New-York tribune., 1896-12-29

ny Chac cIic,,e,,e Boston and Ne"-'
Iougn;on Mfiln & CO. .
Tho ninth volume OF this mastery
clraes descriptions Of our rhes'"" -.
,o,rbeaus birchcs. aldcrs. WILLOWS a"u ~,
s,d Mr.. Faxon contributes 10 E .,o
.xou,site drawings In when II" ,,,,
,o,arist bv accuracy Of detail co'ip''" n
grace and naturalness IN cohPoa'' -,
.u,..,oss With which the pictorial part oi ,he
work has been carried out VIII ="
-, - a,, one who takes the aims 10 eoiii-
mare Mr. Faxon's enlarged dra"lnss roo,,
soo,,ors os fruit. or seed. or floral organ as S'
under a magnifying glass; wniie sum ".D ~
.hoso of the Towering branch OF a ches'nu'' %
'"'" ,., ,rorcb of the same tree with us
ooan burrs. make their own appear u '"0
- .. ovorv one even IL he does not
-. ,,o difference between staminate anu
,..u,o,o nover Admiration Of these draWi'sS
'..,...s.s os the successive volumes appear anu
H.. confirm, the opinion that no more l'nPo' ''''
.o,,s,oc,or, series OF plant illustrations mas
over been published. ,oa
rho frs. tree described Is the soiueh-
chestnut. or chnquapin of the fac'.c
<,astanonsIs chrysophya, one or ihe "o'''''
.,o,o,ies. inhabitants Of our forests as II p
nears among the conifers in the rnoiS' "i' -
ooas. valleys OF Northern California. us ma
sive nnted trunk rises often 10 elEh'' i'e =,
ont n limb and is from five 10 Ten iee' 80
ometer Individual trees sorne'i'icS
height ~ $50 feet. with a broad fou"" - 49,
cal head of thick brilliant leaves lus'rous So
above and golden yellow below. FROM ''''' N'-''
g., c;,a !, crows smaller as il climbs the noun
..;, CLONES until at high elevations in the coast
r.,ge II is little more than a shrub 'he NUS
gro swee, and edible and rather smalsr Una"
those Of the Southern chinquaph' WIN"
eiso hush in the Alleghanics. although II ne
comes q tree fifty feet high In Southern ArHan-
sas This chinquapin, Castanea pumiia' Is per
fcctjv hardy in New-England. where IL ripens
fruit and ii Is well worth planting IN our -Noi'"
ern marks and gardens The common ches'"u'
of this region. one Of our finest trees r'aii"e
the best oaks in the wide sweep OF i's pia"One'
,s as,ec,auv beautiful when It's great dome-like
head is covered with spikes or crea'i'-oo'o, {"
cowors IN Julv: but It's cheerful foliage massive
form and rectangular ramihcation MAKE IL III
terestinr and beautiful at all seasons. Many
efforts are now being made TO improve 'ie
quality OF the nuts of our native species by ny
h,;aizi,s and selection Most OF the trees when
,roduce nuts of the largest size have foreign
,,ood I'm them and as the Old World chestnut
"a distinctly inferior to the native In havor'
eoroo Of these crosses are less desirable tnah
,beir annearances indicate. The earliest Euro
mean travellers in America noted the abundance
md sweet flavor of these nuts, the hrst account
being written by one Of the followers OF De oo.o
IN work published in 1909 Captain Johh
Smith. IN his book published IN 1912, described
the chinquapin as small fruit growing OF h'-
tie trees husked like a chestnut
America has but one species or beech. ana IL
deserves to be ranked with the famous inhabi-
,ar,s Of European woods and parks. and with
the Japanese beech. a tree closely resembling
the Fagus sylvatica of Europe. Our own beecn
fs distributed very widely from the valley Oh
the Restigouche River TO the valley or the Irini-
w. In Texas 1t reaches the per1ectlon OF Ns
form among the evergreen magnohas on 'he
bluffs Of the Lower Mississippi. and on the slopes
of the southern Allegheny Mountains. IL IS
easily raised from seed, and as easily transplant
ed, and It Is a matter Of surprise that IL Is not
o,tener seen in our older pleasure grounds But
I'm the beginning OF the century our trees were
divided into two classes. namely. native trees
md ornamental trees and therefore Enshsh
oaks and elms and European beeches were I'M
norted before our ancestors began to plant the
treos of our own forests. The European beech,
however has proved that it is a good tree here,
s Il is on the other side of the Atlantic. and II
succeeds in America as well as any other Euro
mean tree. with the possible exception OF certain
willows our native species can be easily dis
tngushed from the beech trees of the Old World
by the lighter green of the leaves, and the great
er sharpness of their teeth. and particularly by
the greater paleness and smoothness or the park.
This is Professor Sargents appreclative sum-
mary of its qualities:
The beech, with its noble habit. It's smooth
male blueshs gray bark and its cheerful 1oilaGe,
;s one of the most beautiful inhabitants OF the
forests of Eastern North America III Is oe-
i,ehtful in early spring. when the lengthening
their delicate. lustrous, brightly tinted scales
and when few days later 1t is covered WIN
graceful dropping clusters of stamlnate howers.
The tender green OF It's Vefhai leaves ei,ii' en-, ems
the forest when the oaks and hicxories are but
inst beginning to awaken from tner winter
slumbers, and the contrasts or ignt anu shaue a''
as the sun plays with lts Wiue-spreauinS
branches increase its beauty when II IS clothed
with the deep green foliage in summer. or with
its brilliant yellow autumnal garb But IL is IN
winter, when the color or It's park IS priehtes''
when the structure of its head is plainly seen,
and the fine spray OF it's slender. shining branch
let's is thrown into clear relief against the sky
that the beech displays its greatest beauty ana
then the charm of this tree Is unsurpassed by
that of any other inhabitant OF the forest or the
park.
After n description Of the shapely habit Of
the hop hornbean. or ironwood. with Its
sunny masses Of yellow-gr foliage. we are
introduced to a second species Of the genus,
Ostrva Knowlton; one Of the rarest trees OF
the United States. only seen as yet on the
southern slope OF the canyons OF the Colorado
River. at a point seventy miles north OF Flag
staff Ariz. 1t was unknown until detected by
Frank H. Knowlton. professor OF botany in
the Columbian University at Washington. seven
years ago. The true hornbeam. Carpinus is
small and graceful tree, with bluish-gray TO-
lIage. which becomes bright scarlet and orange
in autumn 1t is noted. too. for the beautiful
shape of its trunk. and the gray-brown bark
reminds one OF a smooth skin drawn tightly over
corded muscle. 1t is not uncommon in our
parks. although the European hornbeam.
somewhat smaller tree. was once more abun-