120 FOREST TREES OF CALIFORNIA. 



clime, one nurtured on the bosom of balmy breezes, forested 

 and filtered, sheltered and tempered, duly agitated, aerated, 

 and restored, also softened with wonted moisture, in short, 

 vitalized; so conditioned, it goes forth caressing to health, 

 saying, as saith the sacredly classic love-song, "I charge 

 you, daughters, * * * that ye stir not up my love 

 until he please, * * * until he come up betimes from 

 the wilderness leaning upon her well beloved." Unlike the 

 Alder nymph, that seems more solicitous of the pure ele- 

 ment at her feet, whose sudden withdrawal is her immediate 

 death warrant, this Buttonwood tree, on the contrary, being 

 of more general vitality, repines at its aerial loss as well, but 

 may spasmodically struggle on a weakened and precarious 

 existence for many years; the tree, however, is probably 

 constitutionally, or by its own nature, sound enough, but it 

 is man and his wanton ways that are unsound, cutting off 

 the reserve source of humid and aerial supply, the great forest 

 diverticulum, thereby disarranging an orderly equilibrium 

 and although the plane tree is among the first to feel it, yet 

 neither man nor his useful products are altogether exempt 

 from its baleful influence. As neglect of compensating veg- 

 etable life would bring disaster and death into that other 

 fluid of the aquarium, so with all things of the fluid air. 

 This, briefly is our rationale of the great north continental 

 Sycamore blight — blight in a tree of all others least infested 

 with fungi, insects, or only frequented by Phloeodes pustulosis, 

 and a few others of no apparent harm; or finally, if inquir- 

 ing into causes thus made manifest, can it be that this classic 

 tree, and age alike, are passing through an age of blight, 

 impending death ? If so, we will wait yet longer for the com- 

 ing philosophic poet to write that epitaph. 



For a tree of such rapid growth and great size the wood is 

 excellent; commended for lightness, close homogeneous 

 grain, whitish or faint reddish tinge like beech, and fine sil- 

 ver lines of beauty; these very finely glistening medallary 

 rays resemble beech-wood, but take a brighter polish, yet it 

 is quite too soft to be otherwise compared to it, The lumber 

 requires to be very slowly dried in the shade, so as to avoid 

 rapid shrinkage and season-cracks; sawn slanting, the ray- 

 markings are charming, and the curled grain of the great 

 forks still more so. The clear timber generally is used for 

 bedsteads and other furniture; and as the wood works well 

 and easily in all directions, is fine for scroll and cabinet- 

 work, all kinds of turnery, buttons, clothes-pins, rollers, 

 mashers, etc.; the Mexicans make their wooden stirrups 

 almost entirely of it, for it is light and not at all liable to split; 

 however, for some kinds of furniture it is objectionable on 

 account of warping; it also makes excellent fuel when dry, 

 and for this purpose esteemed for its rapid growth. 



