ISC 



BROWNE'S TREES OF AMERICA. 



opening loaves in rarly sprinp; or ailniireil for its 

 reil fruit in the bcf^inning of Kuniinor, iinil itscrim- 

 soncii foliajrc in aiitiinin, it clesorvcs to be ranked 

 as one of the most ornamental of hanly trees. Page 

 100. 



Tlic following' is the description of the 

 common Dogwood, Corims florida, of our 

 woods, in the words of both authors. 



From Loudon's Arboretum. 

 Corniis (loriila is universally allovvcil to be the 

 liantlsomost species of tlie {,'cniis. In its native 

 country, it forms a tree reaching:, in the most fa- 

 vorable situations, thirty or thirty-five feet in 

 height, with a trunk nine or ten inches in iliamc- 

 ter; but in general it does not exceed the height 

 of eighteen to twenty feet, with a trunk of four 

 to live inches in diameter. Miclianx describes 

 the trunk as "strong and covered with a blackish 

 bark, chopped into many small portions, which 

 are often in tlie shape of squares more or less 

 exact. The branches are proportionably less nu- 

 merous than on other trees, and are regularly dis- 

 posed, nearly in the form of crosses. The young 

 twigs are observetl to incline upwards in a semi- 

 circular direction. The leaves are opposite, about 

 three inches in length, oval, of a dark green above, 

 and whitish beneath; the upper surface is very 

 distinctly sulcated. Towarilsthe close of summer 

 they are often marked with black spots; and at 

 the approach of winter they change to a dull red. 

 In New-York and New-Jersey, the flowers are 

 fully expanded about the 10th or loth of May, 

 when the leaves are beginning to unfold them- 

 selves. The flowers are small, yellowish, and con- 

 nected in bunches, which are surrounded with a 

 ver)' large involucre, composed of four white flo- 

 ral leaves, sometimes inclining to violet. This 

 fine involucre constitutes all the beauty of the 

 flowers, which are very numerous, and which, in 

 their season, "robe the tree in white, like a full- 

 blown apple tree, and render it one of the fairest 

 ornaments of the American forests." Catesby, 

 who first described this tree, says that the blossoms 

 break forth in the beginning of March, being at 

 first not so wide as a sixpence, but increasing gra- 

 dually to the breadth of a man's hand; being not 

 of their full bigness till about six weeks after they 

 begin to open. The fruits which are of a vivid 

 glossy red, and of an oval shape, are always uni- 

 ted; they remain on the trees till the first frosts; 

 when, notwithstanding their bitterness, they are 

 devoured by the Red-breasted Thrush (Tuidus mi- 

 gratorius, L.) which about this period arrives from 

 the northern regions, and the Mocking Bird (T. 

 polyglottus, L.) during the whole winter. Page 

 1018. 



From Browne^ s ''Trees of America.^' 

 Of all the species of the genus, the Cornus flo- 

 rida is allowed to be the most beautiful. In its 

 natural habitat, when grown under favorable cir- 

 cumstances, it forms a tree attaining a height of 

 thirty to thirty-five feet, with a trunk nine or ten 

 inches in diameter; but in general it does not much 



exceed one-half of those dimensions. The trunk Is 

 covered with a blackish l)ark, chopped into many 

 small i)ortion8, which are often in the shape of 

 s(iuaros more or loss exact. The branches, which 

 arc not so numerous as on most other trees, are re- 

 gularly disposed, with their )Oung twigs inclining 

 upwards in a semicircular direction. The loaves 

 are oi)posite, about three inches in length, ovate, 

 acuminated, of a dark green above, and whitish 

 beneath, with the upper surface very distinctly 

 sulcated. Towards the close of summer, they aro 

 often marked with black spots; and at the ap- 

 l)roacli of winter they fliuiigc to dull red. The 

 flowers, which aiipear in Horida in March, and in 

 New- York in May, are small, j'ellowish, and con- 

 nected in bunches, surrounded with a very large 

 involucre, composed of four white floral leaves, 

 sometimes inclining to \ iolot. This fine' involu- 

 cre constitutes the chief beauty of , the flowers, 

 which are very numerous, and which, in theirsea- 

 son, "robe the tree in white, like a full-blown 

 apple tree, and reniler it one of the fairest orna- 

 ments of the American forests." The fruits, which 

 are of a vivid glossy red, and of an oval shape, are 

 always united, and remain upon the trees till the 

 appearance of the first autumnal frosts, when not- 

 withstanding their bitterness, they are devoured 

 throughout the winter, in the southern states by 

 the mocking bird (Turdus polyglottus,) and the 

 American robbin or red-breasted thrush, (T. mi- 

 gratorius,) the latter of which, about this period, 

 arrives from the regions of the north. Page 350. 



These extracts are taken at random from 

 the work. The character of nearly the 

 whole volume is precisely similar to our 

 quotations — that is to say, instead of using 

 his own language to describe trees, their 

 properties, characters, etc., Mr. Browne has 

 paid Mr. Loudon the compliment of using 

 his, though he has omitted, in many cases, 

 half or two-thirds of the matter given in 

 the Arboretum. Would it not have been 

 better and juster, therefore, to have called 

 the work " An Abridged Compendium of 

 Loudon's Arboretum," than the "Trees 

 of America ?" But in order even to make 

 that title a proper one, another volume, con- 

 taining the Oaks and the numerous large 

 forest trees before mentioned, would be 

 needed. 



Mr. Loudon's name is scarcely mentioned 

 in the body of the work, though the author 

 acknowledges in the preface that he is" par- 

 ticularly indebted " to him. Dr. Habbis's 



