134 



SYLVA AMERICANA. 



on a common peduncle. The fruit is round, about as large as a 

 pea and black at its maturity. 



The wood is fine-grained and compact, but not heavy, and 

 when freshly exposed it is perfectly white : sawn in a direction 

 parallel or oblique to its concentric circles it exhibits the fine 

 undulations that are observed in the elm and locust. On laying 

 open the sap of this tree in the spring it changes in a few minutes 

 from pure white to green. This wood is little appreciated on 

 account of its weakness and its speedy decay when exposed to 

 the weather. It is rejected by wheelwrights, but is sometimes 

 employed in building for the covering which supports the shingles. 

 As it is elastic and easily divided it is used for the bottom of 

 common chairs, and by the Indians for baskets. On the banks 

 of the Ohio it is frequently taken for the rails of rural fence, 

 and is wrought with the greatest ease, as it is straight-grained 

 and free from knots : it is said also to afford excellent charcoal. 



American Nettle Tree. Celtis occidentalis. 



The American Nettle 

 Tree,if not rare, is little multi- 

 plied in comparison with the 

 oaks, the walnuts and the ma- 

 ples. As it is scattered singly 

 through the forest, it is diffi- 

 cult to fix the point at which 

 it ceases towards the north, 

 but it probably is not found 

 beyond the river Connecti- 

 cut. In the Middle, Western 

 and Southern States it bears 

 the name which we have 

 adopted, and among the 

 French of Illinois, that of 

 Bois inconnu, unknown 

 wood. It prefers a cool 

 and shady situation, with a deep and fertile soil. 



Fig. i. 



TLATE XX. 

 A leaf. Fig 2. The fruit. 



