Arizona weekly citizen., 1885-08-15
FROM THE FOREST.
SPECIMENS OF THE VARIOUS TREES
 OF THE UNITED STATES.
Portions of the Bark and Transyer.e and Longitudinal Sections of the Wood -EXtraordInary Growths-P.-
 culiar Formations.
IScientihc American.

AsHSANAAAlAe AlAtElGdl-l
 There has recently been placed on ex hlbiilon, at the New York Museum oi Natural History, an almost compete rep resentatlon of the trees of the United states, between 400 and 500 trunk sec. uons oi the different species These speci mens are about five feet eight inche lonp each. cut in such manner as to disnlay their parks and the transverse and longi tudinal sections of the wood. This is done by cutting away one side Of each specimen at the top to the deptb oi one-haf the diameter of the trunk and for one-third of iiS length One-halt oi each exposed portion is polls. ed 10 illus raie tLe effect of this treatment of the wood, tie remainder being left in the natural condition. with the top of the up per divided part finished by beveling. In The case of trees of commercial ilnpor. lance this forIn of representation is sun p!emented ty carefully selected blanks, or by burls. showing better than the logs the true industrial value of the wood
 Among specimens of this kin, is a plank oi redwood tSequOia sempervirensi. meas uring eight and one-half feet in width. A species remarkable for slow growth. and which is oUlr ;wenty-four inches in diam. eler' shows an age of ilO years. being the oldest tree in the collection. This Is the l!cea tngelmanni. named for its discoy- erer, Dr Engelmann,, and known also as tngeimanns spruce. An example of slow growth Is seen in the Pinus edulis. or cd ible pine. from Arizona. called also nut pine. The seed of this pine. which re- sembles a good sized bean. Is used by the Indians for food A tree of this species which is 369 years old measures only ff- teen inches in diameter Another speci- men. which is 3il years old. shows a di. ameter of thirty-seven inches. It is the western shell bark hickory (Carya suleaia rom Allentown, Mo. The same locality is represented by specimen of the Tilia Americana, or basswOod. which Is forty inches in diameter and ljO years old.
 This valuable collection. numerically exceeding that made in connection with i-e census reports. includes examples of many curious and interesting species. of which probably the complete natural ser. it- could never have been viewed in their native soil " any single traveller. how ever diiiscnL Among the specimens of such interest is that Of the Gleditsohia C. acanihus. or money locust, from Mis- sluTL his is a tree Of singular appear auce It's trunk is covered with thorn clusters. the spikes shooting raylike in all directions from their growth ceniers These thorn formations have their basis iu the lark alone. without any source whatever in the wood itself. not even teaching it. and are easily detached. IL was. therefore. necessary tO suspend the tree from Inc ceiling of the car in it's jour Icy from the west.
 Another e iua ly extraordinary tree is a l.g l. al rcU- giganius. which resembles a uuted column. ltIs a tree which can be readily taken all to pieces. It's component parts are in the form of yerticle sections of twisting cursaiures in the line of their circumference. whereby one portion is fitted exactly tO another. They can be separated without the slightest difficulty. in the absence of any heart at the center for their attachment The Washington palm Washinctoniani filiferal from south rrn California is also curious The spec linen includes the top of the tree. which is severed from ihe body, and bears is dried and yellow wide spreading leaves. Its peculiariiy is in the ring formations of the trunk. which are almost wholly dc tached from each other. standing one within ano'her like succession of forms of bark They are easily detached from each other
 The cocoanut tree from Key West and the finely Odorous nutmeg tree from Cali fornia are among other specimens of i'm poTtance The catalpa Is represented as . syecies most remarkable for it's dura. bility. Some of this wood known 10 have been buried in the earth for seventy five years has been brought out in per fec,iy sound condition. Specimens of beautiful woods are seen in the holapen sis. the arbuius sweet bay Cfersea carO- linensis. Alaska cedar C hamr cyTaris nd the beautifully figured maple burl from Missouri
 With only seven unimpOrtant eXcep tions, the specific gravity, ash, and fuel value of the wood of every indigenous aboresCent species of the United States have been scientifically determined