1876.] 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



149 



property in the city. New Haven virtually re- 

 ceives an annual income from her elms far 

 greater than their entire original cost. 



Rapid Growth of Timber Trees in Massa- 

 chusetts. — Mr. J. W. Manning says in Boston 

 Cultivator : 



I will here record my own experience: In 

 1858, 3-feet trees of Norway spruce and Scotch 

 larch were planted. In 9 years the spruce 

 reached 15 feet in height and spread 12 feet 

 broad, and was then successfully transplanted. 

 The larch in 1872 had reached 30 feet, and had 

 a spread of branches full 20 feet, and a circum- 

 ference of 4 feet at the base. One larch had at- 

 tained 40 feet from 5 feet, in 17 years, and this on 

 the dry, sandy loam, that was distinguished for 

 barrenness 20 years ago, so that only a medium 

 crop of rye could be grown once in 5 years. I 

 have grown rock maple trees from the seed on 

 the same sort of land in 6 years to 15 feet high 

 and 2^ inches in diameter. The white maple 

 excels many others in rapid growth. From 6-feet 

 trees, 3 years from seed, planted in the fall of 

 1864, they now stand 35 feet, and are from 7 to 

 10 inches in diameter at base. All these are on 



naturally poor soil, that has been kept free of 

 weeds and grass. I planted elms in 1856 that 

 were easily carried on my shoulder, and now 

 they stand 30 to 40 feet high, with a girth at base 

 of 6 feet. Rock maples planted in 1855 stand 

 now 30 feet high and 15 inches in diameter. 

 The bass and white ash I then planted have 

 done as well in the race of life. So with such 

 living examples to behold, and as good or better 

 examples in all towns, an enthusiasm could be 

 generated that would shortly line all our streets 

 and country roads with comforting shade. I 

 know of a farm in Lisbon, N. H., Leonard 

 Bowles's, on which were planted, 30 years ago, 

 rock maples on the roadside as far as his land 

 extended, and the result is, that hill on which 

 these trees stand is memorable in the life of the 

 planter. Those trees are distinctly visible from 

 the top of Mount Washington, which is more 

 than 20 miles to the east. It is very strange 

 that more land owners do not appreciate such 

 examples often seen in communities, and plant 

 miles of trees, leaving a growing monument, in- 

 stead, as is frequently the case, leaving a more 

 desolate aspect to the land than they found. 



Matu 



RAL MlSTORY AND SCIENCE. 



COMMUNICA TIONS. 



TREES OF SOUTHERN FLORIDA. 



BY DR. GEO. VASEY, WASHINGTON, D. C. 



During the months of October and November 

 last. Dr. A. W. Chapman of Apalachicola, Fla., 

 made a journey along the western coast of Flor- 

 ida, examining the Keys and running up several 

 rivers into the interior. The journey was made 

 by schooner for the purpose of obtaining speci- 

 mens of the trees of that region, for the display 

 of forest trees which is to be made by the De- 

 partment of Agriculture at the approaching Cen- 

 tennial. 



It is pretty well known that the vegetation of 

 Southern Florida is of the West Indian type, and 

 is not found in any other portion of the United 

 States. What knowledge we have of that region 

 is recorded principally in Dr. Chapman's Flora 



of the Southern States which was prepared some 

 years ago, and as that region has been little vis- 

 ited by botanists, our information has been 

 little extended since. I made out a list from Dr. 

 Chapman's Flora, of such plants as were recorded 

 as trees, amounting to about forty species. 



The result of Dr. Chapman's investigation will 

 best be stated by quoting from his Report. He 

 says :— 



"The number collected exceeds your estimate 

 by ten species and falls short of my own by the 

 same number. I believe I obtained all the na- 

 tive trees known down there except Simaruba, 

 and perhaps Calyptranthus, if it is a tree. I 

 found several trees which I supposed to be 

 shrubs and vice versa. I made a thorough ex- 

 ploration of the whole western coast from An- 

 clote Keys to Cape Sable, wherever we could 

 find smooth water for safe anchorage. At 

 Charlotte Harbor I diverged from the coast and 



