AUGUST 1987 Austins of America PAGE 239 ‘‘Again a tree! They use the roots of the white spruce, A REVERENCE FOR WOOD and to make the boat watertight they heat the wood of by Eric Sloane balsam ®r until its resin oozes out and they mix it with the pitch of pine. But the biggest `canoos' are the ones made Editor's Note: The following article ®rst appeared as part of a chapter of solid wood. There is tale of one made from a hollowed ``The New World'' on pages 92-98 of the author's book A Reverence for Wood, published in 1965 by Ballantine Books of New York. sycamore that is sixty-®ve feet long and carries nine thousand pounds. In American the old sycamore usually The ship’s master, Robert Carter, was dining at the estate has a hollow trunk, and great barrels are made with the of Ralph Austin, ``an extraordinary practicer in ye art of slightest effort. Even well-linings are made from these planting.'' The dinner had been a bon voyage meeting, for hollow sycamore trunks, and sometimes they are used as Robert Carter was to leave on the next tide. The time for storage bins, as big around as an armspread and a perch in fruit and brandy had come. height.'' ‘‘I envy you your journey,’’ said the host, ‘‘and drink ‘‘This very year,’’ he continued, ‘‘a mast was felled in Godspeed to you. You will reach America at Goose Maine which proved too big for any of our mast ships. Summer, and the harvesting will be at its peak; it will be an Even after it was hewn and shaped, it had a useable length exciting and colorful spectacle.'' of one hundred and thirty feet and weighed over twenty- ®ve tons. Why, there are pines in Massachusetts that have ‘‘In America they call it Indian Summer,’’ said Carter, no extending limbs until a hundred feet from the ground!'' ``and indeed there is color such as we never see in England. ‘‘But these wonders are not what I can write about in They say the ®rst frost sets the leaves a®re, and from then these times,'' said Austin. ``England is badly in need of on a man can look at the hills and tell by the colors what timber because of the waste of its resources; we must kind of trees are there. The browns and tans are hickory, implant the value of the growing tree and inspire the farmer the yellows are tulip and beech and ironwood; the black in a Godly way, so that he will plant and know the bene®ts gum and oak and maple turn ¯aming red, while the purples of propagating timber trees and orchards.'' are the leaves of the white and mountain ash.'' ‘‘I have read your writings, good Ralph,’’ said Robert, ‘‘They say that the orange colors are so bright they hurt ``and I can perhaps even quote you. `The world is a great your eyes.'' library, and fruit trees are some of the books wherein we ‘‘Yes, they do — those are the leaves of sassafras and may read and see plainly the attributes of God.' Perhaps sugar maple.'' America will need such a philosophy, too, before it wastes ‘‘And when you arrive in America,’’ said Ralph Austin, its trees, thinking of them as just so much material wealth. ``I hope that you will remember to gather what information I shall take your book with me and show it to those who will you can about the orchards there. The plague of ice that read its wisdom.'' struck us here in England last year must surely have killed Agriculture and husbandry during the 1600’s and 1700’s many orchard trees; only the most hardy can have were not a business, but a way of life. This explains why survived. I shall want grafts and layers of them for writings about agriculture were so ®lled with Biblical England. And you must keep accounts for me, telling me quotations and moral philosophy. Austin, in speaking of of all the astounding trees of the New World.'' pruning, for example, tells how fruit trees that spread ‘‘I shall do this indeed,’’ said Robert, ‘‘but I am of the widely and grow near the ground bear more and larger fruit opinion that many of the American trees would not survive than high trees, and the fruit is easier to reach. This might the temperate mildness of the air of Britain Ð they seem to be forgotten by the reader, except for the typical religious need the intense atmospheric changes of America. Birch, application as he writes, ``¼and humble Christians, too, for example, has been known to grow in England for bring forth more and fairer fruit than lofty persons, while centuries, yet nothing like the American birch has ever their acts are easier to reach.'' been seen here. The Indians choose one large birch tree A servant entered with a tray of nuts and fruits, and and make two cuts down its trunk on opposite sides; then Austin passed them to his guest. they make two encircling cuts at top and bottom. In the ‘‘England’s orchards of forest trees are most depleted. spring when the bark is peeling, the Indians lift away these Some of the boat builders are using fruitwoods, as are the two curled pieces of bark and sew them together to make a joiners. Nothing is wasted now, but it is almost too late. boat which they call a ‘canoo.’’’ The ship May¯ower is now the beams and rafters of a barn ‘‘Remarkable!’’ said Ralph Austin. ‘‘And what do they in Buckingham. Whatever new wood we need for our use for sewing?'' navy will come from the New World.'' PAGE 240 Austins of America AUGUST 1987 Robert Carter broke an apple in two, admired its meat, QUERIES and sprinkled it with cinnamon spice. ``It is time for me to leave,'' he said. ``I should like to take one of these fine 240-1.John Austin was born circa 1728, married Miss Ð apples with me and plant the seed in America.'' Crenshaw or Miss Ð Grisby circa 1748. Their daughter Susan Austin was born circa 1749 in Hanover County, ‘‘What a fine idea! But the seed would not propagate the Virginia, she married John Anthony Jr. in 1771 in same apple, and a graft might not last the voyage. But Evington, Campbell County, Virginia. John Anthony was wait! I shall get you a layering plant, and you shall be the born in 1746 in Evington, and died on 3 February 1817 in first to bring my prize across the ocean. I have worked a Evington. Anthony children: John b. 1773, William long time to create this variety; I have not named it yet. I Banks b. 1775, Mary C. b. 1777, Sarah b. 1780, James would be pleased for you to name it. Perhaps the Crenshaw b. 1782, Mark b. 1783, Abner b. 1789, Charles `Westfield,' after your farm in Massachusetts? Perhaps it b. 1794. Need John Austin's wife and ancestry. might be named after your ship! What is the name of your _____________________________________________________________________________________ ship?'' 240-2.William Austin married Experience Dawson, daughter of Martin Dawson of Rutland, VT I believe. ‘‘It is called the Seek-no-further.'' William and Experience lived in Franklin, Franklin Couny, Vermont from 1820-1840. The lived near David References Brown Austin. David was the son of Jotham Austin a descendant of Robert Austin. Is there any connection A Treatise of Fruit-Trees, by R. A. Austin, Practiser in y between David and William. Art of Planting; Oxford, printed for Tho: Robinson, 1657. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Shewing the manner of Grafting, Setting, Pruning, and 240-3.Joseph Austin according to the History of Dover, Ordering of them in all respects: According to divers new New Hampshire by John Scales, probably resided in and easy Rules of experience; gathered in y space of Hampton, NH in 1642, owned mill property at Cocheco Twenty yeares. Falls in 1649, married Sarah Starbuck in 1659 or 1660, and died between 6 June 1662 and 1 July 1663. His son, The Spirituall use of an Orchard, or Garden of Fruit- Thomas Austin, married Ann Otis, their daughter Rose Trees. Set forth in divers Similitudes betweene Naturall was born 3 April 1678, she married Ephraim Tibbetts. I and Spirituall fruit-trees, in their Natures, and Ordering, would appreciate any further information on this line. according to Scripture and Experience. The second _____________________________________________________________________________________ Impression; with the addition of many Similitudes. By R. 240-4.Mary Austin was married on 17 May 1674 to A. Austin, Author of the first part. OXFORD Printed by Richard Gardner II (1653-1728). Her parents were HEN: HALL, Printer to the University, for Tho: Robin- Joseph Austin and Sarah Starbuck of Dover NH, as given son. M.DC.LVII Hos: 12.10; Jer: 17.8; Rom: 11.23; Joh: in The History of Nantucket Massachusetts by Alexander 15.1.2; Cant. 2.3; Cant. 4.12.13. Starbuck. Need the ancestors and descendants of Mary. _____________________________________________________________________________________ 240-5.Elizabeth Austin married Henry Tebbets accor- sssssssssssssssssssssssssss ding to information from the book History of Dover. I would appreciate any further information on this line. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Austins in the 240-6.Matthew Austin married Mary Littlefield, their son Benjamin was born circa 1707, died circa 14 May Federal Census of 1850 1787, he married Catherine Ð. Their son Nathaniel Austin married Lydia, daughter of Francis Brock? and Sarah Hodsdon? Nathaniel's Will was dated 1 May 1822.