New-York tribune., 1894-04-13
NORTH AMERICAN TREES.
MR. sARGENTs NEW VOLUME.

THE SILVA OF NORTH AMERICA. A .I.;i!, Descrip,
tion Of the Trees Which Grow Natnra,iy AZ ,as an
sprasue Sargent. Director of the Arnold Ar Ar
boretum OF Harvard nversy FROM SatIre
BY Charles Edward Faxon, and enGraVed 1i py
ameiideae- Sapotaceae Boston and NewYork.
Houghton, Mifilin Co. 1894
As will be seen from the title. this volume in
cludes the trees which belong to twelve different
botanical families and its ifty-four plates
necessarily cover a wide botanical range only
two OF the genera described, however contain
trees Of the first size which have importance
in forests as timber trees. One of these Is
the lquidamber, which sometimes reaches
height Of 14O feet. with straight trunk four or
five feet through. 1t ranges from Connecticut to
Florida and Southeastern Missouri and, reappear-
ing in the mountains of Central Mexico. extends
southwark as far as Guatemala. In the basin Of
the Lower Mississippi. and in the maritime region
Of our Southern Atlantic States the Liquidam-
ber or sweet gum is one of the most common
Of forest trees. especially in low lands which
are annually inundated. In the North 1t Is sell
dom more than sixty feet high. and rarely pro-
duces a trunk more than two feet in diameter.
AS hardwoods are becoming scarce. there is a
growing demand for timber of this tree, which
once was considered Of very little importance
Its tough and heavy wood takes fine satiny
polish and its bright brown color and white
sapwood make It useful for the interior finish
of buildings It Is valuable tree for orna-
mental planting. as II can be raised easily from
seed. and grows with great rapidity IN almost
every kind Of soil It's narrow pyramidal shape
adapts II for street planting and for single speci-
mems on the lawn. viii, Its leaves are unsur-
passed in beauty Of form and in the brightness OF
their autumn colors.
The sour gum. or tupelO. IS another tmOer
free which is sometimes 100 ;ect high. and its
trunk, which is Usually short often expands at
the base 10 a diameter Of five feet. The wood is
difficult to split and hard to work but 1t Is
occasionally used now since more valuable kinds
os timber have become nearly exterminated.
II Is seen at its best In the Allegheny Mountains
of Carolina and Tennessee. but everywhere II is
distinct in habit and it is one Of the most pic
turesoue trees of Eastern North America. The
leaves are small but very abundant, ana have a
peculiar lustre in summer, while in the autumn
they turn to a glowing scarlet, which Is only
equalled in intensity by those of the red maple
the sweet gum and the Towering doSwood. Two
other tupelos are figured in this volume. one
the sour tupelo CNyssa Ogeche), rare and local
tree, which is found occasionally in Georgia
South Carolina and Northern Florida. and the
other the tupelo gum CNyssa aquatica). a South
the cypress swamps of Texas and Louisiana.
Another timber tree is found in family where
II would hardly be expected. though there are
severa, cactuses which grow with stout CO.
lumnar stem and may properly be considered as
trees Cereus Giganteus is the largest of these
inhabiting the arid regions of our Southwestern
Territories 1t sometimes grows 10 a height OF
sixty feet, with a trunk two feet in diameter
rather the thickest just below the middle and
tapering slightly toward the top and bottom.
Its lonely shafts. which look as If they had been
hewn out Of granite add greatly to the pictur-
esaueness Of the dry. gravelly mesas. where II
is found The wood of these cactus pillars Is
coarse grained and very light, and yet II IS
strong and can be polished into a satiny sur
face The Indians use them for fencing ana
for lances and they make good rafters Tot
adobe houses and when in contact with the
ground are almost indestructible Another large
tree which IS unfamiliar to the inhabitant Of the
East is the madrOna, whose straight truNk II
sometimes six or seysl feet in diameter, and
carries a round-topped head which reaches to a
height of 10 feet on high. well-draned slopes
and on rich soils from British Columbia through
the California coast ranges TO the Santa Lucia
Maintains No other broad-leaved evergreen In
the forests Of North America equals 1t in size,
while the big magnolia of our Southern States.
the kalmia and the rhodOdendron are the only
evergreens which produce such beautiful dos
sons Besides its glistenng foliage and masses
Of white flowers, 1t bears in its season great
clusters Of brilliant fruit. and these. together
with its general form, the red brown bark OF us
trunk. and its smooth. brght-red branches make
II an object Of remarkable beauty at every sea
son and one of the most desirable trees Tor the
decoration Of parks and gardens where IL VIII
flourish. Another madrona, ArDutus ArZoiiiod
is found in Arizona. In its outer aspect II
differs from the California madrona in having
male green leaves. with a white bark and bright
red branches 1t is also beautiful in fruit ano
flower. and its habit, which is like that Of
small white oak makes it particularly distinct
There is a Texas madrona too, rare and loca
tree which grows on dry limestone hills anc
reaches height OF eighteen or twenty feet.
But while 50 few of familiar forest trees
of the first size are found in the botanica
families which are covered by this volume Il
contains many smaller trees OF singular IN
terest and striking beauty. Among these th'
dogwoods take the lead, the best OF which Is oui
common cornus florida. a low bushy tree In thi'
region but reaching a height OF forty 1cet VIII
a stout trunk foot and a half through IN th'
rich valleys Of the Southern Aneghanies IL Il
a very common tree, generally founu III LII
shade Of taller trees all through lhe ueciuuo"
forests of the Middle and Southern States an'
often fringng the borders Of forests along TN
fields and roadways where 1t hourishes TO TN
best advantage, half In light and half IN shade
Whether in the springtme, when us ghuterih'
white flowers. rather floral leaves ehiiVeh al
ne woods or in the autumn. when the scarie
its foliage again lights them up, 1t is on
Z the most beautiful Of our small trees
-,,,e,ies with red flowers and with pendulOu
ranches have been discovered in our woods am
.,,tivated Larger than the Towering dogwoo
Cornus Nutallii Of the Pacific Coast 1t Otter
caches a height of sixty feet. and In excep
.,onal cases 100 feet In the snowy whitenes
OF ifs great flowers and in the dazzling color o