100 ACACIA. 



The Acacia or Locust-tree (Robinia, pseudo-aca- 

 cia), is confined on the eastern side of North 

 America, to that part of Pennsylvania which lies 

 between Lancaster and Harrisburg; while on the 

 western side of the Alleghany mountains, it is 

 found two or three degrees further to the north, 

 and abounds in all the valleys of their exten- 

 sive ranges. Varying according to the nature of the 

 soil and climate, it rises in Virginia and Kentucky 

 to a commanding height, towering above the forest- 

 trees, to an elevation of seventy or eighty feet, while 

 in other parts less favourable to its growth, it rarely 

 exceeds half that size. 



This graceful tree was the first that reached 

 Europe from America. We owe its introduction to 

 Robin, a French botanist, from whom it derived the 

 name Robinia; he brought it from Canada, and 

 cultivated it in France, during the reign of Henry 

 IV., since w r hich time it has spread to a great ex- 

 tent throughout Germany and Britain. The foliage 

 is extremely light and graceful, and the pendent 

 bunches of white flowers are equally fragrant and 

 beautiful. These bunches, scattered in gay profu- 

 sion amid the lively green leaves, render the Acacia 

 peculiarly adapted for landscape gardening. 



In the progress of years, the light and elegant aca- 

 cia loses much of that peculiar gracefulness which 

 characterized its youth. The branches wave no 

 longer lightly in the summer breeze, and the smooth 

 and polished stem is covered with a thick and 

 deeply-furrowed bark, mantled not unfrequently 

 with gray lichens and pendent ferns. When seen 

 in this condition, its appearance is extremely vene- 



