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LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 
grounds ; for its light foliage of a fresh and pleasing green 
may often be used to advantage in producing a variety with 
other trees; and its very fragrant blossoms are beautiful, 
when, in the beginning of summer they hang in loose pen- 
dulous clusters from among its light foliage. These will 
always speak sufficiently in its favour to cause it to be 
planted more or less, where a variety of trees is desired. It 
should, however, be remembered that the foliage comes out 
at a late period in spring, and falls early in autumn, which 
we consider objections to any tree that is to be planted in 
the close vicinity of the mansion. It is valuable for its 
extremely rapid growth when young ; as during the first 
ten or fifteen years of its life, it exceeds in thrifty shoots 
almost all other forest trees : but it is comparatively short- 
lived, and in twenty years time, many other trees would 
completely overtop and outstrip it. It is easily propagated 
by seed, which is by far the best mode of raising it, and it 
prefers a deep, rich, sandy loam.* 
As a timber tree of the very first class, the locust has but 
few rivals. It is found to be stronger and more durable than 
the best oak or Red cedar ; while it is lighter, and equally 
durable with the Live oak of the south. Its excellency for 
ship-building is therefore unsurpassed ; and as much of the 
timber as can be procured of sufficient size, commands a 
high price for that purpose. Great use is also made of it in 
* There is a great difference in the growth of this tree. In cold or indifferent 
soils, it presents a rough and rugged aspect ; but in deep, warm, sandy soils, it 
becomes quite another tree in appearance. The highest specimens we have ever 
seen, are now growing in such soil on the estate of J. P. Derwint, Esq. at Fishkill 
Landing, on the banks of the Hudson, New-York. Some specimens there, mea- 
sure 90 feet, which is higher than Michaux saw on the deep alluvials in Kentucky, 
where they are natives. The finest single tree is one standing in front of the 
mansion at Clermont, on the Hudson, which is four feet in diameter. 
