﻿FLORA. 
  353 
  

  

  grouping 
  of 
  these, 
  together 
  with 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  the 
  

   azalias, 
  woodbines, 
  jasmine, 
  and 
  other 
  flowering 
  shrubs 
  

   and 
  vines, 
  gives 
  to 
  the 
  scenery 
  a 
  truly 
  park-like 
  cha- 
  

   racter, 
  as 
  if 
  art 
  had 
  co-operated 
  with 
  nature 
  to 
  display, 
  

   at 
  a 
  single 
  view, 
  all 
  the 
  riches 
  of 
  our 
  flora. 
  

  

  A 
  few 
  years 
  since, 
  Lieut. 
  "W. 
  D. 
  Porter, 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  

   States 
  Navy, 
  called 
  the 
  attention 
  of 
  the 
  people 
  of 
  the 
  

   United 
  States, 
  to 
  the 
  cultivation 
  of 
  the 
  Sumac 
  (Rhus 
  

   Coriaria), 
  as 
  practised 
  in 
  Sicily, 
  and 
  which 
  he 
  repre- 
  

   sented 
  as 
  a 
  highly 
  profitable 
  pursuit, 
  and 
  suggested 
  the 
  

   introduction 
  of 
  the 
  plant 
  and 
  some 
  of 
  ^ 
  the 
  operatives 
  

   accustomed 
  to 
  its 
  management. 
  It 
  is 
  understood 
  that 
  

   the 
  Sumac 
  is 
  extensively 
  used 
  in 
  Jersey 
  and 
  the 
  neigh- 
  

   boring 
  States 
  for 
  tanning, 
  and 
  that 
  considerable 
  quanti- 
  

   ties 
  of 
  the 
  cured 
  leaves 
  are 
  exported 
  from 
  that 
  quarter. 
  

  

  The 
  occurrence, 
  in 
  this 
  State, 
  of 
  extensive 
  natural 
  

   plantations 
  of 
  the 
  dwarf 
  species, 
  B7ms 
  Typhina, 
  as 
  an 
  

   undergrowth 
  on 
  some 
  of 
  our 
  pine 
  lands, 
  suggests 
  their 
  

   availability 
  for 
  this 
  purpose 
  without 
  the 
  labor 
  of 
  culti- 
  

   vation. 
  

  

  The 
  sweet-gum 
  was 
  formerly 
  regarded 
  as 
  a 
  useless 
  

   cumberer 
  of 
  the 
  earth, 
  and 
  from 
  its 
  great 
  size 
  on 
  the 
  

   rich 
  alluvial 
  lands, 
  difficult 
  to 
  be 
  got 
  rid 
  of 
  except 
  by 
  

   the 
  slow 
  process 
  of 
  deadening, 
  by 
  helt'mg 
  or 
  cutting 
  

   around 
  the 
  tree 
  through 
  the 
  sap. 
  Of 
  late 
  years, 
  it 
  has 
  

   come 
  into 
  considerable 
  use 
  as 
  a 
  fuel 
  on 
  steamboats, 
  and, 
  

   when 
  seasoned, 
  little 
  difficulty 
  is 
  experienced 
  in 
  burn- 
  

   ing 
  it. 
  

  

  The 
  Sassafras, 
  a 
  valuable 
  timber-tree, 
  and 
  formerly 
  

   abundant, 
  and 
  in 
  great 
  demand 
  in 
  past 
  years 
  for 
  shin- 
  

   gles, 
  where 
  the 
  Cypress 
  was 
  less 
  convenient, 
  has 
  in 
  con- 
  

   sequence 
  been 
  greatly 
  diminished, 
  and 
  large 
  trees 
  of 
  it 
  

   are 
  now 
  rarely 
  seen. 
  

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