THE AILANTHUS. 275 



First introduced in 1751 into Europe from the northern 

 provinces of China, the first ailanthus was planted in the 

 United States in 1784, by Mr. William Hamilton, at Wood- 

 lands, near Philadelphia.^ In 1804 it was first planted in 

 New England, at Portsmouth, R.I., near which place this 

 tree is still more abundant than in any other portion of New 

 England with which I am acquainted. The cultivation of 

 the ailanthus in Europe was for many years confined to 

 botanic gardens, and other large collections ; and it was only 

 at a comparatively recent date, and after its leaves were found 

 to furnish food to a silk-worm QBomhax cynthia)^ that atten- 

 tion was drawn to it as a possible subject for sylviculture. 

 Its value for this purpose seems to be already fully estab- 

 lished ; and immense numbers are planted, especially in 

 France, where it has succeeded even beyond the most san- 

 guine expectations ; the best results being obtained on calca- 

 reous soils, and along the sandy seacoast, while the only 

 failure recorded is on the southern slopes of the Maritime 

 Alps, where even the ailanthus has succumbed to the burning 

 sun and excessive droughts of the summer months.'^ 



This gradual rise in popular estimation, based on scientific 

 investigation and exact knowledge, is precisely opposite to 

 the history of the cultivation of the ailanthus in the United 

 States. 



Early in this century, or certainly before 1820, people 

 began to plant this tree about their houses, attracted by 

 its remarkably rapid growth, the tropical appearance of its 

 graceful foliage, and its entire freedom from the attacks of 

 insects : these advantages, together with the fact that it 

 grew as rapidly in the streets of New York and Philadelphia 

 as in the country, soon created a wide-spread feeling in its 

 favor. So great did this popularity become in a few years, 

 that the extent to which the ailanthus was planted was 

 only limited by the ability of nurserymen to supply the 

 demand for it. It was thought that at last a tree was found 

 that was destined to take the place of all others for city 

 planting ; but, unfortunately, this opinion was based on very 

 imperfect information of its liabits and character. It was 



1 Trees of America. — Browne, p. 157. 



2 For an interesting account of the experiments in planting the ailanthus 

 in France, see Revue des Eaux et Forets, vol. xi. p. 180. 



