142 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



sixty or seventy feet, thus forming a perfect arch of 

 great beauty. 



The lied or Slippery Elm is rare in this vicinity : 

 there arc a few trees in AVcnhani Swamp, and some 

 are found in the north part of Essex county. Many 

 trees are destroyed, or greatly injured, by heedless 

 persons, in stripping off their bark for medicinal 

 purposes ; and in consequence of their receiving 

 these injuries, they have become rare ; and but a few 

 vigorous trees can now be found growing naturally, 

 in this vicinity. This tree is smaller than the White 

 Elm, more upright in its growth, and has a very 

 thick, rough leaf. We have grafted the SUppcry and 

 the Cork-bark Elm on the \\'hite Elm with good 

 success. 



The staples arc all fine trees, and of easy cultiva- 

 tion. The Kcd Maple is a most beautiful tree, dis- 

 tinguished for its early, scarlet flowers, and the 

 brilliant scarlet or crimson color of its leaves in 

 autumn. It Nourishes best under cultivation, in rich, 

 moist land, where it makes a rapid growth. The 

 Kock Maple, if found at all, is a rare tree in this 

 vicinity, except under cultivation. It is an interest- 

 ing and useful tree, and when jilanted by the road- 

 side, very ornanrental. Several European species of 

 Maples arc large, ornamental trees, of easy cultiva- 

 tion, particularly the Sycamore, or great European 

 Maple, Norway Maple, and the Field ^laple. 



The Tulip-tree, although a native of Massachu- 

 setts, is not found in this vicinity, except under cul- 

 tivation. It is every way very desirable, and should 

 be possessed by every lover of native trees, and de- 

 serves general cultivation as an ornamental tree. It 

 is distinguished for its Howers, which resemble the 

 tulip, and its singular truncated leaves, presenting 

 the uncommon appearance of having their ends cut 

 off. We have found it of the most rapid growth, in 

 a rich, moist soil, and readily and easily transplanted. 

 It is a tree of the largest size in the Western Slates, 

 and is there used for the finishing work of dwelling- 

 houses. It is known by our joiners under the name 

 of whitowood. It is usually to be found in the 

 Boston nurseries, of a suitable size for transplanting. 



The American I,imo, Linden, or liasswood is 

 sometimes found cultivated as an ornamental tree. 

 It is distinguished for its large, dcejj green, heart- 

 shaped leaves, its very fragrant fiowers, peculiarlj- 

 attractive to bees ; and its rapid growth of white, 

 soft wood. As it affords a deep shade, with a clean, 

 bright green foliage, and fragrant flowers, and as its 

 wood is soft, and possesses but little strength, it is in 

 consequence very liable to have its branches broken 

 by high winds : it appears to be better adapted for 

 planting near and in the vicinity of buildings, thus 

 affording it shelter and pnstection. Many fine spe- 

 cies of the European- Linden trees are now cultivated, 

 and can be obtained at the nurseries. 



The most careless observer of trees, in passing 

 through our moist woods, must have observed a 

 rather singular tree, resembling somewhat a large 

 pear-tree, particularly upon viewing its bark. This 

 is the Tupelo, or Gum-tree, a species of the Xy'ssa, 

 a class of trees belonging to the Sandal wood family. 

 AVe have never seen it under cultivation, although it 

 would no doubt succeed well in a moist soil. It is 

 distinguished for its glossy green leaves, its bright 

 blue twin-bearing fruit, and in autumn, by its leaves 

 becoming an intensely deep scarlet or crimson. 



The Scarlet Oak, cultivated upon a lawn, and per- 

 mitted to stand alone, is a very ornamental tree, of 

 easy culture and rapid growth. It is distinguished 

 from other oaks by its thin, smooth, deeply cut, and 

 polished leaves, which in autumn are changed to a 

 deep crimson, of surpassing richness. 



The Black Walnut, which is found in Massachu- 

 setts, is a handsome tree, of rapid growth, and of 

 easy cultivation. Mr. Emerson, in his excellent and 



interesting report of the " Trees and Shrubs of Mas- 

 sachusetts," says, " The Black Walnut unites almost 

 all the qualities desirable in a tree : beauty, grace- 

 fulness, and richness of foliage, in every period of its 

 growth ; bark and husks, which may be employed in 

 an important art ; fruit valuable as food ; " wood 

 unsurpassed in durability for use, or in elegance for 

 ornament." 



The Nettle-tree and the Hackberry are both 

 found in Massachusetts, but have not been seen, to 

 my knowledge, in the county of Essex. We should 

 think they might be successfully cultivated in a 

 suitable soil, which we should judge should bo moist 

 and rich. Mr. Emerson says, tliat " the American 

 Nettle-tree has a strong resemblance to an elm, and 

 is often, by casual observers, mistaken for one. This 

 tree," he says, " might be described to one who 

 wished to be able to recognize it, as an elm, bearing 

 purple, sweet cherries, which continued on the stem 

 through the w^inter." It is rather a small tree, rising 

 seldom above forty or fifty feet in height, and twenty 

 or twenty-four inches in diameter. Michaux had 

 found it in its greatest vigor on the Savamiah, where, 

 in a cool and shady situation, he had seen trees sixty 

 or seventy feet high, and eighteen or twenty inches 

 in diameter. D. J. Browne, who has published a 

 very imperfect work on the trees of America, says, 

 " There is a Celtis occidentalis [the botanical name 

 of. the Nettle-tree] in the United States, at Spring- 

 field, in Massachusetts, fourteen feet in circumfer- 

 ence." This would make a tree about four feet 

 nine inches in diameter. Many persons confound 

 the Celtis occidentalis, or Nettle-tree, with the Celtis 

 crassifolia or Hackberry, sometimes called Hoop Ash. 

 Michaux, speaking of the last-mentioned tree, says, 

 " This is one of the finest trees that compose the 

 dusky forests on the upper part of the Ohio, and is cer- 

 tainly one of the most beautiful trees of its genus," 



The Buttonwood, or American Sycamore, is every 

 where well known in New England. It is a noble 

 tree, of rapid growth, and we regret that it has 

 suffered for several years past from a malady, the 

 cause of which is not yet well known. Many trees 

 have been cut down in consequence of being thus 

 injured. The attention of the earlier settlers of New 

 England was called to this tree by the Indians, as 

 will be seen by the following extract from a book 

 published in 1675, by John Josselyn, Gent., entitled 

 a "lielation of Two Voyages to New England." 

 Josselyn was the author of that singular and rare 

 production, "New England's Ilarities," being a de- 

 scription of the trees, shrubs, and plants of New 

 England, with rude cuts. Josselyn says, " The In- 

 dians tell of a tree that grows far up in the land, 

 that is as big as an oake, that will cure the falling 

 sickness infallibly ; what part thereof they use, bark,, 

 wood, leaves, or fruit, I could never learn ; they 

 promised often to bring of it to me, but did not. I 

 have seen a stately tree, growing here and there in 

 valleys, not like any trees in Europe, haveing a 

 smooth bark, of a dark colour ; the leaves like the 

 great Maple in Enghmd, called Sycamor, but larger ; 

 it may be this is the tree they bt-ag of." 



S. P. FOWLER. 



Danveiis New Mills, April 6, 1850. 

 [to be continued.] 



For the New England Farmer. 

 "BONE DISORDER IN COWS." 



Mu. EniTou : I must again ask the indulgence of 

 the readers of your valuable journal, in attcmptmg 

 to reply to your correspondent, Allen W. Dodge, of 

 Hamilton. 



I was not aware before his last communication. 



