SCHOPF AMERICAN TRAVELS. 



than in the northern regions. Hopea tinctoria used for dyeing yellow ; 

 the leaves are boiled half an hour, and the stuff soaked a quarter of 

 an hour in the poured-off infusion, while hot ; the color comes a fine 

 straw- vellow ; cotton takes it better than linen. Juniperus virginiana 

 (Red Cedar) Cupressus thyoides (While Cedar), which often grows 

 trunks co-ioo feet long, and 12-15 ^^^t in circumference at the butt. 

 But they reach this extraordinary height only in fat swamp-land, and 

 where they are protected by other trees against violent winds which 

 their shallow roots do not easily withstand. Pinus Taeda, and other 

 varieties of the species. 



But besides these shrubs and trees, commending themselves to the 

 eye by their enduring leaf, there are many others both useful and beau- 

 tiful. Cupressus disticha (Bald Cypress) is plentiful in these swamps. 

 Its seeds fall at this time of the year ; each scale of the seed-vessel has 

 at the stud a little blister of fragrant, clear resin, of which no use is 

 made. The wood is light and durable, and hence makes the best shin- 

 gles and boards. Callicarpa Americana (Sourbush) was still hanging 

 full of its pale purple berries, which give a bright purple color to cotton 

 stuff's. A splendid tree, very useful in ship-building, is the Ever- 

 green oak, Quercus Phellos sempervirens ; Marshall, Amer. Grove 

 which begins to appear in this region, and grows continually more 

 abundant towards the south. It is found also in the western country, 

 on the Ohio and the Mississippi. Other common trees, seen here and 

 everywhere, I need not mention. But the ]\Ielia Azedarach, the Bead 

 or Paternoster tree, deserves notice. It is not indigenous, but thrives 

 prodigiously and belongs among the rapid growing trees. Tliey showed 

 us one at Edenton, five years old and raised from the seed, which 

 measured 9 inches in diameter, and had made a shoot or sprig 11 

 feet long, one year's growth. ... 



It is an advantage that now at midwinter one has almost the same 

 prospect as that to be had in summer. That is to say, the sparse, thin 

 grass which grows under the pines and on the dry sand turns as wilted 

 and brown from the heat as it is now yellow and sapless from the 

 cool winter nights. Everywhere the Stipa avenacea L. appeared to 

 have the upper hand here ; a rough grass which is eaten by cattle only 

 in the spring when it is cfuite tender. On the dryer tracts there is 

 absolutely no undergrowth or bush among the lofty pines and the 

 trees standing by no means close, one can see far between them. But 

 at every brook, or at any rather moister spot, there appear forthwith 

 beautiful thickets of evergreen bush, called indiscriminately laurels, 

 and such places consequently are known as laurel-swamps. 



The Yucca filamentosa L. was now often to be seen in the woods. 

 Its leaves can be cut into threads, thin and strong, of which the people 

 make use for various household purposes. 



[II, 216-226.] The Iris vcnia L., called Violet here, the Viola 



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