398 DECIDUOUS TREES. 



come out late, and drop early, turning yellow before they fall. The 

 male and female blossoms of this species are borne on separate 

 trees. It becomes a tree of secondary size, from fifty to sixty feet 

 in height. The early growth is more rapid than that of the sugar 

 maple, but is about the same in their later stages. 



THE AILANTUS. Ailantus. 



This exotic, so popular thirty years ago, is certainly now " in 

 bad odor." Its rank growth when young, its luxuriant and grace- 

 ful compound leaves, from three to six feet in length, and the fact 

 of its novelty, both in growth and name, when introduced from 

 China (the latter being no less a title than the "tree of heaven "a 

 title erroneously given, but piously adhered to by those who were 

 selling them), altogether caused it to be planted to an extent that 

 its character, on a better acquaintance, does not warrant. It had 

 the additional misfortune to be mostly planted as a street tree in 

 cities ; just where its great fault is most felt, and its beauties least 

 appreciated. This fault is the unpleasant odor of its blossoms, 

 which, to a few persons, is reputed poisonous. 



It is a quality which should place it under ban for street plant- 

 ing, but not one of sufficient gravity to require us to banish it from 

 parts of pleasure-grounds at a little distance from streets and resi- 

 dences. The odor of new-mown hay, and even of roses and straw- 

 berries, is nauseating and productive of fevers to a few unfortunately 

 organized persons ; but such exceptional facts do not prove them 

 to be poisonous. The odor of the flowers of the ailantus is dis- 

 agreeable to almost every one, but it lasts but a short time ; and if 

 the tree can be planted at a respectful distance from walks and 

 windows, it does not seem to us a sufficient cause to abandon the 

 cultivation of so beautiful and peculiar a tree. 



The exceedingly rapid growth of the ailantus when quite young, 

 sometimes making canes in a single season from ten to fifteen feet 

 long, would be a merit, if this wood could be kept from winter-killing. 

 But this very rank growth is generally killed back in winter. Such a 

 growth being excessive, it is evident that the tree will start more 



