FOKMS AND EXPKESSION OF TREES. 49 



us of primness ; hence the name of spruce, which is applied 

 to many of the species, is a word used to express formal- 

 ity. The cedar of Lebanon would be viewed by all with 

 a certain romantic interest, on account of the frequent 

 mention of it in Holy Writ, as well as for its nobleness 

 of dimensions and stature. 



It is with certain interesting scenes in the romance of 

 travel that we associate the palms of the tropics. They 

 have acquired singular attractions by appearing frequently 

 in scenes that represent the life and manners of the sim- 

 ple inhabitants of the equatorial regions. We see them 

 in pictures bending their fan-like heads majestically over 

 the humble hut of the Indian, supplying him at once with 

 milk, bread, and fruit, and affording him the luxury of 

 their shade. They emblemize the beneficence of nature, 

 which, by means of their products, supplies the wants of 

 man before he has learned the arts of civilized life. 



Writers in general apply the term "picturesque" to trees 

 which are devoid of symmetry and very irregular in their 

 outlines, either crooked from age or from some natural 

 eccentricity of growth. Thus the tupelo is so called, to 

 distinguish it from round-headed and symmetrical or 

 beautiful trees. This distinction is not very precise ; but 

 it is sanctioned by general use, and answers very well for 

 common purposes of vague description. I shall use the 

 words in a similar manner, not adhering to the distinc- 

 tion as philosophical. Indeed, it is impossible to find 

 words that will clearly express a complex idea. Words 

 are very much like tunes played on a jew's-harp ; the 

 notes intended to be given by the performer are accom- 

 panied by the louder ring of the key-note of the instru- 

 ment, making it difficult to detect the notes of the tune, 

 except in the hands of an extraordinary performer. 



Nature has provided against the disagreeable effects that 

 would result from the dismemberment of trees, by giving 



