580 



FARIMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 10 



in a few years, the highway of nations lothe'Pa- 

 cific Ocean, and will enable our whaling phips to 

 make their return every .six rnonihs. instead oi 

 three years, as well as save a dangerous voyage 

 around Cape Horn. 



From the Gardener's Magazine. 



WOTES ON THE FOREST SCENERY IN NORTH 

 AIM ERICA. 



Made by 3Ir. James JSP Nab of the Botanic Garden, 

 J'Jdiiiburgh, and Air. R. Brown, late of Perth, 

 during a jotirney taken for the express purpose 

 of observing the characters of trees' in their natu- 

 ral woods. 



Every individual who has been accustomed, 

 during his lionie travels, to pay any attention to 

 the fbrast scenery in his native country, must be 

 astonished at the great difference which a foreign 

 land presents. 



In tropical regions, the whole aspect of a coun- 

 try is changed by the total alteration in habit, and 

 the luxuriancy of the forests, compared with those 

 seen in temperaie climates. 



In North America, the forest scenecy is sublime, 

 and upon a very extensive scale." When looked 

 upon by the inexperienced observer, it may not 

 seem to aflbrd forms difierent from what he has 

 been accustomed to witness in other countries; 

 but the practical eye must at once perceivethe 

 wonderful difference of form which the American 

 trees present. 



Before lauding upon the shores at New York, 

 the head-lands aftpear to the stranger from the old 

 countrj', of a very dark and dismal hue, from the 

 quantity of pines and red cedars (Juniperus Vir- 

 giniana) which seem to be the chief inhabitants 

 of the soils around: but on landing, the whole 

 city and neigliborhood seems like a vast garden, 

 from the number of beautiful trees, which either 

 grow spontaneously, or have been introduced into 

 the avenues of the city, from more southern climes. 



It is here, that the observing stranger is first im- 

 pres.sed with the great divers'ty oi' form, and the 

 variety of foliage furnished by American trees: 

 but it is not to be expected that, throughout the 

 country, this diversity of form is every where to 

 be seen. It is much the contrary. Near the 

 large cities none of the natural forests remain, nor 

 can they be expected, till we penetrate beyond the 

 reach of internal communication of rivers and 

 lakes: for the demand of wood, as fuel and other- 

 wise, in the neighborhood of such places is very 

 great. 



About Hoboken, in New Jersey, many very 

 ornamental forest trees of great size are seen, and 

 frequently covered to the summit with wild vines. 

 Of these the Plantalls occldentalis (button- wood 

 or false sycamore,) Lirv dendron tuiipifera, (white 

 wood or tulip tree,) Liquidamber styrar.ijlua, (sweet 

 gum,) with some splendid oaks, chestnuts, limes, 

 and honey \oci\s\s, ( G'leditschia iriacanihos,) nrc 

 pre-eminent. There are also many mairnificent 

 Catalpa frees ( Catalpa syr in gi folia,) with a great 

 numberof fine old weeping willows and Lombardy 

 poplars. These last appear to be universul favor- 

 ites, for they ore every where to be seen, and nre 

 indeed almost the only exotic forest tn-es which 

 the Americans think of planting. The Lombardy 



poplars, from their great abundance, give to a 

 j)lace a very curious^ but by no means a picturesque 

 appearance. 



All over the northern parts of New Jersey, the 

 soil is good, and the vegetation very various. In 

 the southern parts, however, the soils are poor, 

 and" covered chiefly with pines, red cedars, and 

 scrub oaks. The swampy grounds abound with 

 white cedars, ( Cupressus thyoides,) and around 

 the borders oi' ihe swamps, \he Magnolia glauca, 

 Kalnua laiifolia, Rhododendron maxinuini, with 

 many other varieties of Azalea viscosa, Aniirome- 

 das, &c. are seen in great abundance. 



Proceeding from New York by steam boat up 

 the Hudson river, towards Albany, the scenery is 

 romantic and varied, both Irorn the irregularity of 

 surface, and from theornamental natureofthe trees, 

 which in many parts grace its banks. Leaving 

 the city upon our right, we dash along as it' on the 

 surface of a lake, no outlet being seen, f'om the 

 innumerable twists and turns which the river takes. 

 The banks, for many miles up, are covered with 

 brushwood, the larger trees having been mostly 

 cut down. On the left, which is the New Jersey 

 side, the land for many miles is very bold, having 

 shelving rocks, towering three hundred feet above 

 the river, and clothed with red cedars. 



At Tappan Sea, twenty-five miles up, the river 

 attains considerable breadth. On the right, the 

 land is laid out in fields for the cultivation of grain. 

 Many apple and pear orchards are mingleci with 

 these fields, and produce a curious effect from the 

 trees being placed at regular distances, and hav- 

 ing large tufted round toi'S. 



Passing JVest Point, fifty miles from New York, 

 the scenery assumes quite a Highland appear- 

 ance: the hills are seen elevated high above the 

 waters, and their round snnmiits densely studded 

 with cedars ; two miles further up, the sceneiy is 

 changed from a highland to that of a lowland 

 description ; and many cultivated farms are again 

 seen extending back into the country on both 

 sides. On the most worthless spots by the river 

 side, for the last forty miles, red cedars were pre- 

 dominent; and where soil existed in any quantity, 

 oaks were interspersed. 



About Hampton, sixty-seven miles up, we got> 

 into a great limestone country, and the change 

 from the d\irk hue of the red cedar, to the fine 

 lively green of the Arborvitfe, ( Thuja Occident a- 

 lis.) is at once the most striking. These trees are 

 self-sown over the surliice of the rocks and along 

 the water edge ; in general, they are finely shaped 

 pyramidal specimens, varying from one to twenty 

 feet in height. 



At Poughkeepsie, still further up on the right, 

 a difference begins to show itself, the ground, be- 

 ing now ornamented with a few exotic trees, or 

 mixed with indigenous ones, are seen the Hunting- 

 don and weeping willows, with Lombardy pop- 

 lars; all much planted by the proprietors, both by 

 the water's edge, and interspersed amongst the 

 native woods. ^ 



Passing Hyde Park to Rhinbach, the same spirit 

 f()r planting a few ornamental trees, seems to have 

 prevailed : and among them were catalpas, which 

 at this season of the year (July,) presented an 

 interesting appearance, from the quantity of flow- 

 ers which they displayed. 



Here lor the first time, the Catskill Mountains 

 are seen towering high upon the left at a great 



