THE TREES OF AMERICA. 55 



P;LATE IX. 



; BLACK WAliNUT, AT. FERN SIDE, NEAR 'THE RESIDENCE -OF W. C. 

 BRYANT, 'ESQ.,' ROSLYN,;'L-ONG ISEANp. ' '| ' 



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This tree is very near Mr. Bryant'-s beautiful seat at Rpjlyn, Loi^'Tsland. 

 It would.be a hopeless task for us -to attempt a description of the wonderfully 

 bea:utiful scenery- of this and other .parts of the islaiid which we visited. An 

 artist might spend a lifedelighted here without' a wish" to roam. ' The old tree 

 stands, as it were, a'guardian over the most lovely little" glen in the world, where 

 the ancient cottage with "its ■clustering vine, and garden gay with' flowers^ ''seem 

 as if sleeping beneath its sheltering arms, or lulled to rest^by' the music of the 

 brook whose bright .wat©|i|i flow, singing at its base. The kind family who dwell 

 in the ancient .mansion we hope may. long,be spared to enjoy the' beautiful na- 

 ture so lavishly spread all "about them. . Never, in all otii* wanderings, have we 

 had more genuine synipathy and interest in our undertaking than from them 

 and others whom we met there. Mr. Bryant, with a poet's instincts, has chosen 

 this beautiful spot^for his life's resting place. Will the future furnish scenes' 

 more fair "? The thought of' death in such a place seems doubly hard, although 

 we know that He who created such Edens can give u^ mansions '.beyond the 

 dark river of whicWwe cannot even' conceive in this imperfect'state. ~ , 



There are some historical facts connected with the ancient mansion, which we 

 hope to give in the future. ,« jv-. 



The Black Walnut — Juglar^s- nigra' — is a native of this country. Large 

 forests of it are found atvthe West. It is valuable for its fruit, which by some 

 is preferred to that of the shagbark hickory. 'The kernel contains an abundance 

 of oU, which, according to Emerson, " is superior to most others for use in 



