and a yard high is all that now remains of the fence, and this 

 doubtless owes its preservation to a wild black cherry tree with 

 a forked trunk which has grown from a seed dropped at its base 

 by a passing bird and has for some years enclosed the post and 

 effectually protected it from mechanical injury. This tree is now 

 fifteen feet in circumference at the base and the larger fork is 

 nearly three feet thick, indicating an age of from sixty to a hun- 

 dred years. During all these years the post has been exposed 



my yea 



The black locust, Robinia Pseudacacia L., grows naturally from 

 Georgia north to Pennsylvania and west to Iowa, and has been 

 extensively planted and naturalized far beyond its original bound- 

 aries. It is abundant about New York City, some of the trees 



duced into Paris by Jean Robin, herbalist of the King, from seeds 

 gathered in Virginia ; and in 1636 Vespasien Robin planted a 

 single specimen of it in the Jardin du Roi, which is still alive. 

 In 1753 Linnaeus assigned to this tree the name Robinia, in 



There are four species of Robinia in the United States, three of 

 which are trees and one a shrub. They are all ornamental, being 

 cultivated for their foliage and flowers. Robinia Pseudacacia, the 

 most abundant and best known species, has probably been planted 

 more extensively both in this country and in Europe than any other 

 North American tree. Its foliage is light and graceful, and its 

 conspicuous clusters of flowers, which appear in May and June, 

 are both showy and fragrant. Over thirty ornamental varieties 

 are known. 



This species also furnishes an exceeding valuable wood, which 

 is hard, heavy, close-grained, and very durable. It is used for 

 posts, treenails, clubs, bows, fuel, the construction of houses, 

 shipbuilding, street-paving, etc. The durability of its wood is 

 remarkable. The post mentioned above is a proof of this, and 

 many other similar cases might be cited. It is said on good au- 

 thority that the locust posts used by the early Virginia colonists 

 in the construction of their first rude huts were still standing in 



