FOREST TREES. 17 



from the ground, about forty feet.' "In 1802, the younger Mi- 

 chaux and his companions found a large tree of this kind on the 

 right bank of the Ohio, thirty-six miles from Marietta. Its base 

 was swollen in an extraordinary manner, but, at four feet from 

 the ground, its circumference was found to be forty-seven feet," 

 or fifteen feet and eight inches in diameter. It is said that " it 

 may be propagated with more ease than any tree of the forest." 

 " It is valuable stove fuel." S. W. Pomeroy, Esq., a writer in 

 the New England Farmer, expresses the opinion that, on lalid 

 possessing the same fertility, this tree will furnish fuel which 

 will give the greatest amount of caloric to the acre, except the 

 locust on dry soil. 



It will be remembered that in 1842, '43, and '44, this tree ap- 

 peared to be under the influence of a general blight throughout 

 the Eastern States. Various opinions were entertained respect- 

 ing the cause of the malady which occasioned so much regret. 

 " By most persons it was considered the efiect of frost, supposing 

 the tree not to have matured its wood, viz., the new shoots, dur- 

 ing the previous summer, so that it was incapable of resisting the 

 effect of frost." Others ascribed it to the action of some insect 

 or worm, and others believed it to be some unaccountable disease, 

 while others regarded the phenomenon as a providential token 

 of the approach of some important event unknown and unantici- 

 pated. The tree has now pretty generally recovered from its 

 malady. 



" The Oriental Plane-tree holds the same place on the Eastern 

 continent which our Button-wood does on this." It was the 

 greatest favorite among the ancients." " Cimon sought to grat- 

 ify the Athenians by planting a public walk with them." " It 

 was considered the finest shade tree in Europe." " Pliny tells 

 the story of its having been brought across the Ionian Sea, to 

 shade the tomb of Diomedes, in the island of the hero. From 

 thence it was taken to Sicily, then to Italy ; from Italy to Spain, 



