210 LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 



mon name among the white inhabitants is Bodac, a. cor 

 ruption of the term hois d'arc (how-wood), of the French 

 settlers. A fine yellow dye is extracted from the wood, 

 similar to that of the Fustic. 



As the Osage orange belongs to the monoecious class of 

 plants, it does not perfect its fruit unless both the male and 

 female trees are growing in the same neighborhood. 

 Many have believed the fruit to be eatable, both from its 

 fine appearance, and from its affinity with and resemblance 

 to that of the bread-fruit ; but all attempts to render it 

 pleasant, either cooked or in a raw state, have hitherto 

 failed : it is therefore probably inedible, though not injuri- 

 ous. Perhaps when fully ripened, some mode of preparing 

 it by baking or otherwise, may render it palatable. 



As an ornamental tree, the Osasre orano;e is rather too 

 loose in the disposition of its wide-spreading branches, to be 

 called beautiful in its form. But the bright glossy hue of 

 its foliage, and especially the unique appearance of a good 

 sized tree when covered with the large, orange-like fruit, 

 render it one of the most interesting of our native trees ; 

 while it has the same charm of rarity as an exotic, since it 

 was introduced from the far west, and is yet but little 

 planted in the United States. On a small lawn, where but 

 few trees are needed, and where it is desirable that the 

 species employed should all be as distinct as possible, to 

 give the whole as much variety as can be obtained in 

 a limited space, such trees should be selected as will not 

 only be ornamental, but combine some other charm, 

 association, or interest. Among such trees, we would by 

 aJl means give the Osage orange a foremost place. It has 

 the additional recommendation of being a fine shade tree 

 and of producing an excellent and durable wood. 



