New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-19
NORTH AMERICAN TREES.
MR.. sARGENTS NEW VOLUME.

ton Of the Trees Which Grow Naturally In
spr rse Sargent, Director Of the Arnold Arbcre
tum OF Harvard University. Illustrated with
CHARLES Edward Faxon. Volume VII. Laura
ceae. Juglandaceae. Boston and New-iorK'
Houehton. Mhiin Co.
The successive volumes OF this colossal work
are appearing with commendable regularity.
That they follow each other as closely as they 90
shows that the preparatory studies upon which
Professor Sargent has been engaged for the last
twenty years have been comprehensive and thor
ough. and that many OF Mr.. Faxon's accurate ana
graceful drawings had been finished before the
first volume was announced With Volume VII
which appeared early this year. the last half OF
tho serics begins and as We think OF what has
gone before 1t one is more than ever impressed
with the wonderful wealth OF our forest nora ana
the heroic labor which II has cost TO make per-
sonal examination OF so many species scattered
over a continent and 10 collect material ana make
tho Investigations needed for a work 30 complete
and accurate II We multiply the NUMBER OF
trees native to the continent OF Europe by twenty
we would hardly have as many as are iound WIN
IN the limits OF the United States. for In addition
TO two rich and distinct noras. one OF when Is
found on our Atlantic coast and the other on the
Pacific there are something like eighty other
trees which belong to neither group geographcai-
w. some OF them having strayed over from 'he
West Indies and South America to the Florida
coast or the small islands adjacent to H. whhe
others in Texas. Arizona New-Mexlco and sou'h
California are outlying representatives or the Tor
ests OF Mexico. In the 1rst six OF the twelve vol
umes which will be needed to tell the story OF all
cur trees. among the better known genera eight
species and varieties of magnolia have been de-
scribed and figured, two gordonias three bass
cboc Ave
eyes. eleven NAPLES and box elders. five sumachs.
three Iocusts two honey locusts. two redbuds.
three acacias, more than dozen wild plums
and cherries anu. half many crab apples ana
mountain ashes fourteen thorns. two amelan-
CHEERS three dogwoods, three sour gums. two eld-
ers two viburnums three arbutuses. four bu-
melias two persimmons. two halesias, ten ashes
and two catalpas. Besides these we have the
stately tulip tree the hop tree, the yellow wood,
the Kentucky coffee tree, the witch hazel. the
luuidambar the giant cactus, the sorrel tree'
kalmia and a rhododendron which attain the
stature Of trees in our southern mountains, the
sweet leaf and Virginia fringe tree. making list
Of some one hundred and fifty trees OF all sizes-a
collection of SURPRISING usefulness TO man ana
rich in types Of arboreal beauty. Besides these
there are occasional trees like the mahogany
which are well known outside OF our boundaries,
and many more In tropical Florida and along our
southeastern border, whose names would mean
little or nothing to the general reader Ihese
have all been described and figured, many OF
them requiring more than one drawing to set
forth leaf and flowers of different sexes and fruit
so that the first half Of the Silva contains exact
~ three hundred plates
II ought to be said, too. that in addition to the
description Of individual species and varieties
there is a full account Of every genus which mas
one or more representatives In our forest, setung
forth Its geographical range and general charac-
teristics so that the work is much more than
descriptive list OF the species found In the North
American Continent. and it might be more prop
erly characterized account OF our own trees
and of those to which they are closely allied
throughout the world The grand scale on which
the work was planned and the abundance OF ma
terial collected insure for each successive volume
all the freshness and varied interest which were
commanded by the first one OF the series; ana
when 1t Is remembered that besides those already
spoken OF and those In the volume before us the
great array OF oaks Is yet to come. with the
birches, alders. willows. poplars, horhpeams'
chestnuts. beeches. palms and yuccas, as well as
the great family OF conifers which alone Will en-
brace more than eighty species and varieties we
need not fear that the series will ever become
monotonous or wearisome.
The first member Of the laurel family treated
I'm Volume VII is the red bay. large and hand
some broad-leaved evergreen, which Is found In
the forests Of the coasts along the South Atlantic
and Gulf from Virginia to Texas. and northward
west Of the Mississippi to Southern Arkansas
Like most Of the species OF Persea this tree yields
handsome wood. and. although rarely planted. II
would make a valuable ornament for Southern
parks and gardens, The sassafras In one OF our
best known and most interesting trees, with dis
,inct aromatic odor and conspicuous beauty At
every season. Even In winter the shining green
bark Of the branchle,s give II marked individu-
atty Of expression. while It's yellow flowers In
spring the rich green color Of It's foliage In sum
mer. It's dark blue fruit, with It's bright scarlet
caiyx tube and stalk and tho light yellow tint OF
It's fading foliage In the autumn. are all attrac-
tive Almost as common on the Pacific Coast In
the great California laurel Of the same botanical
family, one OF the most dignlned Of our native
trees It's dense habit and the dark glossy foliage
Of its broad and massive crown make Ii strk-
ing object Of a California landscape Following
the poison manchlnee and three other Southern
trees belonging to the Euphorbaceae. we come
to the elms. which are we'll known throughout all
the northern temperate regions of the globe ex-
cept our Pacific Coast. OF the fifteen species
recognized by botanists. five belong to this coun-
try. The common white elm is one Of the state
lest and most graceful trees in our Northeastern
States. and has always been favorte for plant
ing in parks and along roadsides. and New
England homesteads. 1t is not conspicuous for
it's flowers nor for its autumn foliage but Its
arching branches which rise like great foun-
tain from a massive central stem. give Il the dis
tinct form which makes so characteristic feat
ure of our northern landscapes. The rock elm is
another handsome tree which deserves to be
planted more than ever 1t has been. 1t ranges
from Quebec to Nebraska. and often reaches a
height Of hundred feet. The wahoo, or winged
elm. is a more southern Species often planted as
O STRAIT FREQ in southern towns for which mir