154 LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 



nearly the size of the ordinary chestnut, or rather smaller, 

 and the fruit about two-thirds as large. It is indigenous to 

 all the states south of Pennsylvcinia, and is often found in 

 great abundance. It is a carious little tree, or more properly 

 a shrub, and merits a place in the garden : or it may be ad- 

 vantageously planted for underwood in a group of large trees. 

 As the chestnut, like the oak, forms stronsr tap-roots, it is 

 removed with some difficulty. The finest trees are produced 

 from the nut. and their growth is much more rapid when 

 youn?, than that of the transplanted tree. It prefers a deep 

 sandy loam, rather moist than dry ; and will not, like many 

 forest trees, accommodate itself to wet and low situations. 



The Osage Orange Tree. Madura. 



XaL Ord. Urticaceae. Lin. Syst. DicBcia, Tetrandria. 



This interesting tree is found growing wild on the Arkansas 

 River, and other western tributaries of the Mississippi, south 

 of St. Louis, where, according to Mr. Nuttall. it attains the 

 height of .50 or 60 feet. The branches are rather light- col- 

 oured, and armed with spines, (produced at every joint.) 

 about an inch and a half long. The leaves are long, ovate 

 and acuminate, or pointed at the extremity ; they are deep 

 green, and more glossy and bright than those of the orange. 

 The blossoms are greenish ; and the fruit is about the shape and 

 size of a laro^e orang-e, but the surface much roug-her than 

 that fruit. In the south, we are told, it assumes a deep yel- 

 low colour, and at a short distance strikingly resembles the 

 common orange : the specimens of fruit which we have seen 

 growing in Philadelphia, did not assume that fine colour : 

 but the appearance of the tree laden with it, is not unlike 

 that of a large orange tree. It was first transplanted into 



