144 LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 



grant blossoms, are beautiful, when in the beginning of sum- 

 mer they hang in loose pendulous clusters from among its 

 light foliage. These will always speak sufficiently in its 

 favour to cause it to be planted more or less, where a variety 

 of trees is desired. It should, however, be remembered that 

 the foliao-e comes out at a late period in spring, and falls 

 early in autumn, which we consider objections to any tree 

 that is to be planted in the close vicinity of the mansion. 

 It is valuable for its extremely rapid growth when young; 

 as during the first ten or fifteen years of its life, it exceeds 

 in thrifty shoots almost all other forest trees : but it is com- 

 paratively short-lived, and in twenty years time, many would 

 completely overtop and outstrip it. It is easily propagated 

 by seed, which is by far the best mode of raising it, and pre- 

 fers a deep, rich, sandy loam.* 



As a timber tree of the very first class, the locust has but 

 few rivals. It is found to be stronger and more durable than 

 the best oak or Red cedar; while it is lighter, and equally 

 durable with the Live oak of the south. Its excellency for 

 ship-building is therefore unsurpassed ; and as much of the 

 timber as can be procured of sufficient size, commands a 

 high price for that purpose. Great use is also made of it in 

 trunnels, (the wooden pins which fasten the side planks to the 

 ship frame,) and it is now extensively substituted for the iron 

 ones formerly used for that purpose ; and a considerable 

 quantity of the wood is now exported to England for this use. 



* There is a great difference in the growth of this tree. In cold or indifferent 

 soil?, it presents a rough and rugged aspect ; but in deep, warm, sandy soils, it 

 becomes quite another tree in appearance. The finest specimens we have ever 

 seen, are now growing in such soil on the estate of J. P. Derwint, Esq. at Fishkill 

 Landing, on the banks of the Hudson, New- York. Some specimens there, meas- 

 ure 90 feet, which is higher than Michaux saw on the deepalluvials in Kentucky, 

 where they are natives. 



