DECIDUOUS ORNAMENTAL TREES. 143 



rapidly, and strongly resembles at a little distance, the button- 

 wood in its young state, and the sycamore tree or Great ma- 

 ple, {A. pseudo-plat anus.) The latter also considerably re- 

 sembles the plane ; but the leaves, like those of the common 

 maple, are smoother. They are five-lobed, acute in the divis- 

 ions, and are placed on much longer petioles than those of 

 most of the species. The flowers, strung in clusters like those 

 of the common currant, are greenish in colour. It is much 

 esteemed as a shade-tree in Scotland, and some parts of the 

 Continent, and grows with vigour, producing a large head, 

 and widely spreading branches. 



The Locust Tree. Robiiiia. 

 Nat. Ord. Leguminosse. Lin. Syst. Diadelphia, Decandria. 



This is a well-known American tree, found growing wild 

 in all of the states west of the Delaware River. It is a tree 

 of secondary size, attaining generally the height of forty or 

 fifty feet. The leaves are pinnated, bluish-green in colour, 

 and are thinly scattered over the branches. The white blos- 

 soms appear in June, and are highly fragrant and beautiful ; 

 and from them the Paris perfumers distil an extrait which 

 greatly resembles orange-flower water, and is used for the 

 same purposes. 



As an ornamental tree, we do not esteem the locust highly. 

 The objections to it are, 1st, its meagreness and lightness of 

 foliage, producing but little shade ; secondly, the extreme 

 brittleness of its branches, which are liable to be broken and 

 disfigured by every gale of wind ; and lastly, the abundance 

 of suckers which it produces. Notwithstanding these defects, 

 we would not entirely banish the locust from our pleasure- 

 grounds ; for its light foliage may often be used to advantage 

 in- producing a variety with other trees; and its very fra- 



