FALSE-ACACIA; a genus of the decandra order, belonging to the diadelphia class of plants. There are several species, but the most remarkable is the caraganae. The leaves of this species are conjugated, and composed of a number of small folioles, of an oval figure, and ranged by pairs on one common stock.

The flowers are leguminous, and are clustered on a filament. Every flower consists of a small bell-shaped petal, cut into four segments at the edge, the upper part being rather the widest. The keel is small, open, and rounded. The wings are large, oval, and a little raised. Within are 10 stamina united at the base, curved towards the top, and rounded at the summit. In the midst of a sheath, formed by the filaments of the stamens, the pistil is perceivable, consisting of an oval germen, terminated by a kind of button. This germen becomes afterwards an oblong flatish curved pod, containing four or five seeds, of a size and shape irregular and unequal; yet in both respects somewhat resembling a lentil.

This tree grows naturally in the severe climates of Northern Asia, in a sandy soil mixed with black light earth. It is particularly found on the banks of great rivers, as the Oby, Jenissa, &c. It is very rarely met with in the inhabited parts of the country, because cattle are very fond of its leaves, and hogs of its roots; and it is so hardy, that the severest winters do not affect it. Gmelin found it in the neighbourhood of Tobolsk, buried under 15 feet of snow and ice, yet had it not suffered the least damage. Its culture consists in being planted or sowed in a lightish sandy soil, which must on no account have been lately manured. It thrives best near a river, or on the edge of a brook or spring; but presently dies if planted in a marshy spot, where the water stagnates. If it is planted on a rich soil, well tilled, it will grow to the height of 20 feet, and in a very few years will be as big as a common birch tree.

In a very bad soil this tree degenerates, and becomes a mere shrub: the leaves grow hard, and their fine bright green colour is changed to a dull deep green. The Tongusian Tartars, and the inhabitants of the northern parts of Siberia, are very fond of the fruit of this tree, it being almost the only sort of pulse they eat.

M. Strahlenberg, author of a well-esteemed description of Siberia, affirms us that this fruit is tolerably pleasant food, and very nourishing. These peas are first infused in boiling water, to take off a certain acid taste they have, and are afterwards dressed like common peas or Windsor beans; and being ground into meal, pretty good cakes are made of them. The leaves and tender shoots of this tree make excellent fodder Robins, for several sorts of cattle. The roots, being sweet and succulent, are very well adapted to fattening hogs; and the fruit is greedily eaten by all sorts of poultry. After several experiments somewhat similar to the methods used with anil and indigo, a fine blue colour was procured from its leaves. The smaller kind of this tree seems still better adapted to answer this purpose. The striking elegance of its foliage, joined to the pleasing yellow colour of its beautiful flowers, should, one would imagine, bring it into request for forming nosegays, or for speedily making an elegant hedge.

Besides the qualities above recited, it possesses the uncommon advantage of growing exceedingly quick, and of being easily transplanted.

There are large plantations of it now in Sweden, Norway, Lapland, and Iceland.

Linnaeus assures us, that, after the Pinus syl. quinti, erroneously called the cedar tree of Siberia, this tree, of all that are to be found in Siberia, is most worthy of cultivation.