New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-04
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
NORTH AMERICAN TREES.


Illustrated with figures and analyses drawn from
nature BY Charles Edward FaXon' and engraved by
acardlac eae-Le gumlnosae. Large Alto, PIP. 141 80
9 orS i'"''''"' '''''' q va '''''' I'LL" '
The third volume of the twelve which viii be re
ouired to complete Professor sargents great work
contains descriptions OF thirtysix trees with fifty IL
lustratlve plates In noticing the early volumes OF
the Silva VIC spoke OF the remarkable excellence Of
these portraits and the added to the
series justify all that was said in their praise The
botanical student cannot but be Srathed bS the
thorough way in which all the characters Of every
plant arc given and tie accuracy with which these
details can be brought ont by the simple methol OF
lightly shaded outline never better illustrated
While these scientific characte give the pictures the
essential value to the student the artistic qnaly III
drawing and grouping is never neglected, and the
sharp and clear reproduction Of the artists lded j.
faithfully secured by the engraving on copper Inc
plates are all good that 1t is difficult to hame any
examples which are lspicuousy better than the rest
but the Illustration Of the staghorn suInach the u
OF the Kentucky coffee tree and honey locust anu lc
flowers OF the mesquite and some OF the acacaN may
be selected striking examples OF MI faAo"
method.
All the trees described In this volume belong 10 '"o
botanical familes-the Anacardiaceae, In which our
sumach are found and the Legumlnosae lncludlhs 'e
locusts red buds and acacias. The hrSt tree oc.oe
is tho American smOke-tree, with which FEW peopc '
acquainted as II Is found in only two or hree lso'e
mountain glens in the South and 1t has not yet come
into general use as ornamental Tec' 1t ieNo"oV'
very closely the Venetian sumach, winch Is well Nio"'
In marks and gardens. The American sInoke-ucc
would soon have been eXterminacd II 1t hao moi
been introduced into cultivation through the Aruoiu "
boretum some ten years ago. II Is haruH d s"'
and desirable a garden plant rs Its European N''vNc'
although by careful selection II may be modhcu anu u
veloped into a plant conspicuous rs the one WIN"
hos heen cultivated for generations for It's CLUSTERS
q, brightly coored pedcels and whose beauty mas ho
doubt been greatly enhanced by the art OF g'uee' W
the rhuses proper botansts describe more han
spec,es and many Of them possess very vaiuaoie oo
omical properties. The lacquer tree OF Ohi"' Oh"
yanan which furnishes the famous black varhlsh' i
rims vernicifer9 and the vegetable wax rom japan
comes from The fruit of the same tree ana that VI
bus scccdanea The Chinese gals which are used IN inc
manufacture of fannie acid come from rhuS sc"'''
while the chief source of tannm ltSen Is io'n mus
coriaria OF Southern Europe. VI the hVe A'no'i'"n
snecles described the first Is the exceedingly po>oo
though beautiful rhus metopium, the socaHed poison
woods of southern Florida our two most common
ochs In This latitude and both well known Tor ticl
brilliant foliage in autumn aild conspicuous no"ers
and fruit are rhus typhna ana copahha' li'0 P
dorvood of our Northern swamps and the mos, u"'l
cerous plant I'm our North American fora Is interest
Ing for its close relation TO the japanese lacquer u
and the list concludes with rhus ln'esrnoi"' ~"
fragrant sumach OF the Pacific Coast.
Tho first trees of general interest among u,0 -
,inosoe are the robinlas ocusts. The well hlo"H
black locust one of the most beautiful oil hoMerine
trees and most valuable Of timber trees i"''Di '
slopes OF the Appalachian Mountains from fehh9a N""
IN Northern Georgia, but 1t has become na'l''n%ou ~
most parts OF the territory Of the OhlVu S'"'0S ~
~ the Rocky Mountains. II is more generally Pi'e0
In Europe for timber and ornament than any other
american tree and In cultivation 1t has developer
numerous varieties marked by pecuIlarit'cs Vi Wv
,o,,oce habit and flowers. The Clammy locust u
viscosa) is one of the rarest of all our trees, iro'
the time Michaux found It in the southern Alee"a"!
Mountains IT was never seen again In wild STATE
until 1852. when it was found on Buz%rds Kadge III
Nortb Carolina as n shrub with stems only few lec'
high II has been preserved in cultivation. however
where 1t often atains height OF FORTY lee'' anu ~.
handsome foliage and beautiful flowers have maze 1t
always popular garden plant in the United states ana
IN Europe. There is still another locust-the only
western specIes-which IS found in Northern New
Mexico and the santa Rita Mountains Of Arizona.
This tree was discovered by the late Dr. Thurbe ana
II has q present interest from the fact that IL mas
lately Powered in cultivation for the hrst umc III
America at the Arnold Arboctum 1t Is called koohia
Nea Mexicana Another tree among the rare anu !o'"'
ones OF Eastern North Carolina, but which has become
ouite common I'm cultivation, is the yelow-wool
f,adrastis lutea which is found the limestone cf
Of Kentucky and Tennessee and on the western slopes
OF the high mountains Of North Carolina. IhlS IS one
Of the most beautiful Towering trees Of our forests ana
I'm spite Of It's limited natural range II thrves almost
everywhere east Of the arid region. rare tree 100
In orr forests IS the Kentucky coffee tree although
II ranges from New-York westward 20 The valley OF
the Minnesota River and the Indian Territory ana
southwark between the Allegheny Mountains ana the
Mississippi to middle Tennessee In the company with
black walnut hickory red elm and other trees
which love the rich soil OF bottom lands, II sometn''S
sends up a straight trunk seventy feet to the first
limb The lirhtness and grace of It's great compound
leaves its stately habit and rapid growth make it
most desirable tree for ornamental planting. Some
splendid specimens in Bronx Park ought 10 make II
more familiar residents OF this city than we fear 1t Is
Besides the water locust Of southern coast,
which is hardy in the Northern states. the genus
gleditsia Is represented only by The honey locust
tree which is well known in ornamental plantations and
which valuable for its ability to support the dronth
and smoke Of cities better than most trees. and which
when we'll grown forms spreading head OF light and
lustrous leaves surmountng massive oak Trunk
In some of the rich valleys Of the streams Of southern
Indiana this attans size Of l2J to 40 feet In
height with a trunk six feet in diameter. Very orna-
mental too is the red bud Judas tree. which reaches
It's best development In Southern Arkansas and the
Indian Territory 1t grows naturally, however from
the valley Of the Delaware River In NcwJersey 70
the shores OF Tampa Bay the ranges westward with
some interruptions to the slopes Of the Sierra Madre In
Mexico. II is hardly much north Of its native home
ana SIOW'ns TdpiNlN IL stJH Hah'> "iuNiN pi'H'"N'
tree, which Is always handsome, and In the early
spring, when It's branches clothed with brilliant
pink flowers, 1t makes a conspicuous feature In any
landscape.
Perhaps the most interesting OF all the trees In this
volume is the mesquite Of our Southwestern arid
regions It's tap often descends TO great depth In
search Of water and II does not branch decrease
mach In diameter until this Is reached. With
failing supply Of moisture from the lower strata it is
not dependent for water the surface soil the
subsou. These roots appear to develop almost indie
pendeny Of the leaves and sometimes descend sixty
feet before the stems than two three feet
high. The great roots furnish valuable fuel which is
dug from the ground dragged out by in pieces
fifteen twenty feet long in regions whore wood
Of fuel value Is produced above ground The pods Of
the tree also furnish valuable food both for man and