DECIDUOUS OKNAMENTAL TREES. 211 



greatly used in making charcoal for the manufacture of 

 gunpowder. 



It is almost unnecessary to say that all the willows grow 

 readily from slips or truncheons planted in the ground. So 

 tenacious of hfe are they, that examples are known where 

 small trees have been taken up and completely inverted, by 

 planting the branches and leaving the roots exposed, which 

 have nevertheless thrown out new roots from the former 

 tops, and the roots becoming branches, the tree grew again 

 with its ordinary vigor. 



The Sassafras Tree. Laurus. 



Nat. Ord, Lauraceee. Xin. Syst. Enneandria, Monogynia. 



The Sassafras is a neat tree of the middle size, belonging 

 to the same family as the European laurel or Sweet bay ; 

 it is found, more or less plentifully, through the whole 

 territory of the United States. In favorable soils, along 

 the banks of the Hudson, it often grows to 40 or 50 feet in 

 height ; but in the woods it seldom reaches that altitude. 

 The flowers are yellow, and appear in small clusters in 

 May, and the fruit is a small, deep blue berry, seated on a 

 red footstalk or cup. The bark of the wood and roots has 

 an agreeable smell and taste, and is a favorite ingredient, 

 with the branches of the spruce, in the small beer made by 

 the country people. Medicinally, it is considered anti- 

 scorbutic and sudorific ; and is thought efficacious in 

 purifying the blood. It was formerly in great repute with 

 practitioners abroad, and large quantities of the bark of 

 the roots were shipped to England ; but the demand has 

 of late greatlv decreased. 



