The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1850-05-21

4 poses
heart of Live Oak. In the first place, the rock
which can bear the heat and exposure incident to
chimney, which, in the country, is always on the
outside Of the house, will, in the monument, be
able to stand the rettng Of the clemens as long as
ranite. The capitol of Mississippi, in the city OF
jackson is built Of this stone When first quarried
the blocks were extremely friable, and several of
the mbroke. Much anxiety was felt as to the
strength of the material The architect, Mr.. Nicols,
man of standing in his profession, staked his repu
tation on the fact that the stone would harden on
exposure The experience of ten years has proved
the correctness Of his knowledge. The jail at
Harrisonburgh, built Of rock from the same quarry
which has furnished the monumental block, has
stood more than twenty years, and is as firm
and substantial a building any in thecountry.
In the second place, the Live Oak of Louisiana
grows on the aluvial land, and is not nearly
as durable as that of the hammocks of Flori.
da. But why should not each State furnish
portion of the wood required for the monument!
Texas could send trunk of the Pecan; Louisiana
the Cypress, which is the tree Of the State; Missis-
sippi the Magnolia Florida the Live Oak; Geor-
gia and North Carolina the Yellow Pine; South
Carolina the Palmetto though we fear the structure
of this beautiful tree would be as mpracticabe as
her politics. This is the finest specimen of the
Palm family indigenous to the United States 1t is
the Chamerops Palmetto of the botanists In the
Sketch of the Botany of South Carolina, by the la.
mented Elliott, is the following interesting descrip-
ton of this tree;
p" Stem sometimes attaining height of 1870
feet, l2-l5 inches in diameter. The frOnds 5 or
feet in length, growing at the very summit of the
tree Fto'cers in naked paniees. Drupe blush
black.
This palm possesses a great, and 10 this country
an increasing value. 1t is the only tree produced
in our forests which is not attacked by the teredo
ndudlis or ship-worm and as it is incompatible in
saltwater, its value for submarine construction is
almost incalculable.
:" rs leaves can be employed in the manufacture
of hats, baskets, mats, and many other purposes of
domestic economy; the cabbage,' composed of the
unexpaDded embryo leaves, may be Chased among |
tlemost delicious vegetables produced on our tables
1t is however, wasteful luxury, as the tree al |
ways pershes when deprived Of this part of its |
foliage.
Sorrows along the sea coast of Carolina and
Georgia, confined to the neighborhood of saltw
preierrIng damp, rich soils. Flowers June-July"
And now that we are on the palms, we will give
beautiful description from Linnaus:
Princes Of the vegetable kingdom, of Indian
origin, distinguished by their sheathed and many
spiked flowers, their. flowing habit their LOFTY
stature, the simple elegance of their unbranched
long enduring stem, the leafy evergreen garlands
with which they are crowned, and their princely
treasures of rich frut.''
10 return to the idea Of incorporating specimens
Of the Woods of America in the Washington
Monument, we think such a collection would be
-ull as interesting as that of tbs Rocks America
is rich in its forest trees; they excite the wonder
and admiration of foreign travellers.
The Sylvia of North America by Michaux is
magnificent work. This enthusiastic natural.
lst made an extensive tour over large portion of
the continent, though he did not reach the Rocky
Mountains. Mr.. INITIAL, Professor of Natural His
tory in Harvard University, however, traversed the
continent with party of trappers and hunters. On
his return he added, to add, volume to the
work. Unfortunately for the cause of natural sci
ence this gentleman inherited title and fortune in
England. Unlike the Baron Won Humboldt he
appears to have given up the more laborious re-
searches--in fact we have lost sight of him. Bar
tram, more than a hundred years ago, explored the
Southern States and Florida.
Neither of these interesting works on America
are in the Lyceum Library We advise the wor-
thy managers to add these books, now difficult to
be obtained, to the Library.
We have designated the trees peculiar to some
of the Southern States The catalogue might he
Western and Northern forests.
We will close this somewhat rambling article bv
an extract from Irving's Visit to Abbotsford." Il
will be seen that Walter Scott appreciated the
giants of America:
Our ramble took US on the hills commanding
an extensive prospect. Now said Scott. II have
brought you, like the pilgrim in the Pilgrims Pro-
gress, to the top Of the Detachable Mountains that
may show you all the goodly regions hereabouts
fonder Is Lammermuir, and Smailholme; and
there you have Galashiels, and Torwoodlee, and
Gala Water; and in that direction YOU see Teyiot
dale and the Braes of Yarrow, and Ettrick stream
winding along like silver thread, to throw itself
into the Tweed He went on thus to call over
names celebrated in Scottish song, and most of
which had recently received a romantic interest
from his own pen. In fact saw great part of
the border country spread out before me- and could
trace the scenes of those poems and romances
which had IN manner bewitched the world
i gaZed about me for a time with mute surprise. |
may almost say, with disappointment. | beheld |
mere succession of gray waving hills, line beyond
line, as far as my eye could reach monotonous in |
their aspect and so destitute of trees that one could
almost see a stout fly walking along their profile !;
and the lar-iamed Tweed appeared naked stream,
flowing between bare hills, without tree or tbicret
on its banks and yet such had been the magic
web OF poetry and romance thrown over the whole |
that had greater charm for me than the richest
scenery had beheld IN England. | could not
help giving utterance TO my thoughts Scott
hummed for moment to himself and looked grave.
he had no idea of having his muse complimented
at the expense of his native hills 1T NAV be per
tlnacity, said he at length but to nv eve these
gray hills, and all this wild border country, have
beauties peculiar to themselves. | like the very
nakedness OF the land; it has something bold, and
stern and solitary about it. When | have been
Tor some time in the rich scenery about Edinburgh,
which is like ornamented garden land | begin to
gray hills; and il did not see the heather at
least once year. think should die . The
last words were said with an honest warmth 90 |
companled by thump on the ground with his
stan, by way OF emphasis, that showed his heat
was in his speech. He indicated the Tweed to
as beautiful stream in ITSELF and observed that
he did not dislike it 70 being bare Of trees. proba
bly, from having been much of an angler In b;s
time; and an angler does not like TO have a stream
overhung by trees which embarrass him in the |
exercise of his rod and line.
took occasion TO plead in like manner the
associations Of early life for my disappointment in
respect to the surrounding scenery. | had been so
accustomed to see hills crowned with forests and
streams breaking their way through wilderness Of
trees, that all my ideas Of romantic landscape were
apt to be well wooded. 'Ay, and that's the great
charm OF your country cried Scott. You love |
the forest as do the heather but would not have
you think do not feel the glory of a great wood
land prospect. There is nothing | should like |
more than to be in the midst of one OF your grand
wild original forests, with the idea of hundreds of
miles OF untrodden forests around me- once saw
at Leith an immense stick of timber, Just landed
from America. 1t must have been an enormous |
tFaa Nuhn Nl,1s :.