70 



fact be so, it will have at least a gradual influence on the 

 vegetation of the country.* 



As the plants of this country, which are generally known, 

 may be found in catalogues formed on purpose to embrace 

 them, I shall notice them but slightly and imperfectly, in 

 mentioning some vegetable productions for the illustration 

 of the point before us. 



The forest trees in North America are almost beyond 

 number. Those which arc already arranged and classified, 

 amount to more than one hundred and fifty species, while 

 in all Europe, botanists reckon but forty. f The Chesnut, the 

 Walnut, the Hickory and Gum, here grow to an enormous 

 bulk, and are nearly of every species. The Elm, the Pop- 

 lar, the Beech, the Maple and the mountain Ash, are very 

 common ; and both for size and beauty are no where ex- 

 celled. Many varieties of the Oak are here profusely plant- 

 ed by the hand of nature. Our sandy tracts, unlike the 

 wastes of Zaara or Arabia, are quite productive. Here 

 flourishes the Pine in all its varieties, the Hemlock, Spruce 

 and Juniper, the Cedar, the Fir, and a species of the Larch. 



Among the smaller plants may b^ found the Geranium, 

 Ceanthus,Gulthacria procumbens, Monarda, Cunilla and Soli- 

 dago Odoria, most of which are frequently substituted for 

 tea. The Lobelia cardinalis, the Aster, Syringa, and many 

 beautiful species of the Lonicera or Honeysuckle, which 

 spread their flowery garlands from tree to tree. — The Phle- 

 um, Avena Elatior, Myosotis, Sinosurus, Aira, Briza, Draba, 

 and the far famed Agrostis — The Galium, the Sanguisorba, 

 the Quercitron Oak, the Sophora, and the Rhus Toxicoden- 

 dron, may be mentioned as some of our vegetable dyes. 



* The number of swamps in the United States, and which 

 frequently occupy a large and valuable extent of country, might ea- 

 sily be converted into productive soil, by strewing lime over them— 

 The putrid effluvia which they exhale is destroyed by this process, 

 and the decaying vegetable matter, is reduced to a solid fertile mould. 

 Linnaeus first suggested this plan, and in England many of the fens 

 and bogs ai-e made to yield abundantly. The practice is the liming 

 of s-uamps. 



f Michaux — Med. Repos. 



