1877.J 



AND HOBTIGULTURIST. 



213 



diameter of six to eight inches. The wood from 

 these plantations is fine-grained, is easily cleft, 

 and, being of a beautiful yellow color, fetches a 

 higher price than the ordinary quality. In Is- 

 tria this tree is commonly planted iii the squares 

 and near churches. In Moschenizza tliere is a 

 tree with a trunk five feet in diameter at the 

 base; and in' Gemino there is one six feet in 

 diameter, supposed to be a thousand years old. — 

 Gard. Chronicle. 



Forests of Sweden. — The principal part of 

 the timber of the Swedish forests, according to 

 the Chronique de la Societe d' Acdimatation, is fur- 

 nished by the Scotch Pine and Norway Spruce 

 Fir. The White Birch is also widely diffused 

 and abundant in that kingdom. The Aspen and 

 the Alder, the Elm and the Lime are also com- 

 mon, and attain large dimensions in some dis- 

 tricts. The timber of the Spruce and Silver 

 Fir is used in the construction of houses, ships, 

 <&c.; moreover, they furnish tar, and the wood 

 reduced to a pulp is employed in the manufac- 

 ture of paper. Balks and planks of these two 

 kinds of timber are largely exported. Birch- 

 wood is chiefly consumed as fuel, supplying 

 nearly all the coasting vessels in the Baltic. As 



an example of the extent of trade in this arti- 

 cle, we may mention that no less than 25,488,678 

 cubic feet of Birch-wood for fuel, were shipped 

 from a single port in 1872. The wood of the 

 Aspen is used in the manufacture of matches, 

 one of the most flourishing industries of Sweden. 



The European Walnut. — It is well known 

 that Walnut trees sometimes attain prodigious 

 size and great age. An Italian architect men- 

 tions having seen at St. Nicholas, in Lorraine, a 

 single plank of the wood of the Walnut, 25 feet 

 wide, upon which the Emperor Frederick III. 

 had given a sumptuous banquet. In the Baidar 

 Valley, near Balaclava, in the Crimea, stands a 

 Walnut tree at least 1000 years old. It yields 

 annually from 80,000 to 100,000 nuts, and belongs 

 to five Tartar families, who share its produce 

 equally. — Gardeners Chronicle. 



Growing Wood for Fuel.— A Canadian farm- 

 er, about twelve years ago, planted six American 

 cottoHwood trees, and one silver Abele poplar, 

 on seven square rods. Lately cutting them 

 down and preparing them for fuel, he realized 

 four cords of nice wood. An acre at the same 

 rate would have yielded eighty cords. 



IaTURAL filSTORY AND %IENCE. 



GOMMUNICA TIONS. 



NOTES FROM YUBA COUNTY, CAL. 



HY MR.S. F. E. l\. 



Since my last letter, the season has advanced 

 vcrj' much. At the present writing, May 7th, 

 the Honey Locusts are shedding their fragrant 

 snow, and the figs are swelling on the trees under 

 my window. Where there is irrigation, every- 

 thing is very promising, but the rains were so 

 scanty that the hills are already becoming brown 

 and parched. Haying and harvesting are al- 



ready in progress, but the crop is short. People 

 are predicting an unusually hot Summer on ac- 

 count of the early ceasing of the rains, and the 

 small snow-fall in the mountains. I took a little 

 ride in the hills last week. The scenery, after 

 crossing the little plain, Avas wild and grand, the 

 way rough and steep. Flowers, many of them 

 new, all the way. Those i)retty little yellow tu- 

 lips were as plenty as dandelions in the Eastern 

 States, and I discovered, high up among the 

 hills, the beautiful white tulip. There are innu- 

 merable small delicate flowers, in patches by the 

 way, as well as some showy si)ecie8. We came 

 on a little brown house high among the hilla. 

 Beautiful roses and passion- flowera were bloom- 



