102 



PRACTICAL FORESTRY. 



instead of two, as usually claimed. The flowers of this tree are, 

 to use a scientific-term, "polygamous," i, e., having some per- 

 fect and some imperfect on the same, or on different individual 

 trees. They are small, of a greenish color, produced in terminal, 

 much- branched panicles, with five short sepals and five petals, 

 and ten stamens in the sterile flower, and either none, or few, 

 in the fertile. These three varieties of flowers may be found on 

 different or separate trees. Those having stamens and pistils 

 and those with stamens only, are highly odorous. The first pro- 

 duces seed ; the second are barren. The third kind of flowers 

 produce pistils only, and are inodorous, but, like the first, are 

 succeeded by fruit. From the above it may be seen that we have 

 two odorous varieties of the Ailantus, one barren, and the other 

 productive. But the third variety, while it produces fruit when 

 growing in the neighborhood of either of the other two, is en- 

 tirely inodorous, consequently is the only one to be propagated 

 when the odor of the Ailantus' flowers are an objection. As the 

 Ailantus is readily propagated by cuttings of the roots, made in 

 the fall, and packed away in moss or clean sand during the win- 

 ter, it will not be at all difficult to raise any number of inodor- 

 ous trees. The pieces of roots should be kept moist and in a 

 temperature where they will not freeze, but not warm enough 

 to excite growth. Placing in boxes, and intermixed with sand 

 and then buried in some dry place in the field or garden, is 

 usually a safe way to preserve them until wanted for planting 

 in spring. Only the smaller roots, or those of a half inch to 

 an inch in diameter need be used for cuttings, and these may 

 be taken from the extremity of large trees of the right sort, 

 without destroying the parent stock. The severed roots will 

 produce new ones from their ends the following season, and 

 these may be again removed, if required. Thus one tree may 

 furnish cuttmgs for many years in succession, only care should 

 be exercised in not drawing so strongly on the parent stock as 

 to km it. 



In raising trees for a large forest, it would probably be better 

 to resort to seedlings, instead of cuttings. The seeds grow 

 freely when sown in the fall, or they may be kept over until 

 spring, by storing in some moderately cool place. The Ailantus 

 will thrive in poor Ught soils, where many other trees would 

 fail, as the roots penetrate the earth very deeply, and spread a 

 great distance, in search of nourishment. The wood is fine- 

 grained, yellowish-white, excellent for cabinet-work and inside 



