THE WESTERN MONTHLY REVIEW. SEPTEMBER, 1827. FLOWERS OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. In fitting up this magnificent universe, in which God has placed us, every thing seems to have been formed with a double reference to utility and beauty. In the arrangements of the Creator we can see no reason, a priori, why the predominant colors of vegetable nature should not have been crimson, or blue, instead of green. Every one has felt, indeed, that this last is the most pleasing color to the eye.— But every one has not looked beyond this fact to the actual wisdom, contrivance and benevolence of providence, in clothing nature with this cheerful and delightful color. Colors, in which light abounds, cause a painful contraction of the pupil of the eye, to exclude the redundant glare. Colors, in which shade is in excess, cause an expansion, equally painful, that a sufficient number of rays may be received, to give the picture in clear relief. Green is that color of nature, in which light and shade are neutralized in balancing proportions.For instance, an exact mixture in equal proportions of white and black constitutes the delightful hue of green, on which the eye reposes with untiring satisfaction, and in viewing which, its nerves are neither strained with excess, or lack of rays; and for this reason, undoubted ly, it is that vegetable nature is clothed with green in preference to any other hue. Every time, then, in which we contemplate nature, when robed in the verdure of spring, we ought to look through the physical beauty of the spectacle, to the manifest and merciful regard of the All Good to our comfort and enjoyment, in the most delightful and perfect of all our senses, that of vision. In the same manner it might have pleased the author of nature to have presented us the seeds and fruits of the various trees, shrubs and VOL. I.-No. 5. 1 plants on the naked stem, or from a cup of foliage, instead of flowers But, apparently, to relieve the monotony of beauty in the universal verdure, Providence has seen fit to cradle the infant seed and fruit in an ambrosial nest of flowers, where in a mysterious process of gener ation, found to be more analogous to the beginnings of animal existence, in the same proportion, as it is more intimately explored, the young seeds and fruits repose in pavilions more gorgeous, than those of monarchs, and breathing airs more aromatic, than those of Araby the blest.' Hence, too, as one of the benevolent intentions in the formation of flowers seems to be, to relieve the monotony of verdure to the eye, the forms, the hues, the meltings of one shade into another in flowers have that magnificent and infinite variety, which we discover in that kingdom. At the same time, that the eye might be more delighted in contemplating the splendor of blossoms, arrayed in a beauty, to which all the glory of Solomon might not be compared, they emit a perfume, so rich and exquisite, as to set at nought all the ef forts of art and luxury to imitate it; and thus, by gratifying one sense, create delightful associations for increasing the enjoyment of the other. In completing the processes of vegetable nature we discover that Providence has designed a gratification for every sense. The seeds of apples, oranges, figs, grapes, pomegranates, and all the delicious fruits, might have been matured, for ought that appears, in the sterile capsules of the cotton plant, or thistle, as well as in the centre of that nutritive and grateful pulp, where they attain their ultimate maturity. But beauty, utility and the means of comfortable and happy existence seem to be bound together in this our creation by an indissoluble chain. The study of natural history, in this point of view, becomes to a rightly constituted mind not only a source of pleasure and instruction; but it originates admiring and adoring conceptions of the Author of nature and originates religious feeling. New proofs of wisdom and design develope at every step. God is found to be the same being in the hues and fragrance of a flower, as in the rich coloring of the clouds, the splendors of the firmament, and the ineffable grandeur of the starry heavens. We trace precisely the same wisdom, design and arrangement of means to an end in the minute, as in the vast of hie works; and find, it is the impress of the same hand That gives its gilding to an insect's wing, How often, while wandering in the deep flowering forests of the Mississippi valley, in Spring, have these sentiments forced themselves upon us. We have looked up at the prodigious alcove of verdure above, and the splendid variety of flowers around us. The wild bees, in their courses through the air, seemed, like the interminable wires of au immense Eolian harp, as they sped to their repast of nectar.— All the irrational tribes appeared by their various expressions of excited movement and joy, to enter as deeply into the beauty and grandeur of what was before them, as we did. Although there was but one visible rational worshipper, we could not but consider this scene of solitary grandeur and beauty, as a temple. We imagined unseen, and higher intelligences enjoying the spectacle with us, and united in the same delightful sentiments of admiration and worship. But to return to more definite and common views of these flowering solitudes, as all, that have eyes and a heart are delighted with flowers, as the history of them has recently become to the better part of the species a study of general and increasing interest, without any other apology, than a wish to engage their attention to the natural history of our country, we shall take leave to describe some of the flowering trees, shrubs and plants, which in the proper season cause our forests, prairies, and shallow lakes to 'blossom like the rose. In doing this, we shall studiously avoid the technical delineations of botany, and shall attempt to describe, what we have seen in such terms, as, we hope, will be obvious, as well to those, who have not studied this science, as those, who have. We commence with the MAGNOlia GrandiflORA. Bartram and others, by overrating the beauty of this tree, have caused, that when strangers first-behold it, their estimation of it falls too low. It has been described, as a very large tree. We have seen it in Florida, where Bartram saw it. We have seen it in its more congenial posi tion for full developement, the rich alluvions of Louisiana; and we have never seen it compare with the sycamore, the cotton wood, or even the ash, in point of size. It is some times a tall tree; often graceful in form; but ordinarily a tree of fourth, or fifth rate, in point of comparative size in the forest, where it grows. Its bark is smooth, whitish, very thick, and something resembles that of the beech. The wood is soft, and for ought we know, useless. The leaves strongly resemble those of the orange tree, except in being larger, thicker, and having a hoary yellowish down upon the underside. The upper side has a perfect verdure, and a feel of smoothness, as if it was oiled. The flowers are large, of a pure white, nearest resembling the north ern pond-lily, nymphea odorata, though not so beautiful; and are, ordinarily, about twice the size. The fragrance is, indeed, powerful; but to us rather sickly and offensive. We have felt, and we have heard others complain of feeling a sensation of faintness, in going into a room, where the chimmey place was filled with these flowers. The tree continues to put forth flowers in succession for two months, and seldom displays many at a time. We think, few have been in habits of examining flowering trees more attentively, than ourselves; and we contemplated this tree for years in the season of flowers. Instead of displaying, as has been represented, a cone of flowers, we have seldom seen a tree in flower, which did not require some attention and closeness of inspection to discover, where they were situated among the leaves. We have not been led to believe, that others possessed the sense of smell more acutely, than ourselves. In advancing from points, where these trees were not, to the pine forest, on the water courses of which they are abundant, we have been warned of our approach to them, by the sense of smell, at a distance of something more than half a mile; and we question, if any one ever perceived the fragrance much farther, except by the imagination. The magnolia is a striking tree, and an observer, who saw it for the first time, would remark it, as such. But we have been unable to conceive, whence the extravagant misconceptions, respecting the size, number, fragrance and beauty of its flowers had their origin. We have remarked six, or seven varieties among the laurels of the magnolia tribe, some of which have smaller flowers, than those of the grandiflora, but much more delicate and agreeably fragrant. A beautiful evergreen of this class is covered in autumn with berries of an intense blackness, and we remarked them in great numbers about St. Francisville. The holly is a well known and beautiful tree of this class. But that one, which has struck us, as being the handsomest of the family, is the laurel Almond, laurns Caroliniensis. Its leaves strongly resemble those of the peach, and it preserves a most pleasing green through the winter. Its flowers yield a delicious perfume. It grows in families of ten, or fifteen trees in a cluster. Planters of taste in the valley of Red river, where it is common, select the place of their dwelling amidst a cluster of these trees. CATALPA. We do not remember, that Bartram has described this tree. But it has much stronger claims to admiration, both for the beauty of its foliage, and the abundance and splendor of its flowers, than the Grandiflora. In the delicious and ambrosial aroma of its blossoms and in the strength of their odor and the extent of atmosphere, that they per |