300 THE ACACIA. 



(tree-nails), which are used to fasten the planks to the 

 ribs or timbers of ships. The history of the first applica- 

 tion of the Acacia to this purpose is given at length in 

 Dr. Hunter's edition of Evelyn's "Sylva,"and is well worthy 

 of repetition. It is contained in a letter, dated July 25, 

 1782, from Joseph Harrison, Esq., of Bawtry, to Dr. 

 Hunter. Instead of decaying, it acquires an extraordinary 

 degree of hardness with time. In 1819 from 50,000 to 

 100,000 trenails of this wood were exported to England, 

 and their excellence has been confirmed by the highest 

 authorities, so that Oak-wood grown in Sussex, which was 

 formerly considered the best for this purpose, is now only 

 partially used, Locust trenails being still imported from 

 America to a very great extent. 



It may seem strange that the timber of a tree so liable 

 to be broken by the wind, as we find the Acacia to be, 

 should be considered the very best for a purpose where 

 extraordinary strength is required ; but it must be re- 

 membered that the Acacia, in its ^native country, prefers 

 barren, sandy, or light soils, in which situations it matures 

 its timber slowly. With us, on the other hand, it is 

 usually planted in rich soils and sheltered situations, 

 where, though the tree is botanically the same, the character 

 of the limber is materially impaired. 



In the year 1823 Cobbett drew public attention to 

 the Locust-tree (then scarcely known by that name), and 

 recommended that it should be extensively planted in 

 England, for the sake of its timber, which he asserted to 

 be superior to anything else for a variety of purposes, and 

 predicted that " the time would come when the Locust- 

 tree would be more common in England than the Oak." 

 To supply the demand which he had himself created, he 

 imported enormous quantities of seeds from America, 

 turned his garden into a nursery, and "sold altogether 

 more than a million of plants." But still, not being able 

 to raise enough plants to supply all his customers, he 

 purchased large numbers from the London nurserymen; 



