406 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



In this stale things, sober reflection, which 

 though a slow, is; olien a correct leacher, shows 

 us by costly lessons what it would have laughl 

 before, had it been consulted, that it] instead of 

 wastelully destroying and exterminating ihe forest 

 trees, they had been used witli [trudent economy, 

 when necessary, and skillully managed and pre- 

 served when not, they might have contributed 

 largely to pleasure and to profit. The same lol- 

 hes have been extensively committed by other 

 nations; but they have long since discovered 

 their error, and are in many instances setting us 

 examples, worthy ol' imitation, in retrieving it. 

 If we profit by their example, it is still in season 

 to avoid the error in many parts of our extensive 

 dominions, and where it has been already com- 

 mitted, we can by a judicious course do much 

 towards making amends in our own days, and 

 avoid entailing on posterity a vast amount of 

 unnecessary trouble and expense.* The clearing 

 of a country of Ibrest trees produces, no doubt, 

 atmospheric and meteorological changes more 

 or less connected with health ; but we choose to 

 leave that part ol" the subject to those who are 

 professionally the guardians of health, and to 

 speak of ii only as it relates to the common com- 

 forts and conveniences of lilti. 



The use of forest trees to which we refer, are 

 for shade, for fuel, for timber, and for protection 

 against wind. 



Of shade trees, both for timber and ornaaient, 

 we have indigenous a greater variety than any 

 other nation. It would be useless to attempt 

 forming a catalogue, but a fiiw may be worthy 

 of'particuiar notice. 



As an ornamental tree, the sugar maple — j^cer 

 saccarinum— for avenues or the streets of towns, 

 stands unrivalled ; the wood, valuable in the 

 arts ; ma|)le orchards a profitable investment. 



Yellow locust — Robinia pseud acacia — a most 

 valuable timber, much in demand for mill cogs, 

 ship trunnels, fence posts, etc. 



Shellbark liickory — Juglans regia — ranks with 

 the first class of our Ibrest trees ; timber of great 

 strength and elasticity ; wood, as an article of fuel, 

 unsurpassed ; produces delicious nuts ; the trees 

 worthy of cultivation lor their fruit alone ; the 

 nuts may be increased to twice their usual size 

 by cultivation. 



White oak — Quercus alba — timber in high re- 

 pute ; accommodates itself to almost any soil. 



Chestnut — Castanea — attains a large size, proli- 

 fic in valuable sweet nuts, susceptible of great im- 

 provement. 



Wfiite elm — Ulmiis americana—a general fa- 

 vorite, often reaching an altitude of 80 to 100 feet. 

 feet. 



Black larch — L. pendula — for timber or |)ic- 

 turesque effect, worthy of cultivation. The tree 

 much neglected. 



* Massachusetts is doing her duty. Among her 

 state premiums is noticed one for the most exten- 

 sive forest of any sort of trees suitable for timber, 

 raised from the seed, not less than 1000 trees to the 

 acre, wfiich shall be in the most flourisliing condition, 

 and more than five years old in September, 1845, $.-50. 



Another premium of forty dollars for the best plan- 

 tation of oak or other forest trees, suitable for ship 

 timber, not less than 1000 trees per acre, to be rnised 

 from the seed, which shall be in the most thriving 

 condition, and more than three years old in Septem- 

 ber, 1847. 



White ash — Fraxinus americana — the wood in 

 great demand lor farm implements, by the wheel- 

 wright and carriage maker. The j)ines and fira 

 add much to the beauty of home, and for bleak 

 and exposed situations Ibrm a good shelter. The 

 balm of Gilead fir — ^. balsamea — a beautiful 

 evergreen ; and the white pine — P. strabus — 

 the king of its genus ; its beautiful stately form 

 will add much to rural embellishment. 



A stranger travelling through almost any part 

 of the United States, would think he had met with 

 the strangest anomaly ever presented. He would 

 have heard, no doubt, that the Americans were a 

 people of refined taste, awake to all the beauties, 

 not only of nature, but of poetry and romance; 

 and yet, perhaps, in a day's ride, passing the 

 dwellings of the rich and poor, he would scarcely 

 see a tree connected with a house lor beauty or 

 for shade, much less the rich and elegant groups 

 of trees he would have anticipated finding. To 

 such a traveller from almost any other civilized 

 country, to see a decent country house standing 

 like a hay stack in a meadow, the conclusion 

 would be that its inhabitants, whatever fame 

 might have reported of them to the contrary, were 

 as destitute of taste as those animals of the mea- 

 dow that li?d upon the hay slack. 



There is nothing in the compass of inanimate 

 nature so interesting as trees. They speak a lan- 

 guage to I he heart which none but a heart of utter 

 insensibility can fail to understand. They awak- 

 en to recollection the memory of scenes long past, 

 not only in the innocent sports ol childhood, but 

 often those of deeper interest. It must be noticed 

 by every observer, that even the tirute creation 

 feel a veneration lor trees. A tree is a house, fur- 

 niture ; it may be made clothing and even bread : 

 " It Ibrms part of almost every implement and 

 every machine by which the <zenius of man has 

 taught him to lighten "he labor of his hand. 

 There is that in a tree, considered as an individual 

 work of the Creator, which may well excite our 

 attention, and most amply reward our study." 



For luel, and more especially lor timber, econo- 

 my alone, without the aid of good taste, would, if 

 consulted, be sufBcient to plead lor the preserva- 

 tion of loiest trees. 



But when the folly has been committed, and its 

 consequences are beginning to be sensibly felt, 

 what remedy can be applied, if not to aflbrd im- 

 mediate relief, at least to prevent posterity frora_ 

 suttering by its effects 7 The still small voice of 

 common sense, confirmed by the examples of se- 

 veral nations of Europe, points to the remedy. 

 The first step is to establish nurseries, where all 

 the most valuable trees could be obtained at mode- 

 rate prices; a lew would avail themselves of 

 their advantages, and the force of example would 

 soon excite the multitude to loilovv them, and in a 

 few years, those who lived to see our dwellings, 

 which now stand as unornamiiiled as milestones, 

 tastefully surrounded by beautiful trees, and their 

 value doubled in the eye of most purchasers; 

 they would see our public roads lined with exten- 

 sive rows of valuable trees, and last, though not 

 least, our larm houses would be sheltered in their 

 situation from bleak and destructive winds by belts 

 of the pine and fir trees, and their cattle and sheep 

 would find protection in winter, and places of re- 

 pose from the sultry summer heat. 



Magnolia. 



