418 LAUKUS SASSAFRAS. 



whicli, ill thirty yoars aftor planting, had attained the lieight of fifty feet, with a 

 trunk oiglitfi'ii inches in (hanicter. 



In France, in the nciirhbonrhood of Nantes, there is a sassafras, which, in 

 twenty-four years after phuiting, had attained the height of thirty feet, with a 

 trunk two fret in (haineter. 



Vo//, Pr()//ni^'-(i(iii, t|i*c. "^rhe Laurus sassafras will grow in any free soil, 

 rather moist than dry, and is generally propagated from seeds, wliich should be 

 sown or put into a rot-heap, as soon as received, as they remain a year, and 

 sometimes two or three years, in the ground, before they vegetate. The sassa- 

 fras may also be propagated by cuttings of the roots, or by suckers thrown up by 

 old trees. The situation where the tree is to be finally planted, should be shel- 

 tered; and, in the northern parts of Britain, as well as in Canada, in order to 

 insure fine foliage, it should be planted against a wall. 



l/iscc/s. The Laurns sassafras is inhabited by the larvas of various species of 

 insects, among which, are those of the black swallow-tail butterfly, {Papilio ilio- 

 neiis. of ^^mitli and Abbot.) and of the (^Atlaciis promethea, of Harris.) The lat- 

 ter usually come to their full size by the beginning of f^eptcmber, wiien they 

 measure two inches or more in length, and about half of an inch in diameter. 

 The body of this caterpillar is very plump, and but slightly contracted on the 

 back between the rings. It is of a clear, and pale bluish-green colour; the head, 

 the feet, and the tail arc yellow; there are about eight warts on each of the 

 rings; the two uppermost warts on the top of the second and tViird rings are 

 almost cylindrical, much longer than the rest, and of a rich, coral-red ; all the 

 rest of the warts are very small, and of a deep-blue colour. Before entering into 

 its chrysalis state, the caterpillar instinctively fastens to the branch, the leaf that 

 is to serve for a cover to its cocoon, so that it shall not fall ofl" in autumn, and 

 then proceeds to spin on its upper side, bending over the edges to form a hollow, 

 within which lies concealed its cocoon. These brown and curled leaves may be 

 frequently seen hanging upon the trees during winter, when all the rest of the 

 foliage has fallen. If one of these leaves be examined, it will be found to be 

 retained by a quantity of silken thread, which is wound round the twig to the 

 distance of half an inch or more on each side of the leaf-stalk, and is thence car- 

 ried downwards around the stalk to an oval cocoon, that is wrapped up by the 

 sides of the leaf. The cocoon itself is about an inch long, of a regular oval shape, 

 and consists of two coats. So strong is the coating of silk that surrounds the 

 leaf-stalk, and connects the cocoon with the branches, that it cannot be severed 

 without considerable force ; and consequently, the chrysalis swings securely 

 within its leaf-covered hammock, through all the storms of winter.* The sas- 

 safras, as well as the balsam poplar, the elm, the dogwood, and the leaves of 

 clover and of Indian corn, are fed upon by the lo caterpillar (Saturnia io.) 



Properties and Uses. The wood of the Laurus sassafras, in young trees, is 

 white and tender; but in those which exceed fifteen or eighteen inches in diam- 

 eter, it is of a reddish cast, and of a more compact grain. It is not, however, in 

 the latter respect, to be compared with the oak, as a piece of considerable size 

 may be broken with a slight effort. Consequently, the sassafras is of little value 

 as a timber-tree, where strength is the object in view. Experience has shown, 

 that the wood, stripped of its bark, resists, for a considerable period, the progress 

 of decay ; and it is on this account employed for the posts and rails of rural fences. 

 It is also sometimes used for joists and rafters in the construction of houses ; and 

 is said to be secure from the attacks of insects, an advantage attributed to its 

 odour. On this account, it has been employed for trunks, bedsteads, &c. ; but a 

 property of this kind is wrongly attributed to this wood, since it is nearly devoid 

 of smell after a few months' drying. 



* See Harris' Report, pp. 280 et 281. 



