long continued and excessive. The Buttonwood is in no part of North Ame- rica more abundant and more vigorour «han along the great rivers of Pennsylvania and of Virginia ; vl:' ugh, in the more fertile vallies of the West , its vegetatioii 5?= perhaps still more luxuriant , especially on the banks of the Ohio and of the rivers which empty into it, viz. the Great Muskingum, the Great Kenhaway , the Great Scioto , the Kentucky , the Wabash , etc. The bottoiQS which are watered by these rivers are covered with dark forests , composed of trees of an extraordinary size. The soil is very deep, loose, of a brown colour, and unctuous to the touch : it appears to have been formed by the slime deposited in the course of ages, at the an- nual overflowing of the rivers. The leaves, which every autumn form a thick layer upon the surface , and the old trees that fall by the weight of years and crumble into vegetable mould J^^ive to this soil, already so fer- tile , a degree of fecundity which is without example in 4a 1^1 BUTTON WOOD, OR SYCAMOBi:. £urope , and which is manifested by prodigies of vege- tation. The margin of the great rivers of the West is occu- pied by the Willow, after which comes the While Maple, and next the Buttonwood : but this arrangement is not uniformly observed , and the Maple alone, or, as it more frequently happens , mingled with the Button- wood , sometimes grows upon the brink. Among the trees which compose these ibrests , these three species are least liable to injury from the continued presence of water , and by their position they are exposed to have their bases every year inundated by the swelling of the rivers. In these situations, the Buttonwood is constantly found to be the loftiest and largest tree of the United States. Often , with a trunk of several feet in diameter , it begins to ramify at the height of 60 or 70 feet , near the summit of the other trees; and often the base <%ides itself into several trunks equally vigorous and superior in diameter to all the surrounding trees. On a little island in the Oliio^ 16 miles above the mouth of the Muskingum, my father measured a Button- wood which , at 5 feet from the ground , was 4o feet and 4 inches in circumference , and consequently more than 1 3 feet in diameter. Twenty years before. General Washington had measured the same tree , and found it to be of nearly the same size. ^ In 1803 , in a journey thronghTOe Western Slates , I found on the right bank of the Ohio, 56 miles from k aUTTONWOOD, OR SYCAMORE. 5*35 Marietta , a Butlonwood whose base was swollen in an extraordinary manner : my travelling companion and '. myself measured it , and at 4 feet from the ground we found it to be 47 feet in circumference. This tree , which still exhibited the appearance of vigorous vegetation, ramified at 20 feet from the ground. A Buttonwood ot equal size is mentioned as existing in Genesee. The as^ tonishing dimensions of these trees recall the famous Plane Tree of Lycia spoken of by Pliny , whose trunk , hollowed by time, afforded a retreat for the night to the Roman Consul Licinius Mntianus , with eighteen persons of his retinue. The interior of this grotto was 75 feet in circumference , and the summit of the tree resembled a small forest. The most striking resemblance, in the majesty of their form and in the enormous size of their trunk, thus ap- pears to exist between the only two species of Plane that have hitherto been discovered. The AmerioHi species is generally thought , in Europe , to possess a ficher foliage, and to afford a deeper shade than the Asiatic Plane : its leaves are of a beautiful green, alter*- nate , from 5 to 10 inches broad, less deeply lobed , and formed with more open angles than those of the Plane of the Eastern Continent. In the spring , the lower sur- face of these leaves is covered with a thick down , which disappears towards summer. In certain districts where this tree is very abundant , its vicinity is a source of alarm to the inhabitants : they believe that the fine down from 9a6 BIJTTONWUOl), OR SYCAMORE. iU Itfnveii, Homing in the air, produces an irritation of I lie lungs and a disposition to consumption. This appre- h(*ngion I consider as a popular error; for the slightest K(!pliyr suflices to waft to a distance , and to disperse in liiu airy waste this light and impalpable substance. The icxes are separate on the Bultonwood , but the male and female flowers are attached to the same ped- uncle, instead of being placed on diflerent branches. Th«! flowers are in the form of small balls : the fertile ones grow to the diameter of an inch, and are supported by peduncles a or 3 inches long. These balls fall in the C'oume of the winter and autumn, and, parting asunder, the seeds which compose them are scattered in the vind, by means of the plumy tull by which they are iurmounted. . — The trunk and branches of the Buttonwood are cover- fid wilh a smooth , pale green bark , of which the epider- OMi detaches itself every year in portions : a sufliciently obvious character is thus afibrdcd, by which to distin- guish the tree when bared of its le.ives. The roots when laken from the earth are of a beautiful red colour; but ihey loose this tint upon being split and exposed to the light in a dry place. The concentrical layers and the me- ^lullnry rays are also observed to be much more distinct In the roots than in the body of the tree. In clearing It^w lands it is sometimes diilicult to eradicate the But- tonwood : the stumps, during a long time, give birth to fr«»h shoots, but, when once dead, they speedily decay. ■tt. BUTTOlfWOOD, on SYCAMORE. 5a7 The Buttoiiwood, in seasoning, becomes of a dull red : its grain is fine and close , and it is susceptible of a brighter polish than the wood of the Beech, to which it bears some resemblance. Its concentrical circles are divided into numerous sections , by fme medullary rays extending from the centre to the circumference. When the trunk is sawn in a direction parallel to these rays, they appear larger than when it is cut parallel to the concentrical circles. It should >?em then that the division should be made in an intjrme Jiate direction, so that the spots may be of a proper i;ize and at equal distances , which gives an elegant surface to the wood. Cabinet-makers, at Philadelphia, rarely make use uf the Buttonwood : they attribute to it the defect of ea ily warping, which docs not belong to the Wild Cherry and to the Black Walnut. As these species of wood are also harder and of a more durable polish , the Buttonwood is little used except for bedsteads, which retain the colour of the wood and are coated with varnish. The Buttonwood speedily decays when exposed to the atmosphere , hence it is proper only for work that is sheltered from the weather ; when thoroi. ■■'?') seasoned, it may be usefully employed in the interior of houses for joists, and for sheathing the franu:. It never enters into the construction of vessels. '1 lie French of Illinois and of Post Vincennes, on the river Wabash, some- times fashion it into canoes, one of which , made a few f SaS BUTTONWOOD, OR SYCAMOllE. years since on this river , of a single Buttonwood , was 65 feet long , and carried 9,000 pounds. It is diflicult to mark the difference between the two species of Plane in the colour and organisation of their wood. If the excellencies which were ascribed by the ancients to the wood oi the Plane are not recognised in that of the Buttonwood , ik is perhaps owing to the great variety of timber proper icM' building, which is furnished by the soil of the United States, and to the superiority, in cabinet-making , of mahogany, which is obtained with facility from the West Indies. The Asiatic and American Planes have been many years cultivated in Europe : the rapid growth and ma- jestic appearance of these trees render them proper for adorning extensive parks and gardens, and for forming the avenues leading to large towns. In the United States, where the atmosphere is more humid than in Europe, they would perfectly fulfil this destination in all situa- tions where the soil is not too dry. Their rich and shady foliage is free from the inconvenience of being devoured by caterpillars, which in North America, still more than in Europe , infest the Elm and the Cherry Tree. . PLATE LXIII. yl leaf of a third of the natural size. Fig. i , Flowers. Fig. a , Fruit at maturity. Fig. 3, A seeJ» # H 04\ Imirir/ I m BlGKONl panicii pureis In the in the fc Augusta those of degrees ( and abot empty ir of West arly abui charges Catalpa Unas anc near the that hav shoot wi In th feet in h is easily and but Sf^. CATALPA. ¥^ Sidynamia Angiospermia. Linh. Bignouiae. Jo8>> BiGi^ONiA CATALPA. B. folus simplicibus ^ teniis, cordatis; paniculd laxissimd; Jloribus diandris , intiis maculis pur- pureis ct lutets aspersis; capsuld gracili, longd, tereti. -J ft In the Atlantic States , the Catalpa begins to be found in the forests on the banks of the river Savannah ^ near Augusta in Georgia , and west of the AUeghanies , on those of the Cumberland , between the 35th and 36th degrees of latituc'e. Farther south it is more common , and abounds near the borders of all the rivers which empty into the Mississippi , or which water the province of West Florida. I have been assured that it is particul- arly abundant on the Escambia or Gonechu, which dis- charges itself at Pensacola. It is remarkable that the Catalpa should not exist in the lower part of the Caro- linas and of Georgia , and in East Florida , which lie so near the country of its natural growth, and where stocks that have been planted for ornament about the houses shoot with extraordinary vigour. In these southern regions it frequently exceeds 5o feet in height , with a diameter from 1 8 to 24 inches. It is easily recognized by its bark , which is of a silver-grey and but slightly furrowed, by its ample leaves, and by t S3o CAT\LPA. - its wide spreading summit, disproporlioned in size to the diameter of its trunk. It difiers from other trees also by the fewness of its branches. The leaves are heart-shaped , petiolated , often 6 or 7 inches in width , glabrous above and downy beneath , particularly on the principal ribs ; they are late in ven- turing out in the spring , and are among the first to shrink at the approach of autumn. The flowers, which are collected in large bunches at the extremity of the branches , are white , with violet and yellow spots , and are beautiful and showy. The capsules are cylindrical and pendent, of a brown colour when ripe, 3 or 4 lines in diameter and 12 or 1 5 inches in length. The seeds are thin, flat, and enveloped in a long, narrow , membraneous wing terminated by a hairy tuft. Each seed, with its wing, is about an inch long, and a line and a half broad. That the Catalpa is a tree of rapid growth is proved by the distance oi the annual concentrical circles. Its wood is of a greyish white colour,, oi a fine texture, very light, and very brilliant when polished. It resembles ♦ the Butternut wood , with this exception , that the But- ternut wood is of a reddish hue , and is less durable when exposed to the weather. Posts of the Catalpa per- fectly seasoned have been recently proved to be very lasting, by e::periments made in the United States. Such is the information which I have been able to col- lect concerning the wood of this tree : I have never t >)«' 'CAT ALP A. '■ . 'JJ^ Tisited the thinly inhabited riegions in which it abounds. '•■^"JtHMj inm-mmim rji iv vsaeaa sariatf^; In the spring , if a bit of the cellular integument of the Catalpa bark is removed, a venomous and offensive odour is exhaled. In a thesis supported at the Medical College of Philadelphia, this bark is maintained to be tonick, stimulant, and more powerfully antiseptic than the Peruvian bark : but this thesis appears to be unde- serving of the same confidence with the treatise, already^ mentioned, concerning the Dogwood, in which the au- thor affords proofs of sound and various information. I have been assured that the honey coi^jcted from the flowers of this tree is poisonous, and that its effects, though less alarming , are analogous to those of the honey of the Yellow Jasmine , Geselminum nitidum. In the Garolinas and in Georgia the Catalpa is called Catawbaw Tree , after the name of an Indian tribe that formerly inhabited a large part of these Stales, and from whose territory the tree was probably first pro- cured : the name of Catalpa, adopted in the Middle Section of the United States and in Europe , is perhaps a corruption of this original. The French of Upper Louisiana call it Bois Shavanon , from the Shavanon or Shawanee nation which once existed in West Tennessee, on the borders of the river of this name, called by the English the Cumberland. The Catalpa has long been cultivated with success in Europe , though in the climate of Paris its young shoots sometimes suffer by the late 43 m. 33a CATALPA4 frosts. Its rapid growth, the remarkable size of its leaves, and the beauty of its numerous bunches of flowers entitle the Gatalpa to a distinguished place among orna- mental trees ; but it has ceased to be rare , and is less highly esteemed than while it was less common. I, , PLATE LXIV. A leaf and a bunch of flowers of the natural size. Fig. t, A vod. Fig. 2f A seed. ■■.yv\ h'Mi V'".:^v-,: ;m i: -i , , '• -■» :•■■■ '^ -* **!-■*» >!'>n:t ;:-j<.( -'X ,i M -;?■- i i^S v^i ' f • - I • ■ • • r . < *:■ 4' t ires, 'ers na- less I'ltil /ttwa rff*/. m vaiiii AuL' 355. a»»»»»»W»»> % »»ll»»»»»»»«W»WWW>«W*W*MMlW»WWV t I i' . CRAB APPLE. leoMndria pentagyniA. Limi. ROMCK. Jdu. Malus coromaria. Mi folUs latt>alibm , basi rotunde^i tis, sub-angulatis y serratis, nitidk glabris ; pedujtculis coiymbosis ; fructuparso , adoraiQ. » -. ;!»• • A species of Wild Apple Tree is fbund in- North America, whose nature has not yet been modified by cultivation. The WiM Apple Tree of Europe , in a long series of years , has yielded a great number of species and varieties of fruit , which, in France alone, amount to nearly three hundred. Except the District of Maine , the State of Vermont, and th& upper- part of New Hampshire, the Crab Apple is found, on both sides of the mountains , throughout the United States : but it appears to be most multiplied in the Middle States, and especially in the back parts of Pennsylvania and of Yir* ginia. It abounds, above all, in the Glades, which is the name given to a tract i5 or i8 miles wide, on the sum- mit of the Alloghanies> along the road from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh. "•'.'' " • The ordinary height of the Crab Apple Tree is i5 or i8 feet , with a diameter of 5 or 6 inches ; but it is some- times found a5 or 3o feet high , and 12 or i5 inches in diameter. The two stocks which. I found by measure- 354 ^^^^ apple; ment to be of this size , stood in a field which had long been under cultivation , and this circumstance may have contributed to their extraordinary growth. They were insulated trees that in appearance exactly resembled the (Climmon Apple Tree. I have universally remarked that the Crab Apple grows most favourably in cool and moist places , and on fertile soiIs« The leaves of this tree are otil, smooth on the upper surface , and , when fully developed , very distinctly toothed : 9ome of tbem are imperfectly three-lobed. While young they have a bitter and slightly aromatick tast^ «p|rhi^h leads me to believe that , with the addition of sugar, they would make an agreeable tea. like the common Apple Tree , this species blooms vefy early in the spring. Its flowers are white mingled with rose colour, and are collected in corymbs ; they produce a beautiful effect, and diffuse a delicious odour, by which, in the Glades where the tree is abundant , the air is per- fumed to a great distance. The apples , which are sus< pended by short peduncles » are small, green , intensely acid , and very odoriferous. Some farmers make cider of them , which is said to be excellent : they make very fine sweet-meats s^o , by the addition of a large quan- tity of sugar. ^-'* "So attempts have been made in the United States to improve the fruit of the Crab Apple Tree , nor any ex- periments of uniting it , by grafting , with the species imported from Europe. These species succeed so per- t-^ •" **%. CBAB APPLi; 55S fectly, and furnish such excellent new varieties, that much time would be spent upon the Crab Apple, with- out bringing it to as high a state of improvement. Per* haps it might be cultivated with advantage for cider ; but , aside from its utility in this way , it must be ri^^ garded only as a tree highly agreeable for the beauty ol its flow€r» and for the sweetness of its perfume. PLATE LXV. j4 branch with leaves and fruit of the natural site. Fig. i , A bunch of flowers. \i .*:.}, .' "'"•'lI 'i. : '. '■ ' ■' ' ■•■' ; 1 ' ' ■' > ; ; ; 11 •lit <: • : •«.'l' ; ; , ' •. / i'j 'ju\ ■.'(♦{■I ; Ml- M : ., ; li? .r J''i It-' l! '. . , ' • 1 .,;>,»• ".' Li •-.ifllb h = i ='i /;,.!,;..: -•ilT -' .>',..' ; ^. • ■ ,- ...,i; 1 ill' . .■ . r , , '.. - ,, , ^-^^r-t; , ,. ' '• - ■ ,'■ ,.'1(11 M ' ■^ sal tHlWW(<^iM^%<»%<»»Ml|i<»»ft»»M>WV^M>»WWl^^»^*MWr»»»^W»\^»W»»<»W%W»»V»»WW»»^^ «W^«WV Mf%< * ■, ^1 ../I JUNE BERRY. it ... * .lij- i teoiindria penUgynia. LiDfft Roiaca. JuMp MllPlirs ARBOREA. M. foUis sub-ovolthus , serratis ; adul' tia glnbrls; racemo simpiici, elongato; Jlorifero lanuioso; petalU oblongis ; Jructibus atropurpurels, edulibus. Mtiftilut eamidemu. A. Mich. Ftor, Bor, Am. With the exception of the niarilime parts of th« Cni'oUtias and of Georgia , this tree is spread over the ivholf* extent of the United States and of Canada ; but it ii moKt multiphcd upon the Alleghany mountains , and upon the elevated banks of the rivers which flow from them. In the Northern Section of tfie Union it is called Wild Pear Tree , and in the Middle States , June Herry ; which latter name I have adopted because it is univerAnlly employed in the regions where the tree is niOHt abundant, because it indicates that in maturing its fruit it is among the earliest trees, and because the Mes- pilu» urhorea is remote from all resemblance to the Wild Pear Tree. In the vicinity of New York and Philadelphia, the ilmie Berry appears to grow of preference in moist and idiudy situations, and along the margin of brooks and rivulets. In the Western Country, it is found in the midst of the forest among the Oaks , the Walimts , the _jii*i ji*'.''i lift OtiSrtr/ ^iiif M f Maples which of lOOI Thel and alt they ar disappe; fectly sr oval shi ated. Th are dis] branche succeed agreeabl tree rare beginnii shrub. 1 delphia , also seer Pittsburi The t rescmbli pure wl heart an bright , together of vegeti Birch. 'r- > JUNE berry; 35^ Maples>, etc. Here also it reaches its greatest height ; which does not exceed 35 or4o feet, with a diameter of loor la inches. ^ - )r ., . ..> .. t..... The leaves of the June Beri'y are 2 or 3 inches long , and alternately arranged. When beginning to open; they are covered with a thick, silvery i!own, which disappears with their growth, and leaves them per^ fectly smooth on both sides. They are of a lengthened oval shape, of a delicate texture , and finely denticul- ated. The flowers, which are white and pretty large ; are disposed in long panicles at the summit of the branches ; they blow in the beginning of April , and are succeeded by small fruit of a purplish colour and of an agreeable , sweet taste. This fruit , of which the largest tree rarely yields more than half a pound , is ripe in the beginning of June , before that of any other tree or shrub. It is sometimes brought to the m-irket of Phila- delphia , where it is bought only by children : I have also seen small quantities of it exposed in the market of Pittsburgh. The trunk of the June Berry is covered with a bark resembling that of the Cherry Tree. Its wood is of a . pure white, and exhibits no difference between the heart and the sap ; it is longitudinally traversed by small, bright , red Vessels , which intersect ea-:h other and run together. This peculiarity , which deserves the attention of vegetable physiologists , is also observable in the Red Birch. 9f .•' Q 558 JUNE BERRT. The fruit of this tret; is , in my opinion , too small and too scanty to reward the pains of meliorating the taste and of increasing the volume by long continued cultivation ; but its early and beautiful flowers entitle it 4o notice as an ornamental vegetable. PLATE LXVI, r ^rV.>J #* 'til-tit^ |*4".^.,. A branch , with leaves and fruit of ike natural size. Fig. I, Flowers of the natural size. ■ r, < . > 1 : 1 ' ■> ■ « « . . > • r •* # *' 9 mall 5 the lued tie it ^^ size. hiv^rj Jf/- r-jhi- Dwarf Kosc Bay t J{/iO(/oe/eni/rum nuia-unuin liti, SSij. A%«\i%i\«WMM'V\MA« '» '■> DWARF ROSE BAY. Uecondrla monogynia. Linsr. •l I * , ! ' RoMcese. Jnsa. Rhododemdrum maximum. R. airborescens; foliis subcu- neato-oblongis , ahrupik-acuminatis , crassis coriaceis , glabrts; ctdicibus laciniis , ovalibus, obiusis; coroUd sub" campanulatd. ^ ' The Dwarf Rose Ray generally presents itself in the form of a shrub, of less than lo feet in height ; but as it sometimes rises to the height of 20 or 25 feet , with a diameter of 4 or 5 inches , its diffusion thronghout a large part of the United States , and the remarkable beauty of its flowers have induced me to describe it. > The west end of Long Island , and the river Hudson below the Highlands, maybe considered as the limit, far beyond which the Dwarf Red Ray ceases to be found in the forests. It is abundant , on the contrary , in the Middle States , and in the upper parts , particularly in the mountainous tracts, of the Southern Section. It is almost exclusively seen on the borders of creeks and rivers, and is observed to be more multiplied in ap- proaching the AUeghanies , till , in the midst of these ranges , especially in Virginia , it becomes so abundant on the sides of the torrents, as to form impenetrable thickets , in which the bear finds a secure retreat from the pursuit of the dogs and of the hunters. II. 44 S4o DWAHf nOSE BAY. Deeply shaded situations, in the \icinity of cool and crystal waters flowing among rocks , where the atmos- phere is laden with vapour , are the most congenial to the Dwarf Rose Bay and to the Mountain Laurel. Shade and humidity seem ti be indispensible to the Dwari Rose Bay, for it floarishei among the White Cedars in the gloomy swamps of Lower Jersey, where the surface of the miry soil is carpeted with moss constantly sur- charged with moisture. When the leaves of the Dwarf Hose Bay are begin- ning to unfold themselves they are rose-coloured , and are covered with red down ; when fully expanded they are smooth, 5 or 6 inches long, of an elongated oval form , and of a thick , coriaceous texture. They are ever-green , and are partially renewed once in 3 or 4 years. • •» ^ ■• . • '■ .-■-.,.-.--. i ' x,- The flowers are commonly rose coloured, with yellow dots on the inside, and sometimes they are perfectly white. They are always collected at the extremity of the branches in beautiful groups, which derive additional lustre from the foliage which surrounds them. The seeds are extremely minute , and are contained in capsules that open in the fail , for their escape. The wood of the Dwarf Rose Bay is hard , compact and fine graiind ; i> it it is inferior in these respects to that of the Mountain Laurel. I do not know that it is appropriated \v any use. This shrub has long existed in Europe ; but as it re- DWARF ROSE BAY. S5jl quiresi a cooler and more shady exposure, and more assiduous culture than the Rhododendmm pottticum , which is a native of the Alps and of the Pyrennees , it !»■ less extensively multiplied. The Dwarf Rose Bay with white flowers is only a variety of the species I have been describing. ■\ •'■''\ PLATE LXVII. A branch, with leaves and flowers of the natural site. Fig. I , A seed vessel. Hg. 2 , Seeds. .>-:, 11,1 A^^f^^M^M^^MMMMMMMUM^MWWliM MOUNTAIN LAUREL. Secandrii monepyniiii Liirif. Rosaces. Juts. Kalmia LATiroiilA. K. nrhorescens ; folils peUolatis ovali- bttSf corincefMf gfaftns; cotyrnbls terminalibus , viscidb- puberuh's. The Mountain Liiirfil is a Lirge shrub , which , if its height alone is i'on»idercrl , appears, like the preceding species, to be excluded from the class of vegetables which I have asHumcd the province of describing more particularly than has been done by preceding authors ; but the uses which are beginning to be made of its wood entitle it to our notice. It bears indifferently the names of Mountain Laurel, laurel , Ivy, and Calico Tree. The west end of Long island, and the vicinity of Poughkeepsie , which lies on the river Hudson , between the /ja" and 45' of latitude, may be considered as nearly the northern limit of the Mountain I^aurel. I have never seen it on the shores of Lake Champlain , nor on the banks of the river Mohawk , where , in situations otherwise congenial, its growth is probably forbidden by the severity of the winter. It abounds in New Jersey, and covers Weehock Hill, nearly opposite to the city of 7 ofi Mountain Lam el Ka/mia laU folia . &ahi\'l •t.-tUf ^ / #x ^^ A^ ^ MOUNTAIN LAUREL. 345 New York. It grows also near the Schuylkill, in the immediate neighbourhood oi Philadelphia. Proceeding thence towards the south-west , it is found along the sieep banks of all the rivers which rise in the Alle- ghany mountains ; but it is observed to become lesa common in following these streams from their source; towards the Ohio and Mississippi on one side, and towards the Ocean on the other. It is rare in Kentucky and in West Tennessee , and in the Southern States it disappears entirely when the rivers enter the low coun- try , where the ^//i^-Aarre/w commence. Allhough the Mountain Laurel abounds along the rivers of the Middle and Southern States, it is propor- tionally less common than upon the Alleghany Moun- tains, from Pennsylvania to the termination of the chain in Georgia. I have no where seen it more profusely multiplied, nor of a greater height and more luxuriant vegetation , than in North Carolina , on the loOiest part of the AUeghanies. It occupies tracts of more than loo acres, and forms upon the summit, and for a third of the distance down the sides, thickets 18 or ao feet in height, which are rendered nearly impenetrable by the crooked and unyielding trunks , crossed and locked with each other. As the shrubs which compose these copses are of an uniform height , and richly laden with ever-green foliage , they present , at a distance , the appearance of verdant meadows, surrounded by tall trees. »M ^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 |4S HO 25 2.2 1.1 ifl 12.0 IL25 i 1.4 IMI 1.6 P% Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WiST MAIN STREET WBBSTBII.N.Y. MStO (716)«72-4S03 ■"^V ^ <\ ['-•': m 544 MOUMTAIM LAUREL. ^ The leaves of the Mountain Laurel are of a coriMneous texture , oval-aduuinate , ent*i|h aind about 5 mthes long. The flowers , which are destitute of odour , are disposed in corymbs at the extremity of the branches : in general they are of a beautiful rose colour , and sometimes of a pure white. They are always numer- ous , and their brilliant effect is heightened by the richness of the surrounding foliage ; hence this shrub is in great request for the embellishment of gardens. The minute seeds are contained in small , globular capsules. - — • '■ ■• '■• '^ " On the declivities of the M^hanies , in North Caro- lina , where I have observed the largest Mountain Lau- rels , the trunk is generally 3 inches in diameter. The wood , particularly that of the roots , is compact , fine grained , and marked with red lines. When dry it is very hard , and it turns and polishes well. At Philadel- phia it is selected for the handles of light toob , for small screws, boxes, etc. : it is said also to make good clarinettes. Probably the Laurel will hereafter be more extensively employed, as of all American shrubs its wood most nearly resembles the Box wood , and is most proper to supply its place. I have been assured that its leaves are narcotick , and that they are prisonous to cattle. The Mountain Laurel was long since introduced into Europe , where it is multiplied for the beauty of its flowers and of its foliage ; but many years are necessary ^ MOUNTAIN LAUREL. to obtain it, from the seed, in a condition to bloom. A soflvliibse and cool soiL|and a northc^||^posure , ap- pear to be most congenuufto its growth. PLATE LXVIII. A branch, with leapes emd floivers of the natural size. Fig. I , A seed vessel. Fig. a , Seeds, -■f # -hC.-' #;♦• The is the them dimir ^ inhab veget the t applic neccs struct thew •whicl and a thele procv Frc man^ of th( obser wood of ih theV . 1 »J . J J, 3/7 I WVV WWWWW^ W%^^^ vWWv v^^^nv^WV W^nWl^^ "WP .jim6|tM« BIRCHES. r"?""f ^Ytrt/ffi. ivi»J|»i(-I i.^J -•. r.'a ^.r.') * ^... f ■ f The northern extremity of the Old and New Continents is the native climate of the Birch , if we may judge from the number of species which is found there, and which diminishes in descending towards the South. To the inhabitants of regions destitute of most of the larger vegetables, which flourish in more temperate climates , the trees of this genus are highly interesting , and are applied by them, with wonderful ingenuity, to the necessities of life : they employ the wood in the con- struction of houses and of vessels , and in the works of the wheel-wright and of the cabinet-maker; of the bark, which is nearly incorr^j^ptible, they make canoes, boxes, and a more secure covering for their habitations ; with the leaves they die their nets ; and from the sap they procure a mild and sugary beverage. From the researches of botanists it results , that as many species of Birch are found in the northern part of the United Stales as in Europe ; and from my own observations on the comparative properties of their wood , the advantage appears to lie wholly on the side of the American species. Thus the Canoe Birch equals the White Birch, which grows in Sweden and in Russia ; 45 « 349 t^IRCHES, and the Cbernfa|uFb an thorize the division of them into two sections : the first section consists of the species which have long, flexible, and pendulous aments , and comprises the €iuioe Birch and the White Birch , to which is addted the Common European Birch ; the second section is composed of the species whose aments are short and straight, namely, the Red Birch , the Black Birch , and the Yellow Birch. I have been led to this division by the external appear' ance, rather than by a minute physiological examination of the sexual parts of the different species , leaving the accomplished botanist to decide upon its adoption. '•I iW '• ''if « i r .». :i i..: it WVMfV«|||rv 3^^ % V% »M %%%MM*«V%«h'WWVk%«. METHODICAL DISPOSITION OF THE BIRCHES. Monacia polyandna. Linit. Anuntnrtz. Jvs$» FIRST SECTION* Fertih amenU^ pedunculated and pendulous* ^ Canoe Birch Betula papyracea* 2. Common European Birch. . Betula alba. 3. White Birch Betula popuUfoUa. SECOND SECTION. Fertile amentSf sessile and erect. 4. Red Birch Betula rubra. 5. Yellow Birch Betula lutea. 6. Black Birch. Betula lenta. ^ #> . 1 1 • V f ; ,- , • "^1^^ 1 • ■ f -, ■J IS' . •<•?■■ r > f> 1 1 *"■ . «i ■v«r':- , >■>#*■■ ..»^w ■vAS(!|.;*i'fl ^•■■;*"^iV-''' .!< uj l:i;-li; : ff v :>:).: .; 1, ' ■ ',\';^oV, ,;,. g^.'\ > ifv.Vvv', '. •■•'V.^ '. ' .''' " j! /:;:! ii .>. .^y\ :. '.V^;•■' .CANOE BIRCH. Betula papyracea. B. foliis ovcUibus , acuminatis , sub- Ofqualiter serratis; petiolo glabra ; venis subtiis hirsuU's. Kf;/ . Betula p»pjrrfftra. A. Vicn. Flor. Bar, Am. > Bt the French Canadians this tree is called Bouleau Blanc^ White Birch , and Bouleau h Canot^ Canoe Birch : it, is known to the Americans also by these denomi- mtions , and sometimes by that of Paper Birch. The name of Canoe Birch appears to be the most proper , as it indicates an important use which is made of its bark. The Canoe Birch is most multiplied in the forests in the country lying north of the 43° of latitude , and be- tween the 75* of west longitude and the Atlantic Ocean ; comprising Lower Canada, New Brunswick, the District of Maine, and the States of New Hampshire and Ver- mont. It ceases below the 4^° oi latitude, and is not found in the southern part of Connecticut , nor below Albany, in the State of New York. The surface of these regions is, in general, very irregu- lar , and is diversified in every direction with hills and lakes. It is occupied by thick and gloomy forests, of ■which the soil is fertile and principally covered with large stones, overgrown with moss. This part of North * '^\ \ '^- '0v :*' ,^ n S5a CAMOB BIMCII. America, though situated lo dcgremfiirther Mutk» very nearly resembles Sweden and the eastern pirt of Prussia , not only in the face of thi; so^bui in the severity of the climate^ The Canoe Birch attains its largest site, which is about 70 feet in height and 9 fttt in diameter, on the deditity of hills and iAbe bottom of fertile vallies. Its branches are slender , flexible, and covered with a shining, brown bark » dotted with, vvhite. The leaves are borne by petioles 4 or 5 fines long, and are of a middling siae , oval , unequally denticulated , smooth , and o(' a dark green colour. The amenta an pendulous, aiifd about an inch in length : the sacda arc ripe tawards the middle of July. The heart or perfect wood of this tree, when first laid open, is of a reddish hue , a^p||^sap is perfectly white. It has a fine , glossy graai^mPT a considerable share of strength : that it is but Kttle employed is attri- butable partly to its speedy decay when exposed to the succession of dryness and moisture , and partly to the existence, in the countries which produce it, of several species of wood , such as the Maples , the Beech , and even the Yellow Birch, which are far preferable for the uses of the joiner and the wheel-wrigtit. It is fully equal, however , to the White Birch which grows in Sweden and Norway , and which , for many purposes , is advan- tageously substituted for the Oak : but those countries 4 are destitute of trees analogous to those which have ,-^. < CAVOI BlllCIf* S5S fiftt been menlloned •• enriching the natiye itoil of the Canoe Birch. In the Dlitrict of Maine, tables are frequently i^ule of it , and atained in imitation of mahogany. '** A section of the Imnk of thia tree, i or a feet in length , immediately below the first ramification , ex- hibits very elegant unduhrtkHMltlhe fibre , representing bnnches of feathers or sheaTts of com : these pieces are divided into thin plites for inlaying mahogany , and in Boston and the towns situated farther north , they are jUDeFttlly employed by cabinet-makers to embellish their f^ The Canoe Birch affords excellent fuel , and is ex- ported in great quantities from the District of Maine to Boston. ♦♦•«» ' . '' On trees not afpi^ilng S inches in diameter the bark is of a brilliant il%|tl^ like that of the White Birch of Sweden, and , like that too, it is almost indestructible. Trees long since prostrated by time are often met with in the forests , whose trunk appears sound , while the bark contains only a friable iubstance , like vegetable monld. This bark, like that of the European species, is devoted to many uses : in Canada and in the District of Maine ' the country people place large pieces of it immediately below the shingles of the roof, to form a more impe- netrable covering for their houses ; baskets , boxes and portfolios are made of it , which are sometimes embroi- dered with silk of different colours } divided into very ^^Pfr *; 554 CANOE BIRCH. thin sheets, it forms a substitute for paper; and, plactd between the soals oi the shoes and in the crown of the hat , it is a defence against humidity, f^t the most important purpose to which it is applied , and one in which it is replaced by the bark of no other tree , is the construction of canoes. To procure proper pieces , the largest and smoothest t|^nks are selected : in the spring two circular incisions are made several feet apart , and two longitudinal ones on opposite sides of the tree ; afler which , by introducing a wooden wedge , the bark is easily detached. These plates are usually lo or 12 feet long , and a feet 9 inches broad. To form the Canoe tHi^y are stitched together with fibrous roots of the White Spruce , about the size of a quill , which are deprived of the bark , split , and suppled in water. The seams are coated with resin of the Balm ^piUh^d. Great use is made of these canoes by the sav^^ma by the French Canadians in their long journies into the interior of the country : they are very Kght , and are easily transported on the shoulders from one lake or river to another, which is called the portage. A canoe calculated for four persons with their baggage weighs from 40 to 5o pounds ; some of them are made to carry fifteen passengers. Such are the ordinary uses of the bark and of the wood of this tree, ; k; -u ,< ivsuu The Canoe Birch flourishes in the vicinity of Paris, where it is known in the nurseries by the name of Bfiiula nigi-a , Black Birch. If it is found to grow with t ' >J-rT*- t"V^. CANOE BIRCH. -.^^ *-lt••^. .-ff'-l'l 555 sticcess upon poor lands , it will prove a valuable ac- quisition to the European forests , as it surpasses our native Bircli^ stature and in the quality of its wood. "V PLATE LXIX. A branchy with leaves and Jiaiile aments of the natural size. Fig. i , A seed. Fig. a , Thesccde which covers the seed. ff ( r.-! rrrt f»i =-t: !**?< J! iV I . .ft n :0 tni r. ru'iffvl "f *t ),-i'M> " «< -. .y\ 'i ■1 »i» ki: « , ;• Oi' 1 rjiSI! . ti li liii. •»-Mf *?*>"/ tj(f:»* tt>m>. ru '!. ' f'».irrj J TV; t» (<*• k- I. J .^ ;*^'rj t It! !>;«.= ; »ii t;; au .rT ■^ MiU Ifi a: 'J rwio.i ■ V'\ i'. >« 1 -"I - I Jt#» 4^ 4:. -;s' -^ *^ COMMON EUROPEAN MRCH. • ■' -■' ^' XI '.•i'l'h.'i' ''■ Betula alba. B. /ollls deltotdlbtts , acutisj duplicato-ser" \^^,nUis , giabris^ strobilorum stfueunis iobis lalemlibus wiun* ,v datis; petialis glabris , ptdwicuUs iongionbus. Of all the lealy trees of the Old CoTitinent , the Birch is found in the highest latitude : it grows as far north as the 70th degree, though Us vegetation is so much re- pressed hy the excessive cold of the winter , that it is reduced to the size of a shrub. A few degrees farther south , it attains its fullest developcment , and it is the most common, the tallest, and the ^^ost robust of the leafy trees which compose the forests between the 65th and 55th degrees of latitude ; in which interval are comprised I^pland, Norway, Sweden, and a great part of Russia. Proceeding still farther soulh, the Birch is observed to become less common in the forests in pro- portion as the Maples, the Beeches, the Elms and the Oaks become more abundant. In France , between the 48th and 4^th degr(>es, it appears to suffer from the influence of too dry and too warm an atmosphere ; for it is inferior, in size and in thequaliiyof its wood, to the same species in the north of Europe. The 4^th parallel may be assumed as the limit below which the Birch is Pl.yo. Bf.:vn titJ ( oimiiou Eiiropeaai Wliite Bircli. BcJa/a (Ma «6 COMM-OM El! ROPE AN Bt^CIk 55 f •nlj accidentaUy foundin the Ibrests , if we except laity mountains, wjtio^e elevation tempers the atmosphere wHh perennial <^olness.. In Germapy» Sweden, and Russia, the Birch. is 70 or 80 feet high., and: about a fiset in diameter; but in France it rarely exceeds two thirds of this hei^t. Th^ trunk and limbs oi the largf trees are covered with a thick bark , whos^. epidermis is white and perfectly simi^ kr to that of tiie White Bireh and the Canoe Birch. The ^maU braAich^s , likewise, xesemble those of the species just mentioiied, being slender, flexible , and of a browii colour spotted -with white., r.w. ^ '^ ,.• > .p^- a :/ v ■ The Birch, blooms early in the spring; the fertite and barren flowers are borne by different branches of the same tree. The barren flowers^ are disposed in pendulous aments about an inch- long ; the fertile flowers are green- »sli , small , and ifot conspicuous. The seeds also are very small, and are collected round- a common st£in, in the form of aments : each, of them is covered with a scale, and furnished with two merobraneouf wings. The leaves are alternate, nearly triangular,, acuminate f and in-egularly toothed ; they vary ia size according to the age of the tree and to the nature of the soil on ^vhich. it grows ; in very dry lands they are not more than an inch, in lenglhi In the north of Europe the Birch, affords a singplar variety of resources to the inhabitants , who serve them- selves, with admirable ingenuity, of iis wood, its bark > .*^ ^, ■> i .^■ 558 COMMON EUROPEAN BIRCH. and its leaves. But the expedients to -which they are obliged to have recourse, for defence against the ex- treme intensity of the cold , prove how litte these re- gions have been favoured by the Creator. In Sweden, Norway and Finland, this wood is most commonly employed by the wheel -wright, and serves for the manufacture of almost all^he implements of husbandry. It is used by turners for bowls , plates, spoons, chairs , etc. The trunk , like that of the Giinoe Birch , affords pieces immediately below the first ramificatkMi , which, when polished , present beautiful wavings of the grain , and which form elegant articles of furniture. The bark is also subservient to a great variety of eco- nomical uses : boxes , baskets and sandals are made of it ; it is placed between the soals of shoes , or in the crown of the hat , as a defence against humidity ; and sometimes it is wrapped round the lower part of posts to preserve them from decay. It endures many years uninjured, even when exposed to the vicissitudes of the atmosphere. To prepare the skin of the rein-deer, the Laplanders cut this bark into small pieces , which they macerate , and aflerwards boil in water , with the addi- tion of a little salt. The skins are plunged repeatedly into this decoction warmed , and are allowed to remain in it several days : when taken out they are vigorously curried to render them pliable and soft : thus prepared , they arc hardly permeable by water. In Russia, by slowly burning the bark of large birches iu kilns or furnaces , .i* COMMON EUROPEAN BIRCH. Sftg an empyreumatic oil is obtained , yvt\h which a leather is prepared highly esteemed for durability. The leaves of the birch, both green and dry, are given to cattle. When young, they are used by the in- habitants as a substitute for tea : they are also employed to dye wool of a yellowish colour. ■ "'' ^" ^** ' The sap of the Birch is v^ry abundant in the spring , and, by evaporation, it affords a syrop, rich and sugary, but incapable of crystallization. By the addition of fer- menting nHHter , this sap is converted into beer , into a species of wine , or into vinegar. Such are the principal uses of the European Birch , all the valuable properties of which are completely united in the Canoe Birch of North America. . England and the south of Germany being favoured with a milder climate and , consequently, with a greater variety of trees than the more northern countries , are not dependent upon the Birch for so great a variety of uses ; but even here it is a valuable possession , as it is proved , by the experience of upwards of two centuries, to grow more rapidly than any other tree in barren soils. Hence , in Europe , all dry , meager , gravelly lands , analogous to those which, in the centre and in the north of the United States , produce the Black Jack Oak, the Bear Oak, and the Scrub Oak, are found to be more profitably devoted to plantations of Birch than to any other species of culture. In this manner also they are gradually prepared for the growth of S6o COMMON SUBOPBAM BtRCtt. more valuable trees ». such as the Oaks ^ the Cheti-» nuts , etc. i, Plantations of Birch are tormed by sowing the seed, or by setting out young plants collected ill the wood, or, which is far preferable, procured from< ft nursery. When the first method is empfoyed, the ground should b& turned with an iron*tooth«4 harrow,, kt huntid weather in the month of Ii^ovemher. Fifteen pounds of seed, including the scales, should be sown iipon an acre , and afterwards covered by drawing over it a i>4npw made* of brush-wood- Nothing contributes more to the success of the seed's than previously burning the noxious herbs and bushes growing upon the ground It is observed in the north of Europe and of the United States , that the Birch reap* pears , as if by it^chantmeat, in forests that have been destroyed by tire. The Birch seed is sometimes mixed with ryi||v which, springing with the young plants, protects them during the first summer from the sun , And which , by the profit of the crop , indemnifies the ■1/f^ husbandman for a part of the expencc of forming his- plantation. li the ground is burtheued with the young planta^ a part of them may be taken up the third year to fill the vacant spaces in woods composed of Oaks , o£ Pines, etc. They may be sold also to persons who prefer forming their coppices by transplantation , which is the mode generally employed in Europe. In the month of November holes are formed 5 ieet distant , in a straighi COMMOM XUROPEAM BIRCH. 56l line, to Mfliich the young plants are committed, in humid ■weather which promises rain. In the course of the sum- mer a day is chosen for bestowing a light tillage upon the land , to clear it of the noxious herbs , as is prac- tised for Maize or Indian Com. This is all the labour required to ensure the success of the plantation. These coppices may be cut' every five years if they ar^ destined for making brooms , or every 8 or 9 years for hoops , which are {Substituted for those of Oak and of Chesnut ^int la years of age they afford an excellent fuel for. baking, brick^making , and for all manufactures which' require a brisk and clear fire. I hav« entered into these details concerning the pro- pagation of the Birch , because, among the trees pf the Old GointiiYent , it is one of the most profitable for cul- tivatioa upon poor lands. Proprietoi's in the United States, who read the works which have beenjrablished in Gernoany,' France and England , on the mflWgement uf forests, will be able to. appreciate, in this respect, the importance of the Birch. The European Birch is so neat'ly related in its bark, its foliage , the quality of its wood, and in other properties, to the White Birch and to the Canoe Birch, that it appears to occupy a middle place between these two species. Its principal resemblance to the White Birch is seen in its leaves , and in its favourable growth upon the most sterile soils, upon those even which are at the same time meager and humid. The most remarkable diffe- % # SGa COMMON EUROPEAN BIRCH. reace consists in the larger size of the European species, and in the superior quality of its wood. The inferiority of the White Birch is not attributable to the climate , ior it eihibits the same dimensions in the district of .Maine , and in Pennsylvania and Maryland. The White Birch of Europe and the Canoe Birch resemble each other in their wood , their bark, and their ample pro- portions , which are perhaps superior in the American species. They differ in the form ol their leaves , and they grow on very different soils : the GanOe Birch is exclusively attached to rich lands .iistantly cool , and capable of yielding an abundant harvest of com or of clover, and it propagates itself naturally only in that part of North America which correi^onds in cli- mate to the 54th and 55th degrees of latitude in Europe. JBetwecn the White Birch of Europe and the Red Birch, I have.,i9)B.served,no resemblance, except in the supple- ness olppdr. twigs ; which is more remarkable in the Red Birch. The length of this description will not be deemed superfluous by persons who justly appreciate the impor- tance of precise ideas on subjects like the present. PLATE LXX. ,„ j4 branchy with leaves andaments of ttie natural size. Fig. I , A seed, Hg. 2, A scale which covers llie seed. OtTj ^iv^rf tM thlh'fi Atii Wlillo Riirli . lic/tt/ti iHWd/ifofia Vl •Af J.^ 3(2. illll>»»liwi»»»«%»i>»>»»i»«» »w»M >l>l|illll»lt» il H [|ii H >ii>iil M »>i»»i>i»»ir>»»»«t» » i»«i.>»w%«r»%«im»>w»> M ii»> Y I }»('.! ..».4JJ'» l< /.M" .Arrtiirt vtFi WHITE BIRCn, "I BiTULA POPfiLiruLlA. H. folUs longe avuminiitis, • ..r,'{ -1^1 inauituUiUnerrulU , glititMnirnis, i>% >!(• i ' The White Birch appears to be less multiplied than the other trees of this genus : it is rarely found in groups, and single trees are met with onl^ at considerable inter- vals. It is more common in the Mtrict of Maine ; but , even here, it is seen only by the side of the high- 47 ^ 564 WHITE BIRGB. ways , and in sandy soils that have been exhausted by cultivation. On trees that are fully grown the branches are nume- rous t «lender , and generally drooping. The leaves are smooth on both surfaces , heart-shaped at the base , very acuminate , and doubly and irregularly toothed. The petioles are slightly twisted , and the leaves are thus rendered more tremulous than those of trees on which this disposition is not observed. I have also remarked that the buds , a few days after their developement , are slightly coated with a yellowish , odoriferous sub- stance. The trunk of this species is clad in a bark of as pure a white as that of the Canoe Birch and of the European Birch : but its epidermis , when separated from the cellular integument, is incapable of being divided , like that of the two preceding species , into thin laiMscts ; which constitutes an essential difference. "^The ^Irttod of the Whit« Birch is very soft, brilliant when polished , and perfectly white. From its speedy decay , and from the inferior size of the tree , it is em- ployed for no use, not even for fuel. The twigs are too brittle for common brooms. This tree can boast of no utility which should entitle it to be introduced into the forests of Europe , or to be preserved in those of America. " ' ' ■ '^"* -•■" '•'• '* * PLATE LXX L ' yi branch , with leaves and aments of the natural size. Fig. I , ^4 seed. Fig, 2 , A scale. atr '■>*; /ir//f/{t rit/>ra . 3k- i¥>rtrvvvnv i ft » >»^ tf'I- RED BIRCH. BsTULii RUBRA. B.. foliis rbombea - ovatis , acumlnalis « ^ duplicqto-serrtUis i pelioh brevi. BttuU nigra, Wild. Betulo-laaulusa, A. Mich. Flor..Bor. At», The banks of a small river near Kouacknack ^ in New Jecsey, about lo miles from New York, may be assumed as the most northern point at which this-species of Birch is found. I have never seen it in the Eastern States ; but it is jabundant in those of the Middle and Southern Divisions f particularly in Maryland, Virginia, and th^ upper part of the Carolinas and of Georgia. In Pennsylvania and New Jersey the name of Red Birch is given to iht Betula rubra ^ to distinguish it from the White Birch; but farther south, where the White Birch does not exist, or is coinparatively rare, this species is simply called BircK • The Red Birch is not ,. like the other species of this genus , seen gjcowing in the midst of the forest , but is founjdronly on the hanks of rivers , accompanied by the Buttonwood, the White Maple and the WiUow. It expands with the greatest luxuriance on the sides of limpid streams which have a gravelly bed , and whose banks are not marshy like those of the rivers in the maritime parts of the Carolinip and of Georgia. On the Delaware , 5o miles from Philadelphia , along the % -#i 366 . RED BIRCH. road that leads to New York by New Hope and Som- merset , I have seen several Red Birches which were 70 feet in height , and a or 3 feet in diameter. They -rarely exceed these dimensions in Virginia and North Carolina , where , from the milder temperature of the climate , they are more abundant. j^ On the trunk and on the largest limbs of a lofty Red l^irch , the bark is thick , deeply furrowed , and of a greenish colour. On trees not exceeding 8 or 10 inches in diameter , the epidermis is reddish or cinnamon- coloured ; whence probably is derived the appropriate denomination of Red Birch. The epidermis of this spe- cies, like that of the Canoe Birch , divides itself trans- versally into thin , transparent sheets , which appear to be compNMed of a mixed substance , instead of present- ing a pure , homogeneous texture ; hence they have not an uniform transparency , nor a perfectly even surface : compam with the bark of the Canoe Birch , they arc^ like coarse paper compared with fine. When this tree is fully expanded, its summit is ample, but the i^icom- mon thickness of its branches prevents it from af|pear- ing tufted. The twigs, which forhi the extremity b1^ the tree, are long, flexible and pendulous, and the limbs are of a brown complexion spotted with white : their bark is slightly uneven , while , on the other branches , it is smooth and glossj|^ The petioles of the^led Birch are short and downy ; the leaves are about 3 inches long and a inches broad , Ui 9 ED, BIl^CH. 56; of a light green on th^ ■Mppcf sur&cQ v9»d y«:\iiti$h be- neath : ^hey are <^q^ib^y ^en^jculal^^ ?V^U? ^dge, very pcuifiinate at t^e §i^n)i|[^it, swd t^^ina^^ s^t the; (i^ast^ in afi sj^jute apgle, |^pre i^^n^a^ tha^ is, ^ee^^ ip t^e 4??i of any othef tree. Th^ ff^r^il? 9^^M ^^ ^ ^V ^ inche9 long, stfs^ight , and pearly cylindrical 'Ihc* $?eds ar? np9 in the beginning of Jpne. ri-- ^ iaaiU^ i , ..; d . i;yi The wood of the Red Birch is sufOtciently compact and nearly -white : very little difference in colour is observed between the sap and the heart. This wood offers the same singularity with that of the June Be^ , being longitudinally marked by red vessels , ifhich inter- sect each other in different directions. In some parts of Virginia and North Carolina , the negroes make bowls find trays of Red Birch , when they caiilt^t procure Poplar. When saplings of Hickory or White Oak are not to be found , hoops , particularly those of rice casks, are made of the young stocks and of branches not ex- ceeding an inch in diameter. In Philadelphia its twigs are exclusively chosen for the brooms with which the st^lpts and court-yards are swept , which are similar to those employed for the same purpose in Paris. The twigs of the other species of Birch being less supple and more brittle , are not proper for this use. Though the Red Birch is constantly found on the borders of rivers , it is not naturally confinecPto them : a flourishing stock , more than 3o feet in height , exists in the garden of the State-house at Philadelphia. Among • 568 BED BIRCH. all the Birches * the yegetation of this species only is invigorated by intense heat : this consideration suffices to recommend its propagation in Italy, and in the south- em parts of France and of the United ^ates ; for it has been judiciously observed by authors who have written on this genus of trees , that if the good properties of the |MBirch are not brilliant, they are at least numerous and luefill. PLAT£ LXXII. «1..U >.A»B A branch f with lewes and a barren ament of the natural size. Fig. i^seed. Fig.a, A scale. '■AM^.Jt.T f ^#^- .■fiw H?. • -♦.■.'■ •T-» .*•' i :. ' \ ;:ijb^*|ii«!;,1i>H.Jo ':iM.'M'i ■■^•- .vrMSiA ii{itti'^iiI.^W-: . T^^»Vi. '5i!J 'i^j fi-fn%^iij 1 ******* " * ' • i Trr"TnTnr i v»ijm»winiv«jiiai.utirnm ij, YELLOW BIRCH. m ]Betula lvtka. B. folits ovaHsf aasiis, serraHs; petioUa pubescentibus. This species, like the Canoe Birch, belongi only to the northern regions of the New World. It abounds «5-j pecially in the forests of Nova Scotia, of NewBrunswiclc, and of the District of Maine, where it is designated by no other name than Yellow Birch. On the western bank of the Hudson it is rare ; and in New Jersey and Penn- sylvania only a few individuals of the species are met with , in moist and shady situations. It is ODjBJ^unded by .the inhabitants of these States with the J|||i|ck Birch , which is very abundant , and to which it bears a striking resemblance. In the District of Maine the Yellow Birch is always ^ found on cool and rich soils, among the Ashes, the Hemlock Spruce , and ihe Black Stpruce. In these situa- tioais it exhibits its amplest dimensions, which are 60 or 70 feet in height , and more than 2 feet in dia< meter. The specific name of excelsa , which has been given to it , is injudicious , as it leads to an erroneous opinion that it surpasses every other species m height. It is a beautiful tree, and its trunk is of nearly an uni- form diameter , straight, and destitute of branches for 3o or 40 feet. It is particulariy remarkable for the colour t ^ I SfO "" YELLOW BIRCH. and arrangement of its epidermis , which is of a bril- liant golden yeildw> and which frequently divides itself .into very fine strips, rolled backwards at the ends, and attached in the Aiiddle. The young shoots , and the leaves at their unfolding are downy; towards the middle of summer, when fully 6xpHided, th'e leaves are perfectly smooth , except the p^tioTe , which remains covered with a fine , short hair : they kre aibout S inches and a half long, and a inches and a half l>r6ad, oval acuminate, and bordered livith sh^rp an.d irregular teeth. The leaves, the bark, and th^ ybung shoots have an agreeable taste and smell, simiiiar to th6se of the Black Birch , though less seu- sibYe , whic^ they lose in drying. In it& £ractification , this species nearly resembles the Black Bii'cb. The fertile aments are borne on short peduncles, and are la or i5 lines long, 5 or 6 lines in diameter, straight, of an oval shape, and nearly cylin- drical. The scales which compose them are trifid , pointed , and about 3 lines in length : viewed through the lens , they are seen to be downy. Beneath these scales are the small winged seeds , which are ripe about the first of October. The wood of the Yellow Birch is inferior in quality and iiiaq^earance to that of the Black Birch, and never assumes as deep a shade ; but it is strong , and, when well polished , makes handsome furniture. In Nova Scotia , and in the District of Maine , it is found by expe- YELLOW BIRCH. Syi rience to be every way proper for that part of the frame of vessels which remains always in the water. In the District of M^iae it is preiierred for the yokes of cattle and for the frames of sledges ; and in Nova Scotia th«^ young saplings are almost exclusively employed for the hoops of casks. The Yellow Birch is an excellent combustible , and it is annually transported in great quantities from the District of Maine to Boston. Its bark is highly esteemed in tanning ; but in Maine it is employed in a very small proportion , and only for what is called by the curriers ftdf leather. Oddy , in his Treatise on European Commerce^ affirms that great quantities of Yellow Birch boards are im- ported into Scotland and Ireland , and that they are highly esteemed in joinery. The Birch mentioned by Oddy is doubtless the species which I am describing. Such dre the observations concerning this tree which I collected in my travels through the United States : they lead me to believe that the soil and climate of Germany would be more favourable to its multiplication than those of France, where the preference should be given to the Black Birch , which requires less humidity. PLATE LXXIII. % A branch, anth haves and fertile aments of the natural nie. Fjg. 1 , A seed. Fig. 2, The scale wliich covers the seed. M % %M%% W%»*%««%M |»%»»»»»^*»»»^MW%*M%»» % M*%»*»»W»»»»»»^'»M »<»»*» VW V«««iVV II • ¥ * BLACK. BIRCH. Bktula LENTA. B. folus cordalis-ovolis , arguti seiratis, ucuminatis , glabris. Betula carpinifoUa. A. Miciii FUr, Btr, Am, 4*. The agreeable foliage of this species , and the valuable properties of its wood, render it the most interettting of the American Birches. Wherever it grows in the United Stales , it is known by the name of Black Birch : its secondary denominations are Mountain Mahogany in Virginia, and Sweet Birch and Cherry Birch in Con- necticut , Massachusets , and farther north. In Canada it is universally called Cherry Birch. I have observed the Cherry Birch in Nova Scotia, in the District of Maine , and in the State of Vermont , though more rarely than the Yellow Birch. It abounds in the Middle States, particularly in New York, Penn- sylvania and Maryland ; farther south it is confined to the summit of the Alleghanies , on which it is found to their termination in Geor^a, and to the steep and shady banks of the rivers which issue from these mountains. According to my own researches, it is a stranger to the lower part of Virginia, and to the southern and mari- time parts of the Carolinas and of Georgia ; nor do I remember to have seen it in Kentucky , nor in the westeiti part of Tennessee. Hc/ii/(i /r/i/t/ :li^, i^ - BLACK BIBCH. 'S']^ In New Jersey , and upon the banks of the North river , where I have most attentively observed the Black Birch, I have uniformly remarked that it grew of pre^ ference in deep, loose and cool soils, and that in these situations it attained its greatest expansion , which some*> times exceeds 70 feet in height , and a or 3 feet in lH diameter. ng. The fertile amenta , which are commonly sHuated at the extremity of th« young branches, are 10 or la lines long, and 5 or 6 lines in diameter , straight , cylindrical , and nearly- sessile at the season of the maturity of the seed , which is about the first of November. > ^'^ '' T' The bark , upon the trunk of trees less than 8 inches jk " ' :m- 574 BLACK BIRCH. in diameter , is smooth , greyish , and perfectly similar in its colour and organisation to that of the Cherry Tree. On old trees , the epidermis detaches itself transversely, .^^.t intervals, in hard, ligneous plates, 6 or 8 inches broad. P' The wood of the Black Birch , when freshly cut , is of a rosy hue , which deepens by exposure to the light. Its m grain is fine and cloM, whence it is susceptible of a brilliant polish ; it possesses also a considerable share of strength. The union of these properties renders it su- perior to the other species of American Birch ; and in Massachusets , Connecticut and New York , it is next in esteem to the Wild Cherry Tree , among cabinet- makers in the country. Tables and bedsteads of this wood, when carefully preserved , acquire with time the appearance of Mahogany, hence it is employed in Boston for the frames of arm-chairs and of sofas : the coach>makers also use it for the frames of their panels. Shoe-lasts are made of Black Birch, but they are less esteemed than those of Beech. Such are the principal uses of this wood, from which it may easily be gathered to what subsidiary purposes it is applicable. The vegetation of the Black Birch is beautiful and, in a congenial soil , its growth is rapid. A proof ol this last assertion is found in the Annals of the Arts , where a stock of this species is reported to have attained the height of 45 feet and 8 inches in 19 rs. ^ These considerations should induce the Americans to BLACK BIRCH. ^ 576 bestow great care on the preservation of the Black Birch , and the inhabitants of the Old World to intro- duce it into their forests. The attempt upon a great scale would be more successful in the north of France, in England and in Germany , on account of the greater humidity of the climate , than in more southern . jjl countries. I shall terminate this description of one of my favour- ite trees , by recommending it to the lovers of foreign vegetables, as eminently adapted , by the beauty of its foliage and by the agreeable odour of its flowers , to figure in their parks and gardens. 'fff PLATE LXXIV. A branch, with leaves and fertile aments of the natural siu. Fig. I , A seed. Fig, 2, A scale which covers the seed* V>f' '0'\: \»V- ^i- ^. « :*. ■I t»'- 37^ <WW*M<»<<»MI»>%II»»WI>IW » W WK IH( W »WIIIW»»%»WIIVW<»W»»»» ALDERS. i1 tfW '!l'lt»i ill fill COMMON ALDlER. trs Alnus SERRUL\TA. ^. stiptdis ovalibus, obtusis; folits di^jUcato-serratis f opolibus^ acutis. .iib '^His species of Alder is found in- the Northern » Middle, and Western States , and is every where desig- nated by the name of Common Alder. It frequently grows along the sides of brooks , and abounds still more in places covered with stagnant water. Its ordinary size is 8 or ID feet in height , and about 2 inches in diameter, though often it is less. Its leaves are of a beautiful green, about a inches long , oval , distinctly sulcated on the surface , and doubly denticulated at the edge. This shrub blooms in Januai7 : the sexes are separate upon the same stock. The barren flowers are disposed , like those of the Birch, around a common axis, in flexible pendulous ^ments about a inches long. The fer- tile flowers are in the form of small, oval bodies , gar- nished with a dull , red fringe : they are converted into small, scaly cones , which open, when arrived at ma- turity, to release the minute , flat seeds. The wood of the Common Alder, when first laid open , is white , and it becomes reddish by contact with .*. ■.*" -#• % . Pi 7S ^M^t (iy. ^abrifl f't'/d / C\)ninu>ii Alder ■1 . RLvtk Alder . ^^s\ ■ COMMON ALDEIL S77 the air : its resemblance in this respect to the analogous European species, Ahms ghuinosaf leads me to believe that they arealike also in the properties of their bark. The Common Alder is too small to be applicable to any use in the arts : from its inferiority of size , it \ivill probably one day give place to the European Alder. iv i rt . PLATE LXXV. Comnum Alder, with a leaf of the natural size. Fig. i , A fertile and a barren ament. Fig. 2, A cone at nudimty. Fig. 5, Seeds. 'i (fi:.ftt •;:-'^;' '.Wi>t>»WlWHI M H H » W WKM>»»li<»>^>W» suhratundd^lltpticis , dupUcatb- KuiT r. , » .'.^ 'J aermiisy subtus glaucis. " ' ' AlnUM MMUMi WlUO. This species of Alder, whidi is unknown in the Southern , and rare in the Middle States , is not uncom- mon in Massachusets , New Hampshire and Vermont ; Imt even here it is less multiplied than the Common Alder, which abounds throughout the United States. Hie Black Alder is a third taller than the preceding species , being sometimes i8 or ao feet in height, and about 5 inches in diameter. Its leaves are similar in shape , but are easily distinguishable by their different tint and superior size : they are of a pale bluish green , and a third larger than those of the Common Alder. Both species grow in cool , moist places , and upon the margin of rivulets. The bark of the trunk and of the secondary branches is smooth , glossy, and of a deep brown colour sprin- kled with white. It is employed by hatters, if I have been correctly informed , for dying black. The dimi- nutive size of this tree excludes it entirely from use ; but to recommend it to the notice of Amateurs it is only necessary to observe that it is one of the most beau- tiful species of the genus. \i. "* J- ^'™ BLACK ALDER. 879 The dwarfish stature of all the species of Alder that have hitherto been discovered in North America , ex- cludes them from that class of vegetables to the des- cription of which I have restricted my labours ; but I could not forbear mentioning the two most remarkable species , of which one merits attention on account of its abundant diffusion , and the other on account of a striking peculiarity in the colour of its leaves.' i 7: PLATE LXXVI. Black Alder, with a leaf of the natural size. ■-. ^■■ * h # f. •4. i*- ;;.'4.isj ■',.' i. "^:nv r^^ . ■ •*;• t,''t , i: ■ •-^-.X' i (j ',| •••ii^i 4 -l::':l ^-yt^v.rt^ ^ws^ „~; , > i. n.'i- i' 49 ,^4 jt: 9 « ^ W:- ^^0 W: w <%V«<>v«»\\>»Vt»VW»VWVVV>%»»VVV»VVV><>VVVV»V»V»»V»>W»»»»ll%»Wl»>VVW»>»V>%VWV»>\>»V»<»W»VMvhen polibhed and varnished it aiTurds a good imi- tation of Ebony. With sulphat of iron the bark forms a black die for colouring wool, and, as it is procured at a very low price , it is extensively substituted for gall nuts by halters and diers. The wood of the Alder, when deeply buried in earth that is constantly humid, is found to endure a great length of time; it is therefore used for the pipes of conduits. In Flanders and Holland it serves for the piles upon which buildings are erected in marshy places. In France , England and Germany, the Alder is con- sidered as a valuable tree, on account of its rapid growth in wet grounds. It is frequently observed on the sides of streams flowing through meadows, and, as its roots penetrate to a great distance, it contributes more effecl- uaily than most other trees to support the banks at the season of the overflowing^ of the waters. The European Aldei* shoots wilh such vigour, that copses formed of it may be cut every seven years , and at the end of 18 years they furnish trees exceeding 55 feet in height, whose wood is izs superior to that of the Lombardy Poplar. It is obtained from the seed , or from cuttuigs of a proper length, buried in very moist ground, except a few inches that appear above the surface. The young plants should be cut the second year , to invigorate their roots. The seeds of the Alder are very small, and are in danger of perishing if Ihey are not very lightly covered with earth. I I -*rf;- #■ ~t ^aife. ^1 ♦• - 38a COMMON BlinOPEAN ALDER. This tree , to which so much importance is attached in Europe will probably at a future period be con- sidered as a valuable acquisition in America, especiai;% in the States east of the river Hudson. •V ^ / {. . Ml ■■im- ^^ < I?* rV: ^# hi I.. ■f t- '«!' ^f ^^>. . (., « Js J» ■:, » % M< M n wm tim^»K nm mmm>>mMtmfmiimmiif¥mimm0iMmiimmmm m' t» m i^m»t ^^ TABLE. Introductiov. . . .' . . Th«Oak Methodical diipncitiofi. . White Oak Common European Oak. European Whiti! Oak. • Mosay Cup Oak .... Over Cup White Oak . . Post Oak Over Cup Oak ..... Swamp While Oak. . . Chesnut White Oak. > . Rock Chesnut Oak.. . . Yellow Oak Small Chesnut Oak, . . . Live Oak • « Cork Oak Willow Oak Laurel Oak Upland Willow Oak . . Running Oak . . . . . Bartram Oak Water Oak Black Jack Oak Bear Oak ....... Barrens Scrub Oak . . . Spanish Oak . . . ^ . • Black Oak Scarlet Oak. ...... Grey Oak. ...... Pin Oak. RedOak Additions to tbu Oiik«. . Page Quercusalba Qnercus robur. Quercus pedunculata. • • Quercus olivaeformis. > • • Quercus macrocarpa. • • Quercus obtusiloba. , • • Quercus Ijrrata Quercus prinus discolor. . Quercus prinus paiustris. . Quercus prinus monticoia. Quercus prinus acuminata. Quercus prinus Chincapin. Quercus virens Quercus suber. Quercus phei/os Quercus imbricaria. > • • Quercus cinerea Quercus pumila I Quercus helerophilla. • • , Quercus aquatica . Quercus ferruginea. • • • > Quercus banisteri . Quercus catesbfei. . . . • . Quercusfalcata . Quercus tinctoria. . . . ■ . Quercus coccinea. . . . > . Quercus borealis. . . .' . . Quercus paiustris. . . .' . Quercus rubra. .... 1 I 9 28 3o 33 35 37 43 47 52 56 61 64 67 73 78 82 85 88 90 92 95 99 io3 106 III 116 119 122 125 128 «# ■ f ■ <,**HIKj,' ' '^ r ''.■ ■V* » . -i '': -V*. .-.,^ 384 TABLE. Walnuts Common European Walnut. Black Walnut Butternut Pacanenut Hickory Bitternut Hickory Water Biilernut Hickory. . . Mockernut Hickory Sh(>llbark Hickory Thick shellbark Hickory. . . . Pignut Hickory Nutmeg Hickory Recapitulation Maples White Maple Red flowering Maple Sugar Maple Black Sugar Maple Norway Maple Sycamore Moose wood . . « Box elder Mountain Maple Dogwood. . Georgia bark. . , Coffee tree Magnolias Big Laurelt Small Magnolia or white bay . Cucumber Tree Heart-Leaved Cucumber Tree, Umbrella tree Long-Leaved Cucumber Tree. Large-Leaved Umbrella Tree. Loblolly bay Frankliuia Page 187 Juglans regta r43 Juglans nigra i53 J uglans catharlica 160 Juglans oUvaiforinis .... 167 Juglans amara. ...... 1 70 J uglans aquatica 174 J uglans tomentosa 176 Juglans squamosa 181 Juglans laciniosa 188 Juglans porcina it)4 Juglans myristicceformis. . 198 200 208 Acer eriocarpum 2i3 Acer rubrum 217 Acer saccharinum 223 Acer nigrum 237 Acer platanoides 240 Acer pseudo-platanus. . . 242 Acer striatum 245 Acer negundo 249 Acermontanum 253 Cornusjlorida 255 Pinckneya pubens 260 Gymnocladus canadensis' • 263 267 Magnolia grandiflora . . . 269 Magnolia ^auca 274 Magnolia acuminata. Magnolia cordala . • . Magnolia tripetala- . • Magnolia auriculata. . Magnolia macrophylla. Gordonia lasyanthus. . Gordonia pubescens . • 278 282 284 287 291 295 298 ■# t. -xf^- "A TABLE. * S85 Papaw Anona triloba 3oo Poplar , or Tulip Tree. . . . Lyriodendrum tulipifera. . 3o3 Sweet Gum Liquidambar styraciflua. . 3i5 Bullonwood , or Sycamore. • Platanus occideniaiis. . • • 32i Calalpa Bignonia catalpa 329 Crab Apple Malus coronaria 333 June Berry- . . . . « Mespilus arborea 336 Dwarf Rose Bay Rhododendrwn maximum. 'Sig Moutain LaureL ....... Kalmia latifolia 342 Birches , 347 Canoe Birch BeltUa papyrifera 35e Common European Birch. . • Betula alba 356 White Birch. Betula populifolia 363 Red Bich Betula rubra 365 Yellow Birch Betula lutea. . '6i5g Black Birch Betulalenia. . 372 Alders. — Common Alder . . . Alder semUata 376 Black Alder Alnus glauca 378 Common European Alder. . . Alnus glutinosa 38o I- «• M # END OF THE FIRST VOLVMI, % ■ * • « ll' i s^" i#^- »«s m J ■ %'