A geography of Pennsylvania : containing an account of the history, geographical features, soil, climate, geology, botany, zoology, population, education, government, finances, productions, trade, railroads, canals &c. of the state : with a separate description of each county, and questions for the convenience of teachers : to which is appended, a travellers' guide, or table of distances on the principal rail road, canal and stage routes in the state, Part 7

Author: Trego, Charles B., 1794-1874; Marian S. Carson Collection (Library of Congress) DLC
Publication date: 1843
Publisher: Philadelphia : Edward C. Biddle
Number of Pages: 430


USA > Pennsylvania > A geography of Pennsylvania : containing an account of the history, geographical features, soil, climate, geology, botany, zoology, population, education, government, finances, productions, trade, railroads, canals &c. of the state : with a separate description of each county, and questions for the convenience of teachers : to which is appended, a travellers' guide, or table of distances on the principal rail road, canal and stage routes in the state > Part 7


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51


Forest Trees.


The Oak, in its various species, is one of the most really useful trees, not only in Pennsylvania, but in most parts of the United States, as well as in Europe. It seems, like iron ore in the mineral kingdom, to have been multiplied by nature in proportion to its utility ; being found almost every where, and every where sup- plying the wants of man for a vast variety of purposes. Its wood is used by the shipbuilder, by the civil engineer and architect, the cooper, the coachmaker, the wheelwright, the millwright, in the construction of farming implements, for fences and for fuel. The bark is used in tanning leather, in dyeing, and forms a consider- able article of export to foreign countries.


White Oak, (Quercus alba) is the most esteemed of this noble family of trees ; its wood, being compact, strong, tough and dur- able, is adapted to a greater variety of purposes than any of the other species. It is found throughout the State ; but in the northern and western counties the wood is not so compact and tough as in the southeastern districts. This may be the effect of a difference of soil, or because the forests are thinner and the trees more widely separated from each other in the older settled counties.


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GEOGRAPHY OF PENNSYLVANIA.


Even the best of our oak timber has not so close a grain as that of Europe.


Post Oak, or Iron Oak (Quercus obtusiloba) seems to be chiefly confined to the eastern part of the State, and is less abundant than the white oak, which it so much resembles that it is generally taken for a variety of that species. It does not grow to so large a size as the white oak, the wood has a finer grain, the acorn is smaller, and the lobes of the leaf wider and obtuse at the termi- nation.


Swamp White Oak (Q. prinus discolor, or bicolor) is not abun- dant and grows only around swamps, or in low and very moist grounds. It is less esteemed than some of the other species.


Swamp Chesnut Oak (Q. prinus palustris) grows in swamps and wet grounds, bears great resemblance to the rock chesnut oak, and is frequently confounded with it. The leaves are similar, but the acorn of the rock chesnut oak is more slender and pointed.


Rock Chesnut Oak (Q. prinus monticola) is not generally diffused throughout our forests, but is chiefly found on rocky ridges and declivities. It is very abundant on many of the moun- tains in the interior of the State. The wood is said to be excellent for fuel, and the bark is highly esteemed by tanners.


Laurel Oak or Shingle Oak (Q. imbricaria) is rare east of the mountains ; but west of them is more common.


Scrub Oak (Q. banisteri) is very abundant on barren mountain ridges, seldom growing more than six or eight feet in height, and so close that it is often difficult to find a passage through the thickly intermingled branches. So thickly does this shrub grow, and so nearly uniform is its height, that when viewed from a distance, many of the barren wastes, containing hundreds of acres, appear as if covered with grass, with here and there a solitary pine tree rising high above to relieve the monotony of the scene.


Spanish Oak (Q. falcata) is much less common in Pennsyl- vania than farther south. Its wood is not considered of much value ; but the bark is greatly esteemed for the manufacture of leather, and commands a high price.


Black Oak ( Q. tinctoria) grows abundantly in most of our forests, and is one of our largest trees. The wood is of a reddish colour, and coarse grained ; it is not very durable, but is used for fencing, fire wood, staves and shingles. It is from this species that the Quercitron bark is obtained, which is exported in large quantities, and used in dyeing wool, silk, &c., a yellow colour. When used by tanners it imparts a yellow tinge to the leather.


Scarlet Oak, (Q. coccinea.) This tree is confounded with the true Spanish oak, being called red oak in the northern States, and Spanish oak in the south. The leaves of the Spanish oak are very downy underneath, while those of the scarlet oak are smooth and shining on both sides. The leaves of the scarlet oak begin to change colour with the first cold weather, and after a few frosts they turn to a lively red, and not to a dull tint like the true red oak. It is a large tree,-the timber is reddish, of a coarse texture and its pores are entirely empty. Not being so durable as the white


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oak, it is but little used in building, or in wheelwright work, but is chiefly employed for staves, fuel and fencing.


Red Oak (Q. rubra) has leaves somewhat resembling the Spanish oak, but not downy on the under side. In autumn they turn to a dull red and then fall. It bears acorns abundantly, which are very large, and contained in remarkably flat cups, the scales of which are so closely united that the surface is nearly even. The texture of the wood is coarse, with large and empty pores : it is strong, but not durable, and therefore, little used in buildings. The bark has a thick cellular texture, with a thin outside cov- ering, and as well as that of the scarlet oak, is much used by tanners.


Pin Oak (Q. palustris) is common in low and wet places, and has leaves much like those of the scarlet oak, but considerably smaller. The small limbs along the body of the tree die as it ad- vances in age and drop off at a little distance from the trunk, which gives it the appearance of having pins driven into it. The bark is smoother than that of most other oaks.


Walnut. The Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) is common in our valleys where the soil is deep and fertile, and frequently attains a height of fifty or sixty feet. Its wood when freshly cut is of a violet colour, but becomes dark by exposure to the air; it is sus- ceptible of a beautiful polish, and remains sound during a long time. Among other good qualities, it possesses considerable strength and tenacity, and is not liable to be attacked by worms. It is much used for making coffins and various kinds of cabinet work,-also for the stocks of military muskets. Where it is abundant it is frequently used in building, and for the posts of fences, which, it is said, will last from twenty to twenty-five years. The nuts are collected and sold in our market; the kernel is large and pleasant to the taste, though inferior to the European walnut. The husks or outer covering of the fruit, as well as the bark, are used in the country for colouring woollen stuffs.


White Walnut or Butternut, (Juglans cathartica or cinerea) though less abundant in some parts of the State than the preceding species, is yet common on hill sides, along streams and other places where it finds a congenial soil. The nuts are longer and more oval than those of the black walnut; the kernel is thick and oily, and soon becomes rancid. In the green state, however, and when about half grown, they are used for making pickles. The wood is of a reddish colour, and not so heavy and strong as that of the black walnut, but is very durable, and also free from injury by worms. The bark yields an excellent cathartic medicine which is said to be efficacious in cases of dysentery. It is also used in the country for giving a brown colour to wool.


Hickory. Of this valuable tree we have several species, the timber of which, though differing in some respects, yet possesses the same general properties of great weight, strength and tenacity, speedy decay when exposed to moisture, and a peculiar liability to injury from worms. But though not adapted to use in buildings and fences, this wood performs other services in which no other


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kind of timber could so well be employed. It is almost univer- sally used where great strength and elasticity are required, as in the axletrees of carriages, the handles of axes, and other carpenter's tools, large screws, cogs for mill wheels, whip handles, rake teeth, flails for threshing grain, the bows of ox yokes, and for innumer- able other agricultural and domestic implements. For fuel it is generally preferred to every other kind of wood, affording in the same bulk more combustible matter, yielding a more lively heat, and leaving a heavy, compact, long-lived coal. The most common species in Pennsylvania are the common or White Heart hickory ( Carya tomentosa,) Pig nut ( Carya porcina,) Bitter nut (C. amara,) 'Shell bark (C. alba or squamosa, ) and Thick Shell bark ( C. sulcata or laciniosa.) The last named species is not so common east of the mountains as in the alluvial bottom lands on the Ohio and the streams which empty into it.


Maple. The White Maple, (Acer eriocarpum) sometimes called Silver maple from the colour of its leaves on the under side; and the Red maple (Acer rubrum) both grow in Pennsylvania; the latter, however, is the more common species. They may be dis- tinguished by observing that the red maple has the young shoots, the flowers and the fruit deeply tinged with red, while in those of the white maple that colour appears but faintly, The leaf of the white maple is five lobed and deeply sinuated ; those of the red are three lobed and unequally toothed. The capsules which contain the seeds of the white maple are very large, and bear some resem- blance to the wings of a huge grasshopper. The wood of the red maple is harder than that of the white, and has a finer and closer grain. It is much used by chairmakers, and for bedsteads, spinning wheels, saddle trees, and a variety of other purposes. This wood is of a solid texture, and by polishing acquires a glossy and silken surface. The variety called curled maple is commonly found in old trees, in which the fibres of the wood, instead of fol- lowing a perpendicular direction, are undulated and waving. This renders the wood difficult to split, but when skilfully polished produces the most beautiful effect of light and shade. But few trees, however, afford this curled and waving disposition of the woody fibre. The bark of the red maple yields a purplish colour by boiling, which, by the addition of copperas (sulphate of iron) becomes dark blue, approaching to black. It is used in the coun- try for dyeing, and sometimes for making ink.


Of the Sugar Maple we have two kinds ; the true Sugar maple (Acer saccharinum) and the Black Sugar tree, or Black maple (Acer nigrum.) The former is most abundant in the northern parts of the State, and along the elevated range of the Allegheny table land, where the soil, though fertile, is cold and moist. It is also found on the steep and shady banks of the streams which rise among the mountains. The Black maple is more common in the low rich soils along the western rivers. The leaves of the latter are of a darker green and a thicker texture than the true Sugar maple; they are also slightly downy on the under side, while the others are smooth. Both are large trees, growing to a


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BOTANY.


height of from fifty to seventy feet; the wood of the Black maple, though much like the other, is coarser grained and less brilliant when polished. The woody fibre of the Sugar maple is some- times waved like the curled maple; but a more beautiful and rare accidental form is the Birds' Eye maple, where an inflexion of the fibre produces spots, sometimes contiguous, and sometimes a little distance apart. This wood when polished is very beautiful, and is used in various articles of cabinet work. Both these species of maple yield the sap from which sugar is made. In February, or the beginning of March, when the sap begins to ascend, holes are bored in the tree from one to two feet from the ground, and tubes of elder or sumach inserted to conduct the sap into a trough or vessel placed to receive it. The sap is collected and boiled to a syrup, after which it is allowed to cool and is strained through a cloth to separate impurities. It is then boiled again, until the syrup is reduced to the proper consistency for graining or pouring into the moulds. The colour and quality of the sugar depend much upon the care and judgment with which the process is con- ducted. The sap continues to flow for several weeks, but gradu- ally becomes less abundant and less rich in saccharine matter. About four gallons of sap are estimated to yield a pound of sugar, and a single tree, having twenty tubes inserted has been known to yield twenty-three gallons of sap in a day. Large quantities of maple sugar are still made in the northern and western counties by the farmers, who sell that which they do not require for their own use to the shopkeepers of the neighbouring towns.


Striped Maple (Acer striatum) is rare except in the mountainous parts of the State, where it grows in cold and shaded situations. It is a small tree, with the trunk and branches covered with a smooth green bark, longitudinally marked with black stripes, by which it is easily distinguished.


Ash-leaved Maple or Box Elder, (Acer negundo) is not common in the eastern part of the State; but more abundant west of the mountains.


Dogwood. Of the several species of Dogwood which grow in Pennsylvania, but one is entitled from its size to be classed with the forest trees. This is the Cornus florida, which attains a height of twenty or thirty feet, and grows abundantly in moist, gravelly and uneven soils. In the beginning of May it is profusely covered with white flowers which add much to the beauty of our forests. The wood is of a chocolate colour, hard, compact and heavy, and is used for the handles of tools and other purposes where small, strong and hard wood is required. The inner bark has medicinal properties resembling those of the Cinchona, or Peruvian bark, and has been successfully used in intermitting fevers.


Magnolia. The small Magnolia or Beaver tree (Magnolia glauca,) though common in the swamps of New Jersey, is rather rare in Pennsylvania. It seldom grows more than fifteen or twenty feet high, and is remarkable for the peculiarly agreeable scent of its flowers, which are white, and two or three inches


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GEOGRAPHY OF PENNSYLVANIA.


broad. The leaves are three or four inches long, of an oval shape, dark shining green above and light coloured beneath.


Cucumber tree (Magnolia acuminata) grows in the western part of the State, on the hill sides, in the narrow valleys and on the banks of streams where the atmosphere is moist and the soil deep and fertile. It sometimes reaches a height of fifty or sixty feet ; the leaves are oval and pointed, six inches long and three broad ; the flowers five or six inches in diameter, of a bluish white colour. The cones or fruit are of a cylindrical shape, somewhat resembling a small cucumber, from which the tree derives its name. The wood has some similarity to that of the poplar ; but the tree is not sufficiently common to be much used.


One or two other species of Magnolia may be found in the State, but they are not common and possess no useful properties to ren- der them worthy of special notice.


Papaw, (Annona triloba,) though commonly appearing as a large shrub, sometimes grows to the height of twenty or thirty feet. It is rare on the Delaware, though we have seen it there,-more common along the banks of the Susquehanna; but most abundant in the rich valleys of the west. The leaves are ovate, five or six inches long, and widening from the base to the summit. It bears flowers of a purple colour ; the fruit when ripe is yellowish and contains a pulp which has a sweet insipid taste.


The Poplar or Tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) is common in Pennsylvania, and surpasses most of our forest trees in height and in the beauty of its flowers and foliage. It is often seen seventy, eighty and one hundred feet in height, three or four feet in dia- · meter, with the trunk standing in a straight and uniform column. The heart or perfect wood of this tree is yellow, and its sap wood or alburnum white. But the nature of the soil in which it grows has so great an influence on the colour and quality of this wood, that it is commonly supposed there are two kinds of the tree, which are called White and Yellow poplar. This is, however, an error, the difference being due to the variety of soil, situation, the age of the tree and other circumstances. The timber of the poplar is highly useful and is employed for a variety of purposes. It is often used for the rafters and joists of buildings ; and where pine is not easily obtained, boards of poplar are employed in the interior wood work of houses. Poplar boards are also used by coach, chair and trunkmakers, and the wood is applied to many other purposes where lightness and strength are desirable. The bark is said to possess tonic and antiseptic qualities, and a decoction of it, combined with a few drops of laudanum, has been found effica- cious in giving tone and vigour to the stomach after fevers and in- flammatory diseases. It has been also used in dyspepsia and cholera infantum.


Sweet Gum (Liquidambar styraciflua) prefers a cool fertile soil, which is exposed to temporary inundations, and grows in com- pany with the Maple, Sour gum, Swamp White oak and Shell Bark hickory. Its leaves are five lobed and bear some resemblance


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BOTANY.


to those of the Sugar maple : the fruit is globular, about an inch in diameter, and bristling with points. The wood is not much esteemed, nor is the tree sufficiently abundant to be very useful.


Buttonwood or Sycamore ( Platanus occidentalis) is abundant in the alluvial soils along our large streams, where it frequently grows to an enormous size. Michaux, in his North American Sylva, mentions one which he found on the banks of the Ohio, measuring forty-seven feet in circumference at four feet from the ground. The wood of this tree is not considered valuable, being liable to speedy decay unless sheltered from moisture. It is some- times sawed into boards or joists, which when thoroughly seasoned may be used in the interior wood work of buildings. This is not the true Sycamore, though often called by that name : the Euro- pean Sycamore is a species of maple (Acer pseudo platanus.)


Catalpa or Bean tree (Bignonia catalpa) though not a native of Pennsylvania, but originally introduced from the south, seems to have become naturalized and grows abundantly along the Schuyl- kill and other places in the neighbourhood of Philadelphia.


Crab Apple (Malus coronaria,) a wild apple whose nature has not been modified by cultivation, is found in most parts of the State. Its fruit is small and exceedingly acid, but makes very su- perior preserves when done up with sugar.


May Cherry or June Berry (Mespilus aborea, Mx. Aronia botry- apium, P.) grows in our forests in moist and shady situations. It is seldom more than twenty or thirty feet high, and is chiefly noted for its fruit which is a purplish red berry, of an agreeable sweet taste, which is ripe in the latter part of May or the begin- ning of June, before the fruit of any other native tree or shrub.


White Birch (Betula populifolia) and Red Birch (B. rubra) both grow in this State. The latter is generally found on the banks of rivers, and is abundant along the Delaware above Philadelphia. The wood is of a compact texture, but is not considered durable, and is but little used. The young branches of the red birch are slender, tough and flexible ; it is these which are used for making the brooms with which our streets are swept. Black Birch or Sweet Birch (Betula lenta) thrives best in deep, loose and cool soils, where it sometimes reaches a height of sixty feet. The bark of small trees and branches much resembles that of the Cherry tree, and has a sweet spicy taste. The young leaves are covered with a thick silvery down, which soon disappears. The wood is rose coloured, with a fine close grain, and bears a good polish. It is said that articles of furniture made from it acquire with time the appearance of mahogany.


Locust (Robinia pseudo-acacia) is a common tree in many parts of Pennsylvania, but is most abundant in limestone valleys and in places where it finds a deep rich soil. It does not, however, here grow to so large a size as in Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee, where it may be seen sixty or seventy feet high and two or three feet in diameter. It is a beautiful tree, with light agreeable foliage, and bears clusters of sweet scented white flowers. The seeds are contained in a flat bean-shaped pod, and the young trees are


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armed with short flat thorns which disappear as the tree grows older. The wood of the Locust is held in high esteem for its du- rability, and is in great demand for certain uses in ship building, for railroad timber, for fence posts and other purposes where a hard and durable wood is requisite. The various colours of the heart-wood of the Locust are probably owing to the soil and cir- cumstances of its growth; that having a reddish colour being most esteemed,-that of a greenish yellow next, and that with a white heart being considered least valuable. This beautiful and useful tree is, however, subject to the attack of an insect which pene- trates the bark and bores the trunk and limbs in every direction, so that they are easily broken by the wind. It seems that trees of the natural growth are not so liable to be injured in this way as those which have been transplanted; be this as it may, it is to be feared that, from the ravages of this destroyer and the neglect of the inhabitants to preserve and propagate so valuable a tree, the Locust will in time. become rare even where it once grew in abundance.


Sweet Locust or Honey Locust (Gleditschia triacanthos) belongs peculiarly to the country west of the Allegheny mountains, but is sometimes found in the limestone valleys east of them. The leaves are pinnated, and much smaller than those of the common Locust. But the most distinguishing characteristics of this tree are the large strong thorns which cover the branches and some- times the trunk. The large middle thorn is often two or three inches long, and has two others branching from it of about half its size. The flower is small, and the seed pods very broad, flat and long. If the wood possessed good qualities, it is not suffici- ently abundant to be useful.


Sassafras (Laurus sassafras) is a common tree about the borders of woodlands and fence rows; but the wood being weak and brit- tle is not much valued. The bark of the roots is highly aromatic, and contains an essential oil which is used in medicine as a stimu- lant and sudorific. The bark of the tree is also aromatic, and the leaves and young branches mucilaginous.


Wild Cherry (Prunus virginiana) is a valuable tree when allowed to grow to a large size. The wood is much esteemed, and is used by cabinetmakers as a substitute for mahogany in the manufac- ture of furniture and other articles. It is of a reddish colour, com- pact and fine grained, bearing a handsome polish. The berries are very bitter, and the bark is a valuable tonic medicine.


Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) grows most commonly in wet, heavy soils, in and about the sides of neglected fields and open grounds. It bears a round fleshy fruit, nearly an inch in diameter, of a reddish colour when ripe, which is very harsh and astringent to the taste until after a few frosts, when it becomes soft and palatable. The wood is hard, compact, strong and elastic, and is used for screws, mallets, shoe lasts, wedges, &c. The bark is tonic and astringent.


Of the Aspen tree we have several species. The American Aspen (Populus tremuloides) is most common in open lands where


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BOTANY.


the soil is of a middling quality. It blossoms in the latter part of April, before the leaves appear. The leaves are heart-shaped, about two inches broad, growing upon long slender petioles or stems, and are thrown into motion by the gentlest breath of air. From this almost constant tremulous movement of the leaves, the tree is frequently called Quaking Aspen. The Large Aspen (Popu- lus grandidentata) and the Various-leaved Aspen (P. heterophylla,) are not generally abundant. The wood of this family of trees is light, soft, brittle and of little value.


Chesnut ( Castanea vesca) is common in most parts of the State, but grows most abundantly in hilly regions, where the soil in ge- neral is gravelly and rather dry. This tree lives to a great age, and frequently attains an extraordinary size. One is said to exist on Mount Etna, which is fifty-three feet in diameter, or one hundred and sixty feet in circumference ; but it is hollow within, almost to the bark. Others grow near it which are more than twenty feet in diameter. Michaux mentions one growing at Sancerre, in France, which at six feet from the ground measures thirty feet in circum- ference, and which, though supposed to be more than one thou- sand years old, is perfectly sound, and bears fruit annually. The wood of the chesnut tree is strong, considering its lightness and porosity, and is especially valuable on account of its durability. Ît is much esteemed for fences, as posts and rails made from it last longer than those from any of the common forest trees, and are only excelled in this respect by the locust, cedar, and perhaps, a few other kinds of more rare timber. It is not held in much esti- mation for firewood, but is largely used in the manufacture of charcoal for the supply of the iron works in the interior of the State. Being of rapid growth, this timber soon renews itself on the coaling grounds, and will bear cutting every sixteen or twenty years.




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