FIELD AND FOREST. , 35 



surrounding country, has been rather neglected in city planting. It 

 seems well deserving of cultivation. 



Our native elms are mostly of the white species, {^Ulmus Americana.~) 

 A beautiful tree of the Ulmics alata, the winged Elm, or Whahoo, 

 stands in the Botanic garden, very unlike the common one in, its 

 more regular and slender branches and smaller leaves. Two very fine 

 examples of the Hackberry, ( Celtis Occidentalis) and the variety cras- 

 sifolia are also to be seen in the same place. 



Our ordinary Sycamore in its usual form is not a particularly inter- 

 esting tree, and seems especially out of place in street planting, but 

 when subjected to careful and regular training it forms one of the most 

 sightly and useful shade trees. A number of fine examples of these 

 trained trees may be seen in the city, and the commissioners have 

 planted them on several streets with the view of submitting them to a 

 thorough trial. Under this treatment of close pruning they are con- 

 sidered in France among the best for street planting. 



In the Capitol grounds is a noble specimen of the Pecan tree (^Ca- 

 rya olivceformis.) Another equally large and thrifty one is in George- 

 town, which for many years has produced an abundance of its well 

 known and highly prized nuts. 



The city and its vicinity affords an excellent opportunity of studying 

 our native oaks, of which there are probably a" dozen species. Large 

 trees of Quercus macrocarpa and bicolor may be seen in the Botanic 

 garden and also in the Smithsonian grounds. The Chestnut Oak, 

 (^Quercus Prinus,') is common on the hills surrounding the city, and 

 in beauty of foliage and stateliness of form is hardly excelled by any 

 oak. The variety which is figured in Michaux' Sylva under the name 

 of Q. Prinus palustris, occurs here also, and would seem to be prop- 

 erly a form of Quercus bicolor, being distinguished from the Chestnut 

 oak by the veining of the leaves and by the bark which is scaly like 

 the white oak, while the true Chestnut oak has a close, darker and 

 thicker bark, much resembling that of the proper Chestnut tree. 

 Quercus rubra, tinctoria, cocci/tea and palustris may all be distin- 

 guished by an examination of the hills of the vicinity, the latter con- 

 spicuous by its rather small, deeply indented shining leaves and small 

 acorns. The name seems a misnomer here as it grows on the driest 

 hill in company with the red and black oaks. The Spanish oak, 

 {Q. falcaia,) is here also and as usual presents some strange variations. 



