Obs. Perhaps no tree has been the subject of as much newspaper
discussion as the Ailanthus, and there is much to be said for and against



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CASHEW FAMILY. T7

its cnltivaiion as a shade tree. It has in its favor a graceful habit, is
cleanly and quite free from insects, gives a tolerable shade and is perfectly
hardy, growing where almost any other would not survive. The objec-
tions to it are, the disagreeable odor it emits when in flower, and the
readiness with which it multiplies itself by suckers and by seeds. The
odor, which is really offensive in sultry weather, is emitted by the stami-
nate flowers, but as the tree is not perfectly dioecious, the pistillate ones
producing more or less staminate flowers, the difliculty could not be
obviated by cutting down the sterile trees, there being no means of dis-
tingui^ng them while young. In streets the rapid multiplication is
not so much of an objection as where the tree is cultivated in open
grounds, though even here the seed will germinate wherever it can come
m contact with the earth. The young plants spring up between bricks
and flag-stooes, in areas and small grass plots, and even on window-caps
and in crevices in the walls of buildings ; and in parks the multitude of
seedling becomes an absolute nuisance. Still, notwithstanding all these
disadvantages, there is no tree so generally employed in the city of New
York as a shade tree, where it attracts the eye of the stranger by the
tropical aspect of its foliage and the large massy bunches of ripening
fruit, which are variously tinged with red or brownish. The tree has
been recommended for cultivation on prairie lands and others where
there is a scarcity of timber for fencing material. As far as rapidity of
growth is concerned, it is certainly admirably adapted to this use, but
it is not known whether the timber would be suEBciently durable. The
wood, though brittle, is very hard and takes a good polish. *

Order XVUI. ANACARDIA'CE^. (Cashew Family.)

aVees or shrubs, with a resinous or milky, often acrid juice, which turns black in drying,
alternate dotloss leaves without stipules and small, often polygamous, regular pontandrous
JUnoers. PdaJs imbricated in the bud. Ovary 1-colled (by abortion), but with 3 styles or
stigmas, and a single ovule. Fruit indehiscent, usually drupaceous. 