214 GLF.niTSCHIA iUIACANTHOS. 



observes, is an infallible sign of the f^roatost degree of fertility^ When cnltivated, 

 it roiniros a deep, ricli. free soil, and a sitMatioti not exjjoscd to high v/inds. 'I'he 

 chniate shonld also Itc somewhat Cavonrahle, otherwise tlie wood of the young 

 branehes wiU not ripen, but wdl aiunially be killeil olf by tlie frost. In liritain, 

 the speeies is always pr()pagated from seeds imported from abroad. Tiiey are 

 prepared for sowing, by soaking them twelvi' hours in warm water, as directed for 

 those t)f the Rohinia pseudacaeia. They should he sown in Ahuch or April, and, 

 if properly ])repared, they will come up in two or three weeks. They are best 

 transplanteil to the spot where they are finally to remain, when quite young; as 

 they make but few fdirous roots, and these, for the most ])art, take a downward 

 direction. The varieties can only l)e insured Ijy grafting or marching on the 

 species. In general, however, an abundance of plants of the Cileditschia tria- 

 canthos inermis may be selected from beds of seedlings of the species. The rate 

 of growth of this tree for the first fifteen or twenty years, is generally al)out an 

 average of a foot a year ; but in favourable situations it will grow at double that 

 rate. 



Insects. One of the greatest enemies to the Gleditschia triacanthos is the Can- 

 tharis cinera, or the ash-coloured cantharis, of Harris. It usually appears in 

 gardens in June, and often the foliage of this species is destroyed by these vora- 

 cious insects. Dr. Harris remarks that they are also very fond of the leaves of 

 the English bean, and that they are occasionally found in considerable numbers 

 on potato vines. It is stated by Smith and Abbot, in their " Insects of Georgia," 

 that the Phalaina coucinna, or painted prominent moth, feeds upon this tree as 

 well as upon the apple, persimon, and hickory. The whole brood most com- 

 monly come together. They form their webs about the first of June, and the 

 perfect insects make their appearance in about fifteen days after. They likewise 

 spin in autumn, and come out the following spring. 



Properties and Uses. The wood of the Gleditschia triacanthos, when dry, 

 weighs fifty-two pounds to a cubic foot. It is very hard, and splits with great 

 difficulty, resembling in this, and some other respects, that of the common locust ; 

 but its grain is coarser, and its pores more open. This tree is neither used by 

 the builder nor the wheelwright, but is sometimes employed, in Kentucky, 

 where it is the most abundant, for rural fences, where wood of a more durable 

 kind cannot be procured. Michaux says that the only useful purpose for which 

 he thinks the tree fit, is for making hedges, but it has not succeeded either in 

 Europe or in America. A sugar has been extracted from the pulp of the pods, 

 and a beer made by fermenting it while fresh. 



In general, this species, as well as all others of the genus, can only be consid- 

 ired as ornamental trees ; but in that character, they hold a high rank. The 

 delicate, light-green foliage, and beautifully varied, graceful, and picturesque 

 forms assumed by this tree, together with the singular feature afforded by its 

 spines, will always entitle it to a place in ornamental plantations. 



