194 



LOCUST-TREE. 



wherever the roots are cut with the plough, new trees will 

 start up, and will soon stock the ground with a plentiful 

 growth.'' 



Use. — It is observed in the North American Sylva^ a cele- 

 brated work, by F. Andrew Michaux, that " The greatest 

 consumption of locust wood is for posts, which are em- 

 ployed in preference for the enclosing of court-yards, gar- 

 dens and farms, in the districts where the tree abounds, and 

 the circumjacent country. They are transported for the 

 same use to Lancaster, Baltimore, Washington, Alexan- 

 dria, and the vicinity. — When the trees are felled in the 

 winter, while the circulation of the sap is suspended, and 

 these posts are allowed to become perfectly dry before they 

 are set, they are estimated to last forty years. Experience 

 has shown that their duration varies according to certain 

 differences in the trees from which they are formed : thus 

 about Lancaster, and at Harrisburgh, a small town on the 

 Susquehannah, where a considerable trade is carried on in 

 wood that is brought down the river, those trees are 

 reputed the best whose heart is red ; the next in esteem 

 are those with a greenish-yellow heart ; and the least valu- 

 able are those with a white heart. From this variety in 

 the colour of the wood, which, probably, arises from a dif- 

 ference of soil, are derived the names of red^ green^ and 

 white locust. In the Western States, there is a variety which 

 is sometimes called Mack locust." 



It is probable, that the locust with a " greenish-yellow 

 heart," spoken of by M. Michaux is the same with that 

 which Mr. Briggs calls the yellow locust; and although 

 M. Michaux supposes " this variety in the colour of the 

 v/ood probably arises from a diiFerence of soil," it is not im- 

 possible that there may be permanent specific differences 

 in the several varieties. If so, the discovery is of impor- 

 tance. 



M. Michaux says, " In naval architecture, the ship- 

 v/rights use as much locust-wood as they can procure. It 

 is as durable as the live oak and the red cedar, with the 

 advantage of being stronger than the one, and lighter than 

 the other." 



With regard to the insect which destroys the locust, M. 

 Michaux says, " Within eighteen or twenty years, an obsta- 

 vie has unhappily appeared, which will contribute greatly 

 to prevent the multiplication of the locust in all the an- 

 ciently settled parts of the United States ; this is a winged 

 insect, which attacks the tree while standing, penetrates 



