THE TREES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 107 



in the houses of some of the older families of the 

 country. I have heard of a single log in Florida 

 sawed into veneering and sold for 8400. In this 

 State it is seldom found of sufficient size for any 

 very important uses. 



Palmetto. ^Sabal Palmetto, R. & S.) — Cape 

 Hatteras is, or was, the northern limit of this Palm, 

 from whence southward it becomes more abundant 

 in the vicinity of the Ocean. This is the only repre- 

 sentative in the United States of a large and remark- 

 able class of trees mostly confined to the Torrid Zone. 

 A trunk 40 or 50 feet in height, of uniform diameter, 

 with a tufted summit of large brilliant green, fan- 

 shaped leaves, and so wholly different in structure 

 and aspect from all our other forest trees, is a very 

 noticeable and attractive object on our coast. 



The trunk of this tree is of great value in the con- 

 struction of wharves, as they are not subject to 

 injury from sea-worms. They have been found ser- 

 viceable in structures for defence, since balls pass 

 with difficulty through the wood as through cork, 

 .and the wood closes upon the perforation instead of 

 splitting. The rarity of the tree in this State ren- 

 ders it of little economical importance here. It is to 

 be deeply regretted, however, that a reckless indiffer- 

 ence to the future, which has been charged as a char- 

 acteristic of Americans, is likely to efface, at no very 

 distant time, every vestige of this interesting orna- 

 ment of our coast. The inner portion of the young 

 plant is very tender and palatable, somewhat resem- 



