XXVII. 2. THE CHOKE-BERRY. 441 



and cow-houses. In a stanza of an ancient song, quoted by 

 the author of " Sylvan Sketches," we have 



" Their spells were vain ; the hags returned 

 To the queen in sorrowful mood, 

 Crying that witches have no power 

 Where there is roan-tree wood." 



She adds, — " This last line leads to the true reading of aline in 

 Shakespeare's tragedy of Macbeth. The sailor's wife, on the 

 witches requesting some chestnuts, hastily answers, ' A rown- 

 tree, witch!' but all the editions have 'Aroint thee, witch!' 

 which is nonsense and evidently a corruption." 



As the rowan-tree grows freely in the most exposed situa- 

 tions, it is often planted, as a nurse to young trees of slow growth 

 exposed to the sea-breeze, and it has the great advantage of 

 not growing above a certain height, so that when it has per- 

 formed its office, it does not interfere with the growth of the 

 oaks and other trees for whose benefit it has been planted. It 

 flourishes best in a good moist soil in an airy exposure. 



Another tree, nearly resembling our Mountain Ash, and per- 

 haps a variety, is found in the Middle States, and called the 

 Small-fruited Mountain Ash. 



Several trees of this kind belong to Europe, some of which 

 might be a valuable acquisition, for ornament, at least, to our 

 gardens, particularly the True Service Tree, P. sorbus, which 

 is remarkable for its wood being the hardest and heaviest of 

 the indigenous woods of Europe. 



The fruit of the Mountain Ash is rather sour to the taste. It 

 abounds in malic acid, and the juice has been used for the pur- 

 pose of turning cider to vinegar. 



Sp. 2. The Choke-berry. P. arbutifblia. Willdenow. 



This is a slender, branching shrub, two to five feet high, with 

 a grayish brown stem and whitish or reddish green, downy 

 shoots. The leaves are one or two inches long, and half as 

 wide as long, lance-oblong, or elliptic, oval, or obovate, taper- 

 ing at base, finely and sharply serrate, with the serratures end- 

 ing in a callous point, often tapering to a short point, pale and 

 usually downy beneath when young, but becoming afterwards 

 57 



