PRACTICAL ARBORICULTURE 415 
Crataegus Pyracanth, or Evergreen Thorn, is of easy culture, grows from 
seed, making a spreading shrub, very thorny, and as it grows well on dry, gravelly 
soils, will probably succeed in the Western dry regions. 
The Missouri Wild Currant—Ribes Aurewin—grows wild from Missouri to 
the Pacific Coast, and might be utilized as a “nurse.” It grows rapidly from cut- 
tings which root quickly, making a shrub 6 to 10 feet high. 
Of the Mulberries, several grow well on the prairies. Russian Mulberry 
succeeds and furnishes a small, pleasant fruit, as well. 
Sassafras is worthy a trial in the farther West. In the older States it occu- 
pies the poorer soils, often takes possession of abandoned, worn out fields, spread- 
ing over them completely. The roots run rather deep. Many mills are engaged 
in extracting oil from the sassafras roots and stumps for medicinal purposes, while 
thousands of men are employed in digging these roots in the regions where it 
abounds. 
HACKBERRY IN COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA. 
In a recent visit to South Carolina's Capital we were impressed with the 
beautiful avenues of hackberry (Celtis occidentalis), which line many of the 
streets. 
Southern cities, as a rule, are noted for the absence of shade trees upon the 
streets, and also for the want of care they should receive, and considering the 
protracted hot weather and the pouring sun, shade is needed far more than it is 
farther north. 
In our extensive travels we have never before seen such a number of hack- 
berry trees on the public streets as there are in Columbia, fully three-fourths of all 
trees on the city streets being of this species. 
When we consider the cleanliness of the hackberry, the few insects which at- 
tack it, the beauty of the foliage, the great quantity of nutritious berries which it 
produces to feed the birds, and the agreeable shade which the foliage affords, we 
only wonder that a tree possessing so many good qualities should have been neg- 
lected, as a hardy, healthy, handsome, easily grown tree suitable for both shade 
and ornament, and one so universally successful, is not obtained so easily as is the 
hackberry, while none are berter suited for general use. 
We commend the authorities and citizens of Columbia for the excellent ex- 
ample which they have set for other cities, both South and North, and for their 
choice of so grand a tree for their streets. 
PLANTING A FOREST. 
Nature employs many agenc’es in distributing forests. Some seeds, as edible 
nuts, are carried by squirrels and other animals to their homes, often at a consider- 
able distance. A portion are scattered while gathering their winter supplies in 
a verv irregular manner. 
Verv manv have wings, and are impelled by the winds which soweth them 
without system, whithersoever it bloweth. 
Other seeds, contained in berries, are eaten by birds which may fly to distant 
points, dropping them from whatever branch they may chance to perch. 
