THE BUCKEYE. 133 
with meal, are used as a cure for broken-winded horses. 
Its leaves are large, dark green, and very beautiful, and 
make quite a handsome, showy appearance in contrast to 
its beautiful flowers, which, peeping out in clusters from 
among the dark-green, graceful foliage, make it one of 
our most beautiful trees. The fruit ripens about the 
middle of September, and is enclosed in a thick, prickly 
husk. The following is a list of the horse-chestnuts: 
Double-flowered Horse-chestnut ; an uncommon variety. 
Ohio Horse-chestnut, or Foetid Buckeye. 
Smooth-leaved Horse-chestnut. 
Variegated-leaved Horse-chestnut. 
Scarlet-flowered Horse-chestnut. 
Fern-leaved Horse-chestuut. 
Pale-flowered Horse-chestnout. 
Silver-leaved Horse-chestnut. 
The native country of the horse-chestnut is claimed 
by some as northern Asia, and by others as India. It 
was first introduced into this country about the middle 
of the seventeenth century; the first tree is said to be 
still standing on the estate of Mr. Lemuel Wells, of Yon- 
kers, New York. 
The horse-chestnut requires a deep, free soil, and will 
only flower in a fully sheltered place. 
Its foliage is seldom or never eaten by the larve of 
insects; its wood is white and very soft, and will only 
weigh about thirty-eight or forty pounds to the cubic 
foot ; in Europe the greater portion of the sabots are made 
from it. Du Hamel and many other eminent authorities 
recommend its use in the manufacture of water-pipes. 
The bark yields a yellow dye, and is very bitter to the 
taste. The nuts are used in Ireland to whiten linen; 
they are first rasped into the water and allowed to mac- 
erate for some time, and when applied to the linen the 
saponaceous matter exudes from the raspings and bleach- 
es it. The potash of the horse-chestnuts is among the 
finest and best in use. 
