9g TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



Of Spruces, the Norway, here as everywhere, grows finely, probably 

 the best of all the evergreens. I know specimens thirty years old that 

 are as handsome as ever, but sadly bored by the Sap-sucker. The Hem- 

 lock Spruce is less successful ; I know of more failures than successes 

 with it. vet I know of fine specimens, none however, have attained much 

 age. The Silver F-ir makes a handsome tree in many places that I have 

 seen it. The Southern Cypress grows vigorously and apparently health- 

 fully on our high lands; and has a very beautiful foliage. The Arbor- 

 Vitses are cultivated with varied success ; many of them seem handsome 

 and healthy— especially the Golden Chinese, which is one of the finest 

 colored evergreens that I know. The Red Cedar, our special native 

 evergreen tree of Egypt, I believe to have been unwarrantably criticised 

 and often neglected on account of supposed shabbiness in its old age. 

 It has not yet been proved that any other evergreen will do better, and 

 until then I shall plant the Cedar. The Cedar is our longest planted 

 tree ; more old specimens exist than of other species, and these have 

 generally not received as intelligent care as those planted later, so that 

 we must not expect perfect specimens in the old trees. Comparing trees 

 of the same age properly treated, I do not find the Red Cedar much if at all 

 inferior to Pine or Spruce. 



All trees, nearly, I may add, seem to me more healthful in our 

 Southern Illinois soil than in the center and north. As I look upon the 

 somewhat unwholesome evergreens that I meet upon our great prairies 

 I sometimes fear that it will be many generations before the soil will be 

 fit for healthful growths of deeply rooting trees. Probably some of the 

 harder and less fastidious forest growths, such as the Willow, the Cot- 

 tonwood, and the Soft Maple must pioneer the way and fit the soil and 

 sub-soil for more delicate and valuable growths. 



Our Illinois Egypt, according to Dr. Vasey, furnishes "perhaps a 

 larger variety of trees than is to be found in any other district of a like 

 extent in the northern or western states." Robert Ridgway. in the 

 American Naturalist for November eighteen seventy-two, gives some 

 " notes on the vegetation of the lower Wabash Valley," that impress us 

 with the variety and luxuriance of the forest growth about Mt. Carmel. 

 He mentions a specimen of the Sycamore one hundred sixty-eight feet 

 in height, and sixty-eight feet to a limb, with a circumference of thirty- 

 three and a third feet; of the-Tulip tree one hundred fifty-eight feet in 

 height, seventy-four feet in the trunk, and twenty-three feet in circum- 

 ference ; whilst the average height of nineteen trees was one hundred 

 forty-two and seven nineteenths feet. Three trees of the Pecan Hickory 

 averaged one hundred seventy feet in height, eighty-five feet to a limb, 

 and fifteen and two thirds feet in circumference, and two trees of the 

 White Ash one hundred forty and a half feet in height, seventy-nine and 

 a half feet to a limb, and fourteen feet in circumference. Two trees of 

 Black Walnut averaged one hundred twenty-five feet in height, fifty feet 

 to a limb, and eighteen and a third feet in circumference ; and six Span- 

 ish Oaks ( Qiienus coccinnea, var. ?) averaged one hundred twenty and 



