New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-02-01
OUR AMERICAN WOODS.
PROFESSOR sARGENrs GREAT WORK.

THE SILVA OF NORTH AMERICA. A description
of the trees which grow naturally In North America
pirector Of the Arnold Xrborctum OF Harvard Uni
versity Illustrated with figures and analyses drawn
from nature by Charles Edward Faxon, and engraved
by Phlbert and Eugene Pcart. Vol ], Mag.
noiaceae 70 Illcineac. Boston oo ana Ne"-horh'
Houghton, Mi6iin d co. 1871. go
little more than year ago DR.. c. Hart Mer-
fiam. of the Agricultural Department at Wash
ineton. was making some investigations in
the San Francisco Mountains of Arizona,
when he discovered a silver FIR which
in certain characters differs widely from
other known American trees of this genus. An
examination of its cones is necessary before the
place Of this tree can be fully determined but it
is probably species which has never before been
described At all events no one would be suryised
at the announcement that new tree had Feen
found in some UNEMPLOYED section Of our wttcrn
mountains, along the Mexican border or in South
crn Florida Even in region so well known as
the southern Alleghanes, where lynX-eyed botan-
lists since the time of William Bartram and the
two Michaux have been constantly securing the
woods, the Carolina hemlock escaped detection
for nearly hundred years. The volume OF the
Tenth Census devoted to forestry contained the
most complete catalogue of trees known 10 no
growing within the United States eight years ago,
list in accordance with our present knowledge In
1887 Dr. Heinrich Mayr on his way across the
American continent to take his place Professor OF
Silviculture In the University of Japan found re-
markable species Of pine Pinus latifoia) In the
Santa Rita Mountains Of Southern Arizona. Not
long before that Mr. Thomas Howell discovered
on the rugged slopes Of the Siskiyou Mountains of
Northern California a spruce Picea Breweriana)
with long, pendulous branches and conspicuously
different In habit from any Of its congcners.
Three oaks have been added to the list,
while two beautiful acacias not before known as
natives have been found growing wild in Texas.
On one Of tho larger Florida Reef Keys Professor
Sargent discovered an arboresoent palm in 1886
which is 30 widely different from any other known
pecies that new genus was made to accommodate
t. Several other trees might be named either
Absolutely new or newly discovered as indigenous,
Soms Of them of great beauty and probably OF
economic importance like the lyothamnus de-
tected on the Island of Santa Cruz, which not
only has snowy flowers and beautiful foliage. but
o wood Of suoh close grain that it may become
rival Of the Turkey lockwood for fine engravings
Besides this. too. several shrubs have been raised
to the dignity Of trees like the handsome Texan
ash tFraxnus cuspidata) and Hex monticola.
deoiduous holly known for years a widely dis
tributed and low-growing shrub. but only found
thirty or forty feet in height in the mountains OF
Carolina
From all this It is plain that treatise on the
trees Of tho United States (which would include
the trees Of the Dominion of Canada, for all OF
them occur within our boundaries) could not have
been written much earlier without needing con-
siderable revision in the future. The increase of
our knowledge during the last decade also in
dictates in some degree the wonderful richness of
the arborescent vegetation Of this country. The
climate Of Europe Is remarkably favorable for
growth. DR.. Gray has truly said that Great
Britain alone can grow double or treble the num-
Der Of trees that the Atlantic States can. And
vet in half days ride between the magnolias, at
the base of a North Carolina mountain, and the
frs on its summit, one more species of
native trees than would be observed in crossing
the entire continent Of Europe. To this ATLANTIC
forest with its almost unrivalled diversity Of
species, must be added the Pacific forest entirely
distinct in composition, with wealth of conifers
to compensate In some degree for its poverty in
hardwoods. These widely differing forest foras
by no means comprise all our trees, for many
species have wandered from the forests of the
great Mexican plateau across our borders into
Arizona and Texas, while sixty seventy more,
which belong to the fora of the West Indies. are
found in Florida.
The silva of North America, exclusive of Mexico.
now comprises, so far as is known, 422 species
for although some twenty five species have
beed added to the Az trees of the list, be-
sides few varieties raised TO specific rank, and
three species separated from Others with which they
they have been COMPOUNDED, there have been reduc-
lions from the list well. Thirteen of the species
which appeared as trees have now been dropped,
because later investigation shows that they are
shrubs only. two species are found TO have been
frpps yVh
once considered as true species are now reduced
to the rank Of varieties. The author who under
takes the systematic account Of silva so varied
plainly needs specific preparation, and Professor
Sargent has enjoyed singular advantages in this
direction As director of the Arnold Arboretum
he has for years been collecting all the woody
plants which will survive TIE climate Of Massa-
chusetts, and to this end has been in CORE
spondence with the leading authorities in botani
cal science throughout the world. In preparing
the forestry statistics for the Tenth Census he
made journeys TO all parts of the Union to in
vestigatc the living trees, he superintendent ex-
perimcnts to determine the physical properties
of their woods and made exhaustive studies of
their photography. Since then he has crossed
the Continent twice in connection with the
Northern Transcontinental Survey and he has been
gathering the remarkable series of wood speci-
mems for the Jesup collection in the Museum Of
Natural History in this city. All this time and
for years before and in many long journeys taker
for this express purpose he has kept steadily in
view the accumulation of material for the monu-
mental work of his life until, with the cxcep
ton Of half dozen and local species re-
Gently detected, he has studied every tree Of the
country in living state. The appearance of the
first volume of the Silva" gives an opportunity
to pass judgment on the result of his labors and
although in a work O such rnaCDitudp OniniOns
must differ AS TO details there can be no question
as to its thoroughness and accuracy. or the wide
learning and sound judgment displayed 1t will
undoubtedly take rank among the select works of
the great masters of descriptive science.
The first quartO volume of the SILVA con-