KENTUCKY YELLOW-WOOD 
21 
from Virgilia to Cladrastis (which is not 
nearly so pretty), I|hope lit may keep 
its descriptive name of lutea^ which 
seems to suggest the sunny appearance 
of a well-grown tree in May, with the 
full light shining on its foliage, while 
each long flower-cluster exhales fra- 
grance and enjoyment. The other 
secondary names applied to it — -fra- 
grans and tinctoria — are far less apt ; 
tinctoria referring only to the dye 
drawn from the hard yellow- wood of 
the trunk, while fragrans calls attention 
to one only of its many charms. The 
late Mr Stiles, formerly editor of Garden 
and Forest^ was so fond of the Yellow- 
wood that there is hardly a volume of 
that journal which does not touch upon 
its beauties. Thus, in the issue of Octo- 
ber 28th, 1802, he says : — " Apart 
from its beautiful flowers, graceful 
form, the delicate texture of its bark 
and ample foliage during the sum- 
mer, the Virgilia deserves notice 
among the most charming of our 
native trees for its autumn colour- 
ing. While the majority of trees 
whose dead leaves do not cling to 
the branches all winter are entirely 
stripped, the Yellow-wood is still 
well clothed with foliage of a clear 
yellow, which is especially bright 
when the sun shines on it." Again, 
in Volume VI. there is an enthusiastic 
letter in praise of the Virgilia as seen 
in the neighbourhood of Boston. After 
mention of one peculiarity (that it 
blooms more freely in alternate years), 
the writer goes on to say : — " If any 
of your readers do not know this tree, 
let them make its acquaintance. The 
forests of America contain nothing 
better — for the lawn or garden. Al- 
though exclusively a southern tree, it 
is perfectly hardy as far north as Canada; 
it grows rapidly, is free of insects, with 
foliage of a charming colour, a graceful 
habit, beautiful flowers, and bright 
autumn tints. The weakness of its 
branches is the only fault of the Vir- 
gilia in this climate. Are there many 
other trees of which so much good can 
be spoken, with so little of ill ? " In 
Volume IX. also I find the following : 
— " The Virgilia trees are now (June) 
flowering in the parks and gardens 
about New York with unusual profu- 
sion. The weight of their blossoms is 
so great as to give the branches a still 
more drooping habit than they natur- 
ally possess ; and as they wave in the 
wind, the long racemes of pure white 
flowers among the light green and deli- 
cate foliage, make a picture which can- 
not be excelled for beauty, especially 
when seenagainst somedark background 
like a mass of conifers." Messrs. Elwan- 
ger and Barry of Rochester, New York, 
state that in their nurseries the Vir- 
gilia blooms every other year. 
B 2 
