ROBINIA, OR FALSE ACACIA. 53 



hop-pole — viz. length and straightness — cannot be pro- 

 cured from the Locust even in the most favourable situa- 

 tions, or when drawn up in nursery rows. The growth 

 of the tree precludes the possibility of a perfectly straight 

 pole ; for as it never ripens the whole length of its young 

 and rampant shoots, the following year's growth being 

 from a side-bud is necessarily at an angle with that of the 

 preceding year. 



One of the most important uses to which the Locust has 

 been applied, is that of forming trenails, or ship fastenings ; 

 for this the durability and fibre of the wood render it even 

 superior to that of the best oak, a fact established by 

 repeated trial and experiment. These are now exported 

 from America to a great extent, and as long as that market 

 remains open to us, it would not repay the grower to 

 cultivate the Locust for this special purpose in England. 



The light and elegant foliage of the Acacia, its sweetly 

 perfumed flowers, and frequently picturesque pendant form 

 when arrived at maturity, will always ensure it a place in 

 our pleasure grounds, parks, and lawns. It requires, how- 

 ever, a sheltered situation in this climate ; for, as Gilpin 

 observes, "it is of all trees the least able to endure the 

 blast,' 1 '' its branches being broken in all directions, and 

 torn asunder at their junctions by every gust of wind. To 

 this we may add the further disadvantage of coming late 

 into leaf, and being among the very first to cast its foliage 

 in autumn, and this without undergoing any change of 

 colour, or exhibiting those beautiful and mellow tints which 

 enrich the landscape at this season of the year. 



The Locust, to attain any size, requires a rich free loam, 

 much room, and an airy, but, at the same time, a sheltered 

 situation : it grows rapidly for the first few years, its roots 



