ae eck i 
1068 
FOREST TREES OF THE UNITED STATES. 
CENTENNIAL COLLECTION. 
Sir: The following list is a catalogue of the native and naturalized 
forest-trees of the United States which attain a height of 16 feet and 
upward. Descriptive notes of many species are appended. 
By an act of the last Congress an appropriation was made to enable 
the different Departments of the Government to participate in the Cen- 
tennial Exposition of 1876. In pursuance of this object, the Botanist of 
the Department of Agriculture undertook to make a collection to repre- 
sent the trees of the United States. The aim was to represent every 
important tree by botanical specimens of the leaves, flowers, and fruit, 
and also by sections of the trunk, showing the appearance of the bark 
and of the wood; thus giving the completest possible view of every 
species. The great extent of our country and the immense variety of 
our arborescent vegetation made this of necessity a great undertaking. 
Well knowing that the chief value of such a collection would depend 
upon its scientific accuracy, arrangements were made to engage compe- 
tent persons in the different fields of labor. In some portions of the 
country, local botanists were employed to collect the trees of their par- 
ticular districts. But for the larger portion of the country it was neces- 
sary to employ traveling-agents, whose duty it was to explore a desig- 
nated section, ascertain the localities of the trees desired, collect the 
proper botanical specimens at the right season, and, having carefully 
noted the localities, to return at the end of the growing period and 
obtain sections of the trees. 
As collector for the Southern States, Mr. A. H. Curtiss, of Liberty, 
Va., a well-known botanist, was engaged. 
A large number of the trees of the Middle States were obtained in 
the vicinity of Washington. Of these, thirty species were procured 
from a part of the General Washington estate at Mount Vernon, now 
owned by Dr. E. P. Howland. 
The trees peculiar to the New England States were procured by Mr. 
C. G. Pringle, of Charlotte, Vt. 
As collector for the Western States, Mr. John Wolf, of Canton, IIl., 
was employed. In making the collection in Colorado, he was assisted 
by Mr. C. W. Derry, of Granite, Lake County, Colorado. 
The semi-tropical trees of Southern Florida were obtained by Dr. A. 
