The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-01-09
The Botany Of North Carolina.

little more than a century since OuI
existence as a free, and independent
Nation to the present time, every de-
partment of science and the arts has
felt the animating influence of real
progressive improvement. Botany
and Zoology, representing the organ.
&c. and Geology, the inorganic objects
of creation, with several of their de-
rivative~ branches, but little known in
1915, have ince that date made aston
ishing advaacements. while a host OF
new OlOgtes, which limited space for
bids me to enumerate, have success
lively sprung into conspicuous notice,
and claim no small share of scientific,
or economic Importance. The won
derful achievements OF steam, blOUing
itself INTO nOtOriety, in its m%ultifarious
uses, near the beginning of the pres
ent century, and, a few years later.
the marvellous operations of the tele-
graph by almost astonishing time, in
the TRANSMISSION of intelligence on
land, or beneath old oceans depths.
had scarcely ceased to excite astonish-
ment, when u ears were delighted
with the sublime workings of the tel
ephone, reproducing the sounds of the
human voice between points distant
" connected, as ''friend speaketh
face to face" Wonders will never
cease.
1t is proposed in this article, to Of
fer few remarks on the progress Of
Botany, principally within the limits
of North Carolina, which may be in
teresting to the scientific, as well as
h general reader. To an Agricul
tural people, there can be no subject
more important than a practical
knowledge Of Botany.
No department of nature presents
higher claims to our attention than
the vegetable kingdom. 1t affords us
articles indispensable for food. cloth
ing. shelter, and warmth; and with
out its constant ministrations, with
our constitution, existence would be
impossible. The study of the ~exauis-
itely beautiful objects which it pre-
sents, exerts the happiest influence On
all our social and moral feelings. The
t1Ower-pots IN the cottage window of
the poor, or about the dwellings of the
wealthy, are always attractive, and
almost sure indications of social hap
piness within. On no page of creation
can be found more distinctly written
the wisdom, benevOlence, and love of
the Creator, than on that, which ex-
hibits the structure and adoption of
organization to the circumstances,
and genial growth Of the humblest
vegetable.
The Plants of North Carolina have
long claimed the attention of Botan-
lists, both in Europe and America. and
are regarded as unsurpassed in their
variety, beauty, and utility by those of
any other State in the Union. Even
during our Colonial existence, a con-
siderable lumber of intelligent OBJ
servers were found actively engaged
in making botanical collections from
the broad wilderness outspread be-
fore them, then covered with lofty
trees of the forests, and richly decora-
ted with the smaller floral beauties of
nature. One of the earliest local
Floras. worthy Of no.e, was Clayton'S
"FTOra Virginicd," being his collection
Of plants, described and classified by
Gronovius, ofiHolland, and published
in 1852. In his work, we find among
other remarkable plants, the Ginseng
Of our high mountains, extensively
used by the Chinese as a panaceG for
all the ILLS that flesh is heir to-" prop
erly noticed. Also. that peculiar sub
terraneous fungoid substance (Pdchymo
CocOs) commonly called Iuck0hoc,
consisting Of nearly pure fdrina which
he says the Indians use for food (Ao
pancm conJfcjendum LndS utuntur.
.MarshdUs ''Arbustrum A~mericdnum'
the American Grove, giving a Cata-
logue of the native trees and shrubs OF
the United States, appeared in 1855,
and although the enumeration is a
meager one, yet it is worthy of anti
quarian veneration as being the first
work aver issued from the press of our
country on American Botany.
Catesby's Natural History of the
Carolinas, Florida, and the Bahama
Islands, containing handsome color
ed plates Of ''birdes, beasts, fishes,
serpents, insects, and plants" was
published in London in 1771.
William Bartrom, was the first bot
anist who visited the Southern portion
Of the Allegheny Mountains. He left
Philadelphia in 1878, acting under the
auspices Of DR.. Fothergill, of London.
to whom the principal part Of his CO =
lections was sent. After travelling in
Florida. and Georgia for three years.
he visited the mountains of the Chero'
kee country in 1910. In his journey,
he noticed the remarkable intermix
ture of numerous forms of Northern
and Southern vegetation. Of the lat
ter class may be named the POnt
Pine, several species Of the Magnolia
and the PolmettO, the last named In
creasiIlg in appearance In a Southern
direction, and forming the representa-
the emblem of a sister State.
The mountains of North Carolina on
the Western border of the State, are
several hundred feet higher than an,
others in the Union, producing a eli
mate difference in temperature equal
at least to ten degrees Of latitude
Hence. on the lofty summit of Noun