504 



to hold converse with the trees. He found in such intercourse an inex- 

 pressible delight, and returned to his duties refreshed and invigorated 

 in body and mind. 



He proceeded to say, that he had occasion constantly to lament the 

 disappearance of the forests, which are suffered gradually to be wasted 

 away. He should be most happy, if he could be in any measure in- 

 strumental in arresting this destruction. A few generations since and 

 wide-spreading forests covered the whole land. Our ancestors on their 

 arrival found the country a land of woods. But a large portion of them 

 have fallen, and their beauty and glory have departed. Our forests 

 are as interesting from the variety of trees which they present, as from 

 their vast extent. Few of us are justly impressed either with their va- 

 riety or value. It will be interesting to contrast the New England for- 

 ests with the forests of our native country, of Old England, the land of 

 our ancestors. I mean, said he, the forests of Massachusetts, with the 

 native forests of England ; for England has laid every temperate cli- 

 mate under contribution. The introduction of foreign trees into her 

 territory for planting is more than^ a century old. She had added to 

 her native trees and shrubs by importation 1300 or 1400 species. It 

 would be exceedingly interesting to know the value of these acquisi- 

 tions. She has gathered them from every island and continent ; she 

 lias taxed the whole world ; and of these exotics more than 500 are 

 from North America. 



In comparing the trees of America with those of England, Mr. E. 

 went on to observe that in Massachusetts there were ten oaks large 

 enough for ship timber ; in England only two. Our white oak and our 

 swamp white oak correspond nearly with the oaks of Great Britain. 

 In some parts of Massachusetts we have the post oak, which is called, 

 in Martha's Vineyard, the rough oak. We have the chestnut oak, 

 the rock-chesnut oak ; we have another oak, but he deems it a variety 

 of this last. There are then five or six oaks of thi? first kind. There 

 are five others of great, but of less value. There is the black, or yel- 

 low bark oak ; the scarlet oak, improperly called red oak ; the pine 

 oak, found in the southern part of the State ; the red oak, which attains 

 a large size, but is of little value for timber or fuel ; another called red 

 oak, but often distinguished from it by the name ; the grey oak, a vari- 

 ety well known in Maine, and much more valuable as timber than the 

 true red oak. The scarlet oak does not grow in Maine. Besides these 

 there are two small oaks of little importance. 



