45©* [Aesemej.y 



years. It is a vigorous and healthy tree, stckiE^ the north and 

 west sides of high rocks, hills, and mountains, while the east side 

 of the hills and mountains will often be covered with a growth of 

 the sugar maple, through all the northern parts of the Green 

 Mountains. The Catskill range, the mountai])S west of Lake 

 Champlain, and many portions of the Alleghany mountains, are 

 covered on their northerly and westerly sides with vast forest^ of 

 the hemlock tree.^ It also grows well in swamps, especially on 

 high grounds. The high lands of the Catskill range of mountains 

 yield immense quantities of hemlock timber and bark. More tan- 

 neries are carried on through the counties of Greene, Sullivan, 

 Delaware, and Schoharie, than any other part of the United States. 

 Through the New- England States the hemlock tree is fast disap- 

 I>earing and will be soon gone. The bark is so thick and heavy 

 that it has been found more economical to carry the hides to the 

 region where the tree grows than to transport the bark from the 

 mountains to the lower country, into the towns and villages. 

 The hemlock bough is covered with a short and narrow leaf, 

 which is an evergreen, thickly set and without nvmber. These 

 boughs, when distilled, form a powerful essence and oil, which, 

 when applied to bruises and rheumatic swellings, aiford an active 

 remedy. In cases of typhus and spotted fever, and a low type of 

 scarletina, sometimes called a cold plague, these boughs boiled in 

 water and taken hot, and laid around the patient and covered 

 with blankets, produce a happy stimulant for the perspiratory 

 organs! The method of using the bark to the best advantage for 

 tanning is said to be, first to dry it one season in the atmosphere, 

 with the inner side facing downwards to protect it from the 

 weather ; the bark is then transported to the tan house and 

 dressed by shaving off the weather-beaten outside parts of it, then 

 it is put into a crushing mill, then ground almost as fine a.s saw- 

 dust. Many improvements have been made from time to time in 

 the art of tanning with hemlock and other bark. We have heard 

 of hides being turned into leather in six hours operation, by pass- 

 ing the skins on a wheel into the warm tan liquor and throwing 

 them out to the air. 



• The hemlock tree, like many others, has been wasted. It alTor-de 

 a cool, healthy, stimulating, and fragrant shade tree, when grown 



