30 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



(JugJans nigra), now becoming so scarce, that, on the ground 

 alone of the value of its wood, it should be more extensively 

 planted, as should the butternut (Juglans cinerea) from our 

 own region, which is capable of making a fine shade tree, 

 and producing a most valuable wood for the cabinet-maker. 

 The Western catalpa, but recently distinguished from the 

 Southern species, which has long been cultivated here, be- 

 sides bearing very beautiful and conspicuous flowers, is 

 probably one of the most valuable of our timber trees, the 

 wood resisting decay to a very remarkable extent. Enough 

 has been said already to show that American are, fur our 

 purposes, generally superior to foreign trees ; but there are 

 foreign trees too, which, for certain situations, possess ad- 

 vantages over an}' of their American relatives. The Euro- 

 pean larch is a better timber tree in New England than the 

 closely allied American species. It is possible, too, that 

 trees of wide geographical range have a more elastic consti- 

 tution and greater power of adaptability to the different con- 

 ditions of life, and are thus better able to support changes 

 of climate and soil. Such a case is that of the English elm 

 (^Ulmus ca77ipestris'), which generally thrives in the city 

 streets of Eastern New England, withstanding the drought 

 and smoke better than the allied American elm, which only 

 reaches its greatest perfection in alluvial river meadows or 

 in most springy soil. The same might be said of the white 

 willow (^Salix alba), which is one of the most common of all 

 introduced trees. This tree and the English elm have natu- 

 rally very extended geographical ranges, the elm extending 

 through Europe and Siberia to the Pacific ; while the willow 

 is found growing in the Old World over the greater portion 

 of the north temperate zone. Of foreign trees, too, the 

 ailanthus, often unnecessarily discarded on account of the 

 odor of its male flowers, will produce better wood, it is said, 

 on poorer soil, and in more exposed situations, than any 

 other tree which can be grown in our climate. The ailan- 

 thus is a native of the northern provinces of China, a region 

 from which we are led to expect most excellent additions 

 to our list of ornamental and useful trees. For all economic 

 planthjg in New England, native trees are, with these few 

 exceptions, the best ; but, for those who intend making ex- 

 tensive ornamental plantations, it will be desirable to add 



