The Aldkr. 



female flowers grow in a katkin,in the same manner as the male. The com- 

 mon katkin is imbricated, having three scales which are every way opposite, 

 fasteiieil to the central string- or axis, having two heart-shaped flowers point- 

 ing toward the apex, where it is situated. They have no visible petals, but a 

 short oval germen, supporting two bristly styles, which are the length of the 

 scales of the empalement, and crowned with a plain stigma. It hath no peri- 

 carpium, but the seeds are included in the scales of the katkin, which are 

 oval and winged. 



94. There are two other descriptions of Alders in Eng- 

 land, and there are several in America. But these are of 

 the Frangula tribe ; their seed is in a herry, and not in a 

 cone, like that of the common Alder. There is an Ameri- 

 can Alder, which i?, in England, looked upon as an orna- 

 mental shrub, on account of the whiteness of the under side 

 of its . leaf. This is what the Americans call the Black 

 Alder, the upper side of the leaf being of a very dark green. 

 But, Avith these varieties this work, which must, generally 

 speaking, confine itself to Forest Trees and Underwoods^ 

 lias nothing to do. The common Alder of England appears 

 to be precisely like that of America in all respects : it will, 

 therefore, be useless to speak of any other. 



95. The ALDER : Alnus Glutinosa. That is, the Com- 

 mon English Alder, is seldom suffered to grow into a timber 

 tree ; but there is no doubt that it would become a timber 

 tree if suffered to grow after the manner of Oaks and Elms. 

 The uses to which the Alder is put do not make it necessary 

 that it should grow into a large tree. It is used for poles; 

 for the making of the wood part of brushes; for the 

 making of clogs, pattens, and heels of shoes ; and for 

 various other purposes that do not require great size in the 

 wood. The wood is light and brittle, and docs not last 

 long if exposed to wet. It makes but a very poor hop- 

 pole, and is, in short, fit for very few uses by which it is 

 exposed to the weather ; but it is of very fast growth; it 



