4 NEW SYLVA 



N. A. Grape Vines 1830, increased to 40 spe- 

 cies, just as good and proper as the 40 willows 

 and 3G oaks of our Authors. 



All our botanical writers have of course at- 

 tended more or less to our trees ; but the only 

 late special work upon them is an American 

 Sylva with wood cuts published in 1832 by D. 

 Browne in Boston, which however only contains 

 150 trees and shrubs, being a kind of abridg- 

 ment of the larger work of Michaux junior, 

 with all its faults and omissions, having forgot- 

 ten like him, the Genera Sorbus, Aronia, and 

 others, with many Cherry and Plumb trees, 

 Ash trees. Willows and Poplars, ^-c. Besides 

 all the large Shrubs and Vines, Palms and 

 other monocotyle woody plants. 



A true Sylva ought to include besides Trees, 

 all the Shrubs that form the undergrowth of 

 forests or fringe the banks of Rivers, In fact 

 there is no actual difference between them in 

 size ; since all young trees are shrubs, and 

 many shrubs become trees when old or in 

 warmer climates. It is commonly stated that 

 Trees have only one stem, while shrubs have 

 several shoots ; but many of our tress have 

 several stems, while many shrubs assume the 

 appearance of small trees by having only one. 

 The distinction is therefore merely nominal, as 

 between Rivers and Creeks, Lakes and Ponds, 

 Mountains and Hills .... 



Bushes or under shrubs unite likewise the 

 shrubs to plants, the difference being the per- 

 manent perennial stem. 



Twining or trailing shrubs are called Vines 

 and creepers and belong also to the sylvan 

 Flora ; but there are Vines that are not woody, 

 therefore perennial or annual Vines. 



