234 



THE FARMERS* REGISTER. 



wet in the spring lor cultivation. It is most com- 

 mon on (he borders of low wet prairies. 



Jlsh.—K pleniiful, large growth denotea very 

 superior laud. It is never found with us on poor 

 land ; and except on the best it is ecattering and 

 email. In swarapa the ash, with the butt grow- 

 ing up for some distance much larger than the 

 trunk higher up, and the inequality emling ab- 

 ruptly, is a certain mark of frequent overflow. 

 Tlie ash denotes good corn land, and wc would sup- 

 pose equally a mark of land adapted to small grain. 



In this country we are without the while or 

 swamp ash Ibund at the north, and so much used 

 in carriage making, &c. Our ash is not tough 

 and hard like that, but has an open grain, and is 

 among the most brash or breakly of our timbers. 

 It is very dry and* makes better fire wood when 

 green than any other tree we have. lis ashes 

 have also been found among the most valuable 

 for lie. The ash lasts well exposed to the air, 

 but soon rots when buried. In common with all 

 the trees which have a large portion of their trunks 

 aap, the ash can seldom be deadened so as to die 

 the first year. 



Beech denotes good second rate land with us, 

 and is never found except on loose mellow soil, 

 which may never produce the best, but is very 

 * reliable for certain crops. — It is sometimes found 

 in swamps which overflow, but in none which do 

 so often and to any depth. Beech, like the ash, 

 lasts well in the air, but soon rota when buried. 

 The tree is easily deadened by taking out a thin 

 chip in circling it. 



Box elder. — This is one of the semi-dwarfish 

 trees, and grows only on rich ground. To find it 

 spontaneously attaining any size, therelbre, is a 

 certain mark of a good soil. It will grow in over- 

 flowed land, however. Of the qualities of the 

 timber we know little. Its bark and leaves are 

 said to possess valuable. medicinal qualities. 



Cotton wood. — This is a tree which never at- 

 tains its growth except on the richest soils, and is 

 never found naturally on any other. Though 

 generally found in swamps, it will occasionally be 

 seen on uplands which are rich enough. It will 

 grow on overflowed soil. The timber is light and 

 porous, and of lillle value, though it makes tole- 

 rable fence raiisj and when dry pretty good fire 

 wood. It rots almost immediately in the ground. 

 It is not ea&ily deadened, except by firing at the 

 roots, the first year. 



Cherry. — The wild cherry common among us, 

 never attains a size over a foot or two through, ex- 

 cept on the best soil. It denotes too freedom from 

 overflow when (bund in bottoms. It is easily 

 deadened, and the wood is extremely lasting and 

 valuable in any use. 



Cypress is an unerring mark of low, overflowed 

 swamp land. When cypress land is reclaimed, 

 however, it is found to be mellow and productive, 

 and the tree is easily deadened. Though soft and 

 porouB, cypress is a most valuable timber, split- 

 ting out easily into shingles, &c.— easily savved 

 into lumber — and either in the ground or in the 

 air extremely lasting. 



Cane. — To see the large high cane we once had 

 so plentiful among us — attaining the height of 25 

 or 30 feet — is a certain mark of the best -kind of 

 soil. On poorer soils it will never attain its full 

 growth. Overflows kill it. So that in swamps 

 subject to overflow, it is seldom found at its full 



size. It takes some six or seven years for it to 

 grow to full size, and onless the land has been 

 exempt from overflow for that length of time, 

 large cane will not be seen. It goes to seed at 

 long intervals and then dies spontaneously. It is 

 a variety of the same species as the bamboo. In 

 another article we will give a history of its seed- 

 ing and growth. 



Dog-toond. — This is another tree of semi-dwarf- 

 ish growth. It is never seen on the very poorest 

 land. But from that which is thin to the richest 

 it is found flourishing in all. To find it growing 

 in swamps however denotes exemption from over- 

 flow. The tree is too small to make the timber 

 worth notice. 



Blm. — This tree will not grow over a foot or a 

 foot and a half through, except on rich land. It 

 will not grow on lands much subject to overflow. 

 It is easily deadened. And tlie heart of the tree 

 is extremely tough and lasting, both in or out of 

 the ground. It is used by our wagon makers for 

 the hubs of their wheels. Also, for the screws to 

 our cotton presses. The bark of the slippery elm 

 is well known to have valuable medicinal qualities. 

 The wood however is not so tough as that of the 

 red variety. 



Gimi. — The black gum grows indiscriminating- 

 ly, on thin and rich lands. Its superior size on 

 rich lands however is a distinguishing mark. It 

 is not easily deadened the first year ; and the tim- 

 ber is of liule value — being too tough to split and 

 shrinking and cracking very much in seasoning. 

 The sweet glim, of the size of 4 feet and over 

 through, is a very common tree in our rich bot- 

 toms, and on poor land is seldom seen except of a 

 small size. It is a diflicult tree to deaden; and 

 the timber is nearly worthless. It rapidly rots in 

 any ^tuation. 



Hickory, of a small size, growing thickly or pre- 

 dominating, denotes a good soil, though shallow. 

 Large sized trees are Ibund occasionally on rich 

 and deep lands. The common kinds are seldom 

 found in overflowed lands— but a variety with 

 rough scaly bark found in swamps ia a certain 

 mark of inundation. The timber is too well 

 known to need description. It is not lasting, and 

 soon rots in the ground. The hickory to be dead- 

 ened the first year must be chopped round en- 

 tirely through the sap ; unless this is done it will 

 continue vifjorous to the second summer. 

 . Holly. — This tree is a certain mark of good 

 land. It is semi-dwarfish — difficult to be deaden- 

 ed — and loves swnmps which are not much over- 

 flowed. The timber is very white and close, and 

 is used by cabinet makers for inlaying. 



Haiv— black. — This shrub denotes rather a 

 thin soil, never being found on our richest. It 

 grows only in dry spots. Of the red there are 

 two kinds, one with many thorns and a fruit much 

 larger than the other — nearly the size and shape 

 of the crab apple. This kind grows only on 

 high dry spots, denoting a poor soil. The other 

 has the fruit of a smaller size in clusters, and 

 sweeter tasted, and the tree grows taller and is 

 freer of thorns. Tkis kind loves swamps and low 

 places, and generally denotes a rich soil though 

 wet and tenacious. 



Hornbeam, or iron wood. — This is another 

 sem-idwarfj and denotes, like the beech, good se- 

 cond rate land— never being found on either the 

 richest or the poorest. 



