HISTORY OF VERMONT. 



87 



ries of the common Sumach (rhus) are used to 

 great advantage in medicinal appUcations, and 

 in several kinds of dyes. It would be a very- 

 useful, but a laborious employment, for the 

 botanists to give to the Avorld an enumeration^ 

 and scientific description of our indigenous ve- 

 getables. The Flora Americana., w^ould be the 

 most valuable addition, that could be made to 

 the works of the celebrated Linnceus : But it 

 cannot be completed without the united assist- 

 ance of wealth, genius, time and labour. 



To this imperfect catalogue of our vegetables, 

 I shall add some remarks on the magnitude, 

 number, age, evaporation, emission of air, heat, 

 and effect of the trees. 



Magnitude. The magnitude to which a 

 tree will arrive, depends upon the nature of the 

 tree, and of the soil. The following are the 

 dimensions of such trees as are esteemed large 

 ones of their kind, in this part of America. 

 They do not denote the greatest, which nature 

 has produced of their particular species^'* but 

 the greatest of those which are to be found in 

 most of our townss. 



Trees. 



Pine, 



Maple, 



Buttonwood, 



Elm, 



Hemlock, 



Oak, 



Basswood, 



Ash, 



Birch, 



* A white Pine was cut at Dunstable in Newhampshire,in 1736, tic 

 iiamcter of whiok was seven feet, eight inches. 



Douglass' Summary, Vol. IT. p. 53, 



