The Sassafras. 



proportion to its size, is very much loaded with its wool 

 and its shell ; and, therefore, it might act like the kernel of 

 the Plane, vegetate under the ground, and never send up a 

 plant j but, I am very sure, that the plants may be raised 

 from seed, by sowing the seed in the same manner as that 

 which I have, on my own experience, recommended to be 

 practised in the case of the Plane. 



In Latin Laiirm Sassafras ; in French Sassafras. 



489. The botanical characters are : — It has male and hermaphrodite flow- 

 ers on different plants; the male flowers have no empalements; they have 

 one petal, which is cut into six seg^ments at the top, and nine stamina which 

 are shorter than the petal, standing by threes, terminated by slender sum- 

 mits. The hermaphrodite flowers have no empalements ; they have one 

 petal, which is slightly cut into six segments at the top. In the bottom is 

 situated an oval germen supporting a single style of the same length with the 

 petal, crowned by an obtuse stigma, attended by six or eight stamina : there 

 are two globular glands, standing upon very short foot stalks fixed to the 

 basis of the petal. The germen afterwards becomes an oval berry with one 

 cell, enclosing one seed of the same form. 



490. This is called by the botanists a Laurel ; and the 

 reader might be apt to suppose it to be an evergreen, which 

 it is not. I am writing about trees and underwoods of uti- 

 lity, and not of mere ornament; but if there be both com- 

 prised in the same tree, it being greatly ornamental, cer- 

 tainly does not lessen its utility any more than the beauty of 

 a maid servant lessens the utility of the activity, cleanliness, 

 skill, civility, and excellent good humour, with which that 

 description of persons generally perform their various and 

 very necessary functions. The use of the Sassafras is to 



