BROWNE'S TREES OF AMERICA. 



187 



Treatise on Insects is pretty largely quoted, 

 and to this excellent work full credit is given 

 in the usual manner. 



The plan of the volume before us, which 

 is copied from Loudon, is an excellent one. 

 First, the character of the genus is given ; 

 then that of the species, with the various 

 synonyms and derivations ; this is followed 

 by the popular description; the character of 

 the varieties ; the geography and history ; 

 the soil, situation and propagation ; the in- 

 sects and diseases ; and finally the proper- 

 ties and uses. 



In the preface, the author informs us that 

 he " undertook the preparation of a work on 

 the trees of this country, more complete 

 and extensive than had hitherto been pub- 

 lished." On looking through its pages, we 

 find two trees described, which are not con- 

 tained in Loudon's Arboretum, viz., Bursera 

 gummifera, a native of the West Indies, 

 and Ilex paraguariensis, a native of South 

 America. Neither of them will grow in 

 gardens in this country without protection. 

 On the other liand, Loudon's work contains 

 at least a hundred species of North Ameri- 

 can forest trees not described in this work. 



We do not know that Mr. Browne makes 

 any pretension to being a practical arbori- 

 culturist. If he did, we should find great 

 fault with him in many cases ; for example, 

 he does not tell us, while praising londly 

 the European Holly for hedges, and recom- 

 mending its general use, the lamentable 

 truth that it will not stand the winters 

 of this climate under ordinary circumstan- 

 ces, north of Philadelphia. Under the 

 section of "soil, situation and propaga- 

 tion " of the Pomegranate, the novice will 

 find it stated that " the single wild pomegra- 

 nate will grow in almost any soil." Not a 



word of its being a tender or half-hardy tree 

 is mentioned in the remainder of the para- 

 graph, where one would naturally expect it; 

 but in another page, we learn that " it is 

 also cultivated as a wall tree, or as a con- 

 servatory plant, in various parts of the mid- 

 dle and northern states, where it is highly 

 prized." 



We have no room for numerous 'other 

 comments of a like nature, that are sug- 

 gested. But we trust if Mr. Browne pur- 

 sues his subject in another volume, on the 

 remaining forest trees of this continent, he 

 will make use of the rich materials which, we 

 assure him, still remain to be collected in 

 this country regarding our native trees. 

 Notes on their adaptation to particular soils 

 — the greater or less facility with which they 

 may be transplanted — and the aspects where 

 they will and will not grow — are all subjects 

 which ought properly to be embraced in 

 such a work as this. If an author, devoted 

 to this subject, were to extend his researches 

 sufficiently to take portraits and give ac- 

 counts of such trees as the grand oaks on the 

 Wadsworth estate in the Genesee valley, the 

 truly unrivalled elms of the Connecticut 

 river, and above all, the gigantic pines of 

 California, he would be working a mine of 

 native arboricultural wealth, which his coun- 

 trymen would use and acknowledge the 

 value of with profound gratitude. 



We have no doubt that this volume, very 

 neatly published by the enterprising house 

 of the Harpers, will find many purchasers, 

 and will convey a great deal of information 

 to those who cannot possess Loudon's 

 " Trees and Shrubs." To those who can, 

 we cannot too strongly recommend the lat- 

 ter work, as far more perfect, and indeed the 

 best book of its kind in the world. 



