16 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [15:1— Jan., 1919 



known tree and a description of it seems hardly necessary; its tall 

 excurrent trunk, soft pendulous branches, small linear leaves in 

 tufts like small brushes are familiar sights to the eye of one who 

 knows the North of our country anywhere, except in the treeless 

 streets of our largest cities. 



Tamaracks are everywhere in the North where the soil is suitable 

 for their development. The writer knows a forest of larch trees 

 situated in the northeastern part of New York State, that is 

 impressive beyond his power of words to adequately describe it. 

 This forest is some five miles long by more than a mile in width and 

 is in Fulton Co. a part of which is spired by the chain of lower 

 Adirondacks known as "The Mayfields;" skirting the base of this 

 fine range is the great swamp that bears the name of "Tamarack." 

 The tree has given the name to the swamp, for Larch, Tamarack 

 and Hackmatac are all local names for one and the same tree. Out 

 of the swamp on its western border, Mt. Jackson, the colossus of 

 the Mayfields rises abruptly; and the writer doubts if another 

 scene of such rich and pleasing beauty can be witnessed anywhere 

 as is presented by the great Tamarack Swamp with its countless 

 green spires larches, seen from the siimmit of this towering mass of 

 world, old Mt. Jackson. 



The criticism of Wordsworth in regard to the larch is incompre- 

 hensible. He seems to regard it as a tree that would disorganize 

 the beauty of the lake country of England entirely if it were intro- 

 duced. It was suggested at one time during his lifetime, to plant 

 the European larch extensively along certain stretches of some of 

 the lakes that Wordsworth seemed to consider his own property, 

 largely acquired by virtue of his exalted admiration. The sugges- 

 tion brought a characteristic outburst of indignation from his pen 

 in which he sums up the value of the larch in these words "As a tree 

 it is less than any other pleasing ; its branches (for boughs it has 

 none) have no variety in the youth of the tree, and little dignity 

 when it attains full growth. Leaves it can not be said to have, 

 consequently it affords neither shade nor shelter. In the spring 

 the larch becomes green long before the native trees and its green 

 is so peculiar and vivid that finding nothing to harmonize with it ; 

 whenever it comes forth a disagreeable speck is produced." Some 

 of the statements in this criticism are undoubtedly correct. That 

 the tree gives neither shade nor shelter no one will deny, but again 

 who would plant this tree for shade or shelter? No rational- 



