VOL. XVr. NO. 4T. 



AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL . 



871 



exact praolieal knowledge deserve the particular 

 attention of the cultivator. 



Gen. Dearborn's Letters. 



Ho.sTON, April 26, 1836. 

 Dear Sir: — Iain very jlUui to learn, that the 

 citizens of Bangor have determined, to einhclli.sh 

 that city, liy the planting out of forest trees. 



There has been a too general disposition to em- 

 ploy only the Elm, for the borders of roads and 

 streets, \.\u(\ public squares; but such a t,-iste is not 

 in keeping, with that evinced, in those portions of 

 the globe, where the construction of arli(5cial for- 

 ests, and ornamental grounds, have claime<l the 

 greatc^sl intention. The monotony of appearance, 

 which lines, or clumps of the same tree produce, 

 is to be avoided, and a |)icturesque aiul agreeable 

 aspect obtained, by increasing the varieties ; for 

 as the periods of their foliation are so very dilVer- 

 ent, as well as the tints of green, when in vegeta- 

 tion, and the remarkable autumnal changes quite 

 as dissimilar, they are |)resenting an ever-varvitio' 

 yet always pleasing and interesting scene. Be- 

 sides, w-; have so many magnificent species of na- 

 tive trees, which flourish luxuriantly, ev;n in the 

 most exposed situations, that I have never been 

 able to divine, why one particular tree should be 

 so universally selected, as shades, or for ornament, 

 not oidy around private dwellings, but forall pub- 

 lic places. As well might all flowers be excluded 

 from our gardens, but the rose, or lilac, and all 

 fruits from our orchards; but the apple. ICach 

 variety of forest trees lias its peculiar beauties, 

 and all of them merit our attention, and if not 

 equally, still to an extent, that admits of no exclu- 

 sion. We are too apt to discard many of them, 

 because they are so common in our forests; but 

 it must be recollected, that the savage regards 

 them all, but so fal-, as they contribute to his wants, 

 and sees no beauty in any. The admiration of 

 rural scenery, and an intense veneration for mag- 

 nificent trees, are the results of a high state of re- 

 fmemeiit. 



For your streets, I recommend the alternate 

 planting out of Rock Maples, Kims, White Ash, 

 White ;Maple, Ba^s-\vood, Beech, and llet], White 

 and other Oaks. The Rock Maple is certainly 

 one of our most superb trees, and in ray own es- 

 timation, superior lo the Elm. Its form and foli- 

 age, with the splendid changes of its autumnal as- 

 pect, are of surpassing beauty. 'J'he Bass-Wood, 

 [Tilia ./Imericana,]^ is the American Linden, or 

 Lime, and much superior, from its size, graceful 

 form, and large leaves, to the much celebrated 

 and favorite European species. It is easy to trans- 

 plant, and of rapid growth. The Oaks are of rapid 

 grovvth, and one as renowned as the name of Eng- 

 land, and have been the choice trees of all the 

 celebrated nations of antiquity. 'J'lie Occideutal 

 Plane, or American Buttonwood, is also a finer 

 tree than the oriental variety, which was so much 

 admired and cultivated by the Asiatics and Ro- 

 mans. 1 should recommend this also, but it is not 

 indigenous to Maine, although so common in this 

 State — it is hardy and of rajiid growth. 



Jf you have public grounds or squares, by all 

 means intermingle with all the trees 1 liave named, 

 the White Pino and Cedar, Hemlock and Spruce ; 

 the Fir is too small and short-lived for public 

 grounds. 



As to selecting the trees from the forests, by all 

 means do not commit the too common error, and 

 seek to gain time, by obtaining those of a large 



size. 'I'hey should not btj over two inchei indiam- 

 eicr, and taken up so carefully, a» to retain all the 

 routs, and especially avoid another custom of ig- 

 norance, by not mutilating th' tops. Do not cut 

 OFF A SINGLE TWIG, save siich as may be within 

 four or five feet of the ground. You might as 

 well set out one of the cedar logs rafted down 

 your river, and ex[)ect it to grow, as imitate the 

 general praciice, of chopping up a tree from the 

 roots with an axe, and then cutting off its head 

 and ramming this stamp into hard gravel or clay. 

 These two comjitions are inilispensable, for a 

 successful result. Next, let the holes bc' dug from 

 four to six fVet in diameter, so as to afford, not 

 only ample room tor the roots, but a large quan- 

 tity of rich loam, with which they should be filled 

 up. The trees should lie set in the ground, about 

 two inches deeper than they were, in their native 

 position. The loam for filling the holes, should 

 be the best you can procure. Let the ground lie 

 well watered, after the trees are set out, but by no 

 means tread down the earth, another vile and inju- 

 rious custom. The evergreens should be taken 

 up, with as much earth about the roots as possible, 



1 haverais.'d from the seed a great many of 

 our forest trees — all that I have named, and cul- 

 tivated so many that I speak Irom practical expe- 

 rience on these subjects. In ihe number of the 

 Horticultural Register for April, 1836. Vol. IV. 

 published in Boston, and which I presume is taken, 

 by some persons in your city, is an article on the 

 culture of the forest trees, which 1 furnished, and 

 to which I refer you, for an account of the taste, 

 for their propagation, and the estimation in \\hich 

 all civilized nations have held them, from Xerxes 

 to Sir Walter Scott. 



I should have expressed my opinion of the 

 beauty of the ichite maple, and there is a smaller 

 variety, called the red Jtowering, \v\i\ch is very 

 graceful and interesting. The Birches, ior private 

 grounds, are very beautiful, but the delicacy of 

 their bark, and the passion for mutilation among 

 the barbarian boys, and often more barbarous men, 

 renders them exceptionable, for public places. 



V'ou have not a moment to lose in taking up 

 and setting out your trees, and the spring is much 

 the best season, in New England. 



Accept the most friendly salutations of 

 Your ob't servant, 

 H. A. S. DEARBORN. 



Charlls Oilman, Esq. 



BosTOs, April 2'.), 1838. 

 Dear Sir : — I forgot to say to you, that in the 

 cultivation of the coniferous trees, and especially 

 the pines, hemlocks, spruces and firs, great care 

 must be observed, in their removal, not to injure 

 the roots, branchis, or bark ; and by no means 

 should any of the branches he cut off, as is too gen- 

 erally done. They have the greatest aversion to 

 amputation, and resent the lopping, of their lower 

 limbs, so stubbornly, that they never grow thriftily, 

 or make fine looking trees; and the fir is so sen- 

 sitive on this subject, that it sickens, lingers and 

 prematurely dies, if its under branches are cut off. 

 In selecting any of this class of ti;ees, for trans- 

 plantation, be sure to take only such as grow in 

 open and airy situations, where they had ample 

 room for the extension of their far-reaching, lower 

 limbs, anii such, as on which these limbs g-rott) 

 close to the groun I and by no means cut off any of 

 them, if you wish to be eminently successful in 



their culture, and to have thrifty and beautiful 

 samples. The great want of attention to these 

 particulars, is the cause, that so many persons fail 

 in the cultivation of the fir balsam, as it is called 

 in Maine — the silver fii, [abies balsamif-ra.] They 

 lake them from thickets, where they have run up 

 tall and slim, with short and diseased limbs, while 

 lor several feet they have aheady |)erished ; and 

 to c(unplete the natural evils, the trees are primed 

 up, some five or six feet, which not only renders 

 them unsightly, but is giving tlie blow of death, 

 when long life is the desirable attainment. 



Tlie White Pine is the vegetable monarch of 

 this continent, and is held in the highest estimation 

 in Europe, where it is cultivated with the greatest 

 attention. iMarshall, an English agricultural au- 

 thor of the highest celebrity calls it " a princely 

 tree majestic and elegant in the highest degree." 

 They are shone as rich ornaments, in the parks 

 and pleasure grounds of Gnat Britain, France, 

 Bejgium, Holland and Cermany. The Hemlock 

 is .-i superb tree,— -oiie of the most lofty, and re- 

 markable for the arrangement and graceful motion 

 (d' its beautiful branches, and delicate, and deep 

 green leaves. The Larch, tir as you call it on the 

 Penobscot. Ilackmaiack, [Larix ^'Imericajia] should 

 be included among the trees for streets, as well as 

 public squares, or at least fcr the latter. It is 

 truly beautiful and more cultivated, for timber 

 and ornamental groves and clumps, in Great Brit- 

 iaii, than any other tree, — that is, the variety pe- 

 culiar to that Island. Although coniferou.?, and 

 resinous, it is nevertheless deciduous ; still it is eo 

 be troati'd like the evergieens, and the lower limbs 

 all retained. 



We are told, that of oh! a man was not a prophet 

 in his own country, and so it is with trees; they 

 are not apt to be appreciated, where they are indi- 

 genous and abundant. The modern inhabitants 

 of Egypt, arc astonished, that' foreigners come so 

 far, to beliold the huge pyramid of CIcopes ; and 

 why .' to them it is a constant obj.jct, and has been 

 from childhood, and therefore neither striking, or 

 interesting ; but after all, there is an abstract 

 grandeur, ay, an intrinsic merit in the works of the 

 Pharaohs, and the gigantic forest trees of ftlaine, 

 which will excite wonder and admiration, through 

 all ages, however they may be regarded by those 

 who live near, or in the midst of them. Iliey are 

 beautiful, majestic and even sublime objects to be- 

 hold ; they are the monuments of our country, the 

 cliroiiicles of its by-gone ages. 



i lie bast time to transplant, all the evergreen 

 trees is later than that, tor the deciduous, and is 

 just before they commence vegetation, — at the mo- 

 ment they make the first efl'ott to open their leaf 

 buds. They should not be over five or six feet in 

 height; it will be best, in all cases, to set them 

 twice as neai as they may be required ultimately. 

 So doubtful is their life the first season ; aixl if 

 more live, than are required lor the ground, they 

 can be transplanted to other places ; for when 

 they have grown two or three years, after the first 

 taking up they can be transplanted with greater 

 certainty of life. 



Very Respectfully, 



Your Ob't Serv't, 



H. A. S. DEARBORN. 



ClIERLF.S GlLMAN, EsQ. 



Snow in May. — The snow fell fast at Wilkes- 

 barre in the Pennsylvania moiiutaiuB on May 

 7th. 



