CHAP. CXI II. 



CONI'FER^. THU JA. 



24 55 



2312 



Society's Garden, 8 ft. high, which was received in 1831, from Mr. 

 Hodgkins of the Dunganstown Nursery, in the County Wicklow. 



f T. 0. Sodorata Marsh., 1. c, N. Du Ham., iii. p. 13., is said to be more fragrant than the species. 

 We have not seen the plant. 



Description, ^c. The American arbor vitae, in its native country, according 

 to Michaux, is a tree from 45 ft. to 50 ft. in height, with a trunk sometimes 

 more than 10 ft. in circumference ; though, in general, it is not above 1 1 in, 

 or 15 in. in diameter at 5ft. from the ground. From the 

 number of the concentric circles, 117 of wliich Michaux has 

 counted in a log 1 3 in. 5 lines in diameter, its growth appears 

 to be extremely slow. The foliage is numerously ramified, and 

 flattened, or .spread out laterally. The leaves are small, oppo- 

 site, imbricated scales : when bruised, they diffuse a strong 

 aromatic odour. The sexes are separate upon the same tree : 

 the male catkins are in the form of small cones, v/hich, when 

 ripe, are yellowish, about 4 hues in length, and composed of 

 oblong scales, which open throughout their whole length for 

 the escape of several minute seeds, each of which is sur- 

 mounted by a short wing. The flowers appear early in spring, 

 and the catkins are matured towards the end of September. 

 In America, the full-grown arbor vitse is easily distinguished 

 from all other trees by its shape and foliage. The trunk 

 tapers rapidly from a very large base to a very slender sum- 

 mit ; and it is furnished with branches for four fifths of its 

 height. The principal limbs are widely distant from each 

 other, placed at right angles with the trunk, and have a 

 great number of drooping secondary branches. The bark 

 upon the trunk is slightly fiirrowed, but smooth to the touch, 

 and very white when the tree stands exposed. The wood is reddish, some- 

 what odorous, very light and soft, and fine-grained. (^Michx.) Compared with 

 the Chinese arbor vitte, the American species is a loose irregular-headed tree, 

 with the branches much more horizontal than in that species. The rate of 

 growth, in the cHmate of London, is from 6 in. to 1 ft. in a year. In ten 

 years, in favourable soils, it will attain the height of 10ft. or 12 ft.; and in 

 30 or 40 years, in moist sheltered situations, drawn up by other trees, it will 

 attain the height of 30 ft. or 40 ft. The largest specimens in the neighbour- 



