Ill 



little and Industrious insect devourers, which keep in check hosts 

 of enemies to the farm. 



And while speaking of shaded avenues to the approach of the 

 farm, I recall one planted with the j^ellow locust tree {Robinia 

 pseudacacia.} This tree is highly commended in Emerson's Re- 

 port on the Trees and Shrubs of Massacliusetts. In this instance 

 the trees were planted along the county road, just outside the 

 field-walls on either side ; and by thinning and pruning, they 

 had risen to the height of forty or more feet ; and in a hot sum- 

 mer's day scarcely any thing could exceed them in real comfort 

 of shade, beauty and cheerfulness. This tree, too, has been 

 found decidedly advantageous to plant in clumps or belts, or in 

 artificially formed woods, to renovate the soil, as there seems to 

 be something very fertilizing in the decay of its foliage, while its 

 shade is not destructive to grass, which actually has been known 

 to spring up thickly, after a little time, where none grew before. 

 I have often looked with extreme pleasure upon another more 

 ancient avenue of the yellow locust trees, whose stout stems and 

 broad branches rise to upwards of seventy feet, and whose tops in 

 the leafy month of June are laden with fragrant, snowy blossoms, 

 tempting to bees and regaling the senses of man. The generous 

 and hospitable owner of this farm is justly proud of this ancestral 

 glory ; and who would, not consider it a noble crop ? 



The yellow locust tree grows readily in any light soil, and can 

 be most easily propagated by setting out the young suckers, or 

 even pieces of the roots ; but seedling trees are always most ad- 

 vantageous. I have known this course pursued, however, in cov- 

 ering old, worn-out rye fields, and thus inducing a rapid growth 

 of a tree, whose improving qualities are undeniable. These 

 pieces of the root, a foot or more long, could be planted like po- 

 tatoes, in furrows made by a light plough, and the work of a few 

 hours may tell well at no distant day. It is presumable that 

 many farmers and land proprietors would prefer any kind of veg- 

 etation, to having their barren fields covered with mullein and 

 golden rods. I have been informed also that on such places the 

 black, wild, cherry tree (^Primus serotina) will grow very fast. 

 The aspens or poplars, of which we have several species, spring 

 up readily, and are also adapted to such soils ; and that kind 

 called Abele, or silver leafed poplar, would soon cover an area 

 with its natural plantations. This is a very rapid growing tree 

 and becomes respectable in size in a very few years. Fifty years 

 since, there seemed to be a sort of rage for planting a very in- 

 ferior kind of foreign tree, — the Lombardy poplar, — happily get- 

 ting out of repute ; yet even this unsightly species is better than 

 none ; though I should not recommend its planting. As, how- 

 ever, no tree whose falling foliage does not return threefold more 

 to the earth than it took from it, true wisdom has learned to be 



