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ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.

PART III.

supported by long red peduncles. These berries are greedily devoured bybirds, and consequently do not remain long on the tree. The bark of theyoung branches is smooth, and beautifully green ; but, when old, it becomesof “ a greyish colour, and is chapped into deep cracks. On cutting into it,it exhibits a dark dull red, a good deal resembling the colour of Peruvianbark.” ( Michx. N. Amer. Syl., ii. p. 146.) In the United States the sassa-fras is found as far north as lat. 43°; but it there appears only as a tall shrub,rarely exceeding 15 ft. or 20 ft. in height. 1 In the neighbourhood of New York and Philadelphia , however, it grows to the height of 40 ft. or 50 ft.,and attains a still greater size in the southern states. It is abundant from“ Boston to the banks of the Mississippi , and from the shores of the oceanin Virginia to the remotest wilds of Upper Louisiana beyond the Missouri ,comprising an extent in each direction of more than 1800 miles.” ( Michx.)“ The sassafras, on account of its medicinal properties, was one of the firstAmerican trees which became known to Europeans. Monardez, in 1549, andafter him Clusius, ” treat of its uses. Gerard calls it the ague tree, and says,that a decoction of its bark will cure agues, and many other diseases. Thebark is still employed in medicine, that of the roots being preferred; and it issaid to be an excellent sudorific. A decoction of the chips is well known asa remedy for scorbutic affections. In different parts of the United States , atea is made of the flowers, which is considered very efficacious in purifyingthe blood. In Louisiana the leaves are used to thicken pottage; and inVirginia a beer is made of the young shoots. The sassafras chips which aresold in the English druggists’ shops are formed of the wood of this tree; butwhat are called the sassafras nuts are the fruit of the Taurus Pucheri of theFlora Peruviana. ( See Lindl. Nat.Syst.of Bot .) Bigelow says that this tree isproduced in almost every part of the United States . “ It not only inhabitsevery latitude from New England to Florida , but we are told it is also foundin the forests of Mexico , and even in those of Brazil . Its peculiar foliage,and the spicy qualities of its bark, render it a prominent object of notice, andit seems to have been one of the earliest trees of the North American con-tinent to attract the attention of Europeans. Its character, as an article ofmedicine, was at one time so high, that it commanded an extravagant price,and treatises were written to celebrate its virtues. It still retains a place inthe best European pharmacopeias.” (Bigelow's American Botany, \ ol. ii. p. 141.)He adds that “ the bark has an agreeable smell, and a fragrant spicy taste.The flavour of the root is more powerful than that of the branches ; and bothflavour and odour reside in a volatile oil, which is readily obtained from thebark by distillation. The bark and pith of the young twigs abound with apure and delicate mucilage; and in this mucilage and the volatile oil all themedicinal virtues of the tree are contained. The bark and wood were for-merly much celebrated in the cure of various complaints, particularly inrheumatism and dropsy; but they are now only recognised as forming a warmstimulant and diaphoretic.” (Ibid.) The sassafras is of little value as atimber tree. In America , the wood, which is white or reddish, is sometimesused for making bedsteads and other articles of furniture, which are not liableto be attacked by insects, and have a most agreeable odour, which they re-tain as long as they are sheltered from the sun and rain. The wood is ofvery little esteem for fuel; and the “ bark contains a great deal of air, andsnaps while burning like that of the chestnut.” (Michx.) The most inter-esting historical recollection connected with this tree is, that it may be said tohave led to the discovery of America ; as it was its strong fragrance, smelt byColumbus , that encouraged him to persevere when his crew mutinied, andenabled him to convince them that land was near at hand.

Soil, Propagation, fyc. Any free soil, rather moist than dry, will suit thisspecies, which is generally propagated from imported seeds, which should besown or put in a rot-heap, as soon as received, as they remain a year, andsometimes two or three years, in the ground, before they come up. The sas-safras may also be propagated by cuttings of the roots, or by suckers, which