LABURNUM. 5 



over the snowy balls of the guelder rose, or 

 the delicate tints of the Persian lilac ; whilst 

 the tall eastern lilac may dispute the prize of 

 beauty with its gay neighbour from the Alps, 

 and our native hawthorn's silvery petals shine 

 not in vain ; for 



" Thus is Nature's vesture wrought 

 To instruct our wand'ring thought ; 

 Thus she dresses green and gay, 

 To disperse our cares away." 



We have introduced no tree that is more 

 ornamental to our plantations than the labur- 

 num ; it relieves alike the gloomy clumps of 

 mountain firs, and the borders of the forest 

 shades ; it enlivens the holly hedgerow, and 

 embellishes the cottage garden. It would 

 also become a profitable timber, were we to 

 plant it for that purpose ; for the wood is of a 

 hard nature* and approaches near to green 

 ebony. Mr. Boutcher tells us, that he saw a 

 large table, and a dozen of chairs made of this 

 wood, which were considered by judges of 

 elegant furniture to be the finest they had 

 ever seen. Its use for these purposes is com- 

 mon in France, but it has seldom been suf- 

 fered to stand long enough in this country to 

 arrive at any size. Mr. Martyn says, he has 

 seen trees of the laburnum, in old Scotch gar- 

 dens, that were fit to cut down for the use of 



b 3 



