DECIDUOUS ORNAMENTAL TREES. 153 



the oak, it gives a character of dignity, majesty, and grandeur, 

 to the scene, beyond the power of most trees to confer. It is 

 well known that the favourite tree of Salvator Rosa, and one 

 which was most frequently introduced with a singularly hap- 

 py effect into his wild and picturesque compositions, was the 

 chestnut ; sometimes a massy and bold group of its verdure, 

 but oftener an old and storm-rifted giant, half leafless, or 

 a barren trunk coated with a rich verdure of mosses and 

 lichens. 



The chestnut in maturity, like the oak, has a great variety of 

 outline ; and no trees are better fitted than these for the forma- 

 tion of grand groups, heavy masses, or wide outlines of foliage. 

 A higher kind of beauty, less tame, and possessing more per- 

 manent interest to the picturesque eye, can be formed of these 

 two genera of trees when disposed in grand masses, than 

 with any other forest trees of temperate climates ; perhaps 

 we may say of any climate. 



There is so little difference in the common Sweet chestnut 

 [Castanea vesca,) of both hemispheres, that they are gener- 

 ally considered the same species, Yarieties have been pro- 

 duced in Europe, which far surpass our common chestnuts of 

 the woods, in size, delicacy, and richness of flavour. Those 

 cultivated for the table in France, are known by the name 

 of inarrons. They are improved sorts of the Spanish chest- 

 nuts, four or five times as large, and when roasted, says Lou- 

 don, "have a rich creamy flavour, and an aromatic odour, 

 in which the common chestnuts are quite deficient." Some 

 of these trees are now growing in different parts of the Union, 

 and succeed well in our soil. They may be procured from 

 the nurseries, and we can hardly recommend to our planters 

 more acceptable addition to our nut-bearing forest trees. 



The Chinquapin or Dwarf chestnut, (C. pumila,) is a curi- 

 ous low bush, from four to six feet high. The leaves are 



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