THIRTY IMPORTANT FOREST TREES CMARYLAND HOW TO KNOW THEM MARYLAND STATE BOARD OF FORESTRY OES tae F. W. Besley, State Forester In Co-operation with the Torest Service U. S. Department of Agriculture, THIRTY IMPORTANT FOREST TREES OF CMARYLAND eri ON eh Hye ualbses He HOW TO KNOW THEM MARYLAND STATE BOARD OF FORESTRY F. W. Besley, State Forester In Co-operation with the Forest Service U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1922 FOREST TREES > FROK EE EIR KK AE SPREE EE FHIRKK EE IKKE PURPOSE OF THIS MANUAL It is the purpose of this pocket manual to present what is considered the thirty principal trees of Maryland, as determined by occurrence and uses from a list of more than one hundred native species. The chief characteristic of each are set forth in plain illustrations and simple language that should en- able easy field identification. The rapidly increas- ing interest in outdoor life, stimulated by the Scout movement, nature study in the schools, garden clubs, and similar organizations, has created a demand for such a manual as this. Acknowledgments The subject-matter has been prepared by the State Foresters of Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee, who are each publishing similar manuals. The advice and help of the Forest Service of the United States Department of Agriculture, including the preparation of drawings from which most of the cuts were made, is gratefully acknowl- edged. A number of cuts illustrating leaves and fruit of hardwoods were kindly loaned by the Ver- mont Agricultural Experiment Station. FQREST TREES. > FERC KKKG EO HIEKKG cE HOKE D> FROG HI RED CEDAR (Juniperus virginiana L.) VERY valuable tree found in all classes and conditions of soils—from swamp to dry rocky ridges—seeming to thrive on barren soils where few other trees are found. It is scattered throughout the State except in the high mountains, but it is most important in the middle section. There are two kinds of leaves, usually both kinds being found on the same tree. The commoner kind RED CEDAR One-half natural size. From Sargent’s ‘Manual of the Trees of North America,” by permission of Houghton-Miffin Company. is dark green, minute and scale-like, clasping the stem in four ranks, so that the stems appear square. The other kind, usually appearing on young growth or vigorous shoots, is awl-shaped, quite sharp- pointed, spreading and whitened. The two kinds of flowers are at the end of minute twigs on separate trees. Blooming in February or March, the male trees often assume a golden color from the small catkins, which, when shaken, shed clouds of yellow pollen. The fruit, which matures in one season, is pale blue, often with a white bloom, one-quarter of an inch in diameter, berry-like, enclos- ing one or two seeds in the sweet flesh. It is a favorite winter food for birds. The bark is very thin, reddish brown, peeling off in long, shred-like strips. The tree is extremely irregular in its growth, so that the trunk is usually more or less grooved. The heart wood is distinctly red, and the sapwood white, this color combination making very striking effects when finished as cedar chests, closets and interior woodwork. The wood is aromatic, soft, strong and of even texture, and these qualites make it most desirable for lead pencils. It is very dura- ble in contact with the soil, and on that account is in great demand for posts, poles and rustic work. 5 FAREST TREES A> PR nce D> $i RoxKiGanc +O HEKE EE DO HOG SE OOK HEMLOCK (Tsuga canadensis Carr.) HE hemlock, sometimes known as hemlock spruce or spruce pine, is a large timber tree, attaining a height of 60 to 100 feet and a diameter of 2 to 4 feet. It is common along streams and on cool slopes throughout the mountains and extends somewhat into the adjoining regions. Its horizontal or ascending branches and drooping twigs, forming From Sargent’s “Manual of the Trees of North America,” by permission of Houghton-Mifflin Company. a pyramidal crown, make it one of our handsomest and most desirable trees for shade and ornament. The leaves are from one-third to two-thirds of an inch in length, oblong, dark green and lustrous on the upper surface and whitish beneath, and, although spirally arranged, appear to be 2-ranked on the stem; they fall during the third season. The cones are oblong, about three-fourths of an inch long, light brown in color. The cone scales are broadly ovate and about as wide as they are long. The seed is small and winged, maturing in the fall and dropping during the winter. The wood is light, soft, not strong, brittle and splintery. It is used for coarse lumber and for paper pulp. The bark on old trunks is cinnamon-red or dark gray and divided into narrow, rounded ridges, and is one of our chief sources of tannin. _ FAREST TREES SS “BRR IR KKK EE EKG SE ORE HE LOBLOLLY PINE (Pinus taeda L.) fast-growing member of the yellow pine group, loblolly pine is a tree of the Coastal Plain, ranging southward from the southernmost county of Delaware. It is variously known locally as shortleaf pine, fox-tail pine and old-field pine. As the last name implies, it seeds up abandoned fields rapidly, particularly in sandy soils where the LOBLOLLY PINE One-half natural size. From Sargent’s “Manual of the Trees of North America,” by permission of Houghton-Miffin Company. water is close to the surface. It is also frequent in clumps along the borders of swamps and as scat- tered specimens in the swamp hardwood forests. The bark is dark in color and deeply furrowed, and often attains a thickness of as much as 2 inches on large-sized trees. The leaves, or needles, 6 to 9 inches long, are borne three in a cluster, and, in the spring, bright green clumps of them at the ends of branches give a luxuriant appeatance to the tree. The fruit is a cone, or burr, about 3 to 5 inches long, which ripens in the autumn of the second year, and, during fall and early winter, sheds many geeds which, by their inchlong wings, are widely dis- tributed by the wind. The resinous wood is coarse-grained, with marked contrast, as in the other yellow pines, between the bands of early and late wood. The wood of second- growth trees has a wide range of uses where dura- bility is not a requisite, such as for building ma- terial, box shooks, barrel staves, basket veneers, pulpwood, lath, mine props, piling and fuel. 7 FAREST TREES > PRE DHE OO HEKE HE SO HEME SE HOKE -~ PITCH PINE, OR BLACK PINE (Pinus rigida Mill.) HE pitch pine grows on dry ridges and slopes and in cold swamps and bottoms in the moun- tains and outlying hilly regions up to about 3,500 feet elevation. It occurs scattered, or in small groups with hardwoods or other pines. It attains a height commonly 50 to 75 feet and a diameter of 1 to 2 feet, The trunk is erect, and PITCH PINE, OR BLACK PIND One-half natural size. From Sargent’s “Manual of the Trees of North America,” by. permission of Houghton-Miffin Company. at heights of 20 to 30 feet branches into a close head made up of rather large branches and notice- ably thick foliage. It has longer leaves and larger cones, or burrs, and generally a rougher and less straight trunk than the shortleaf pine with which it is often found. The leaves, which are found in clusters of 3 each, are 3 to 5 inches long, stiff, dark yellowish green in color and stand out straight from the twigs. They fall during the second year after forming. The cones are 1 to 3 inches long and light brown in color. They usually cling to the branches for several years, sometimes for 10 to 12 years. The bark on the stems and branches is rough. On mature trees it is dark gray or reddish brown, and irregularly divided into broad, flat, continuous ridges. The wood is light, soft and brittle. It is sawed into lumber for general construction and is used for fuel. This tree is able to grow on very poor soil and has the capacity, when young, of sprouting suc- cessfully from the base of the stump when burned or cut back, FOREST TREES > BEER DIE AIG AE HOMIE - PURO EE EHS EE SO HEKKKE-~ WHITE PINE (Pinus strobus L.) HE white pine occurs naturally throughout the [eee and extends into the adjacent region. It grows on high, dry, sandy and rocky ridges, but prefers the cooler or moister situations. Its straight stem, regular pyramidal shape and soft gray-green foliage make it universally appreciated as an orna- mental tree. Its rapid growth and hardiness, and WHITE PINE One-third natural size. From Sargent’s ‘‘Manual ‘of the Trees of North America,” by permission of Houghton-Miffiin Company, the high quality of the wood make it one of the most desirable trees for forest planting. The trunk is straight, and, when growing in the forest, clear of branches for many feet. The branches extend horizontally in whorls (i. e., arranged in a circle on the stem), marking the successive years of upward growth. The bark is thin and greenish red on young trees, but thick, deeply furrowed and grayish brown on older trees. The tree commonly attains heights of 50 to 60 feet and diameters of 1 to 2 feet, though much larger specimens are still to be found. The leaves, or needles, are 3 to 5 inches in length, bluish green on the upper surface and whitish be- neath, and occur in bundles of 5, which distinguishes it from all other eastern pines. The cone, or fruit, is 4 to 6 inches long, cylindrical, with thin, usually very gummy scales, containing small, winged seeds which require two years to mature. The wood is light, soft, not strong, light brown in color, often tinged with red, and easily worked. The lumber is in large demand for construction pur- poses, box boards, matches and many other products, 10 FOREST TREES > BERET ME FRE KG MRE SO HOKE - Ro REE DH ROKEG RE O HOKE EO HESS D> REX- BEECH (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.) HE beech occurs throughout the State. It makes its best growth, however, in the moist coves in the mountains. It is widely found scattered with oaks and hickories on rich, well-drained bottoms, and in the mountains sometimes occurs in unmixed, dense stands. It is one of the most beautiful of all trees, either in summer or winter. The simple, oval leaves are 3 to 4 inches long, pointed at the tip, and coarsely toothed along the margin. : BEECH One-half natural size. When mature, they are almost leathery in texture. The beech produces a dense shade. The winter buds are long, slender and pointed. The bark is, perhaps, the most distinctive charac- teristic, as it maintains an unbroken, light gray sur- face throughout its life. So tempting is this smooth expanse to the owner of a jackknife that the beech has been well designated the “initial tree.” The little, brown, three-sided beech nuts are almost as well known as chestnuts. They form usually in pairs in a prickly burr. The kernel is sweet and edible, but so small as to offer insufficient reward for the pains of biting open the thin-shelled husk. The wood of the beech is very hard, strong, and tough, though it will not last long on exposure to weather or in the soil. The tree is of no great eco- nomic importance as a lumber tree, though the wood is used to some extent for furniture, flooring, car- penters’ tools, and novelty wares, 12 FOREST TREES > PRK ED HUE KK EE --HURKK ~ FREE DIEM AE -D HOMES +O HOKE Oi nee BLACK CHERRY (Wild Cherry) (Prunus serotina Erh.) medium-sized tree, up to about 70 feet high and 1 to 3 feet in diameter, black cherry as a tree is at its best in the high mountains. The forest- grown trees have long clear trunks with little taper ; open-grown trees have short trunks with many branches and irregular spreading crowns. The bark on branches and young trunks is smooth and bright reddish brown, marked by conspicu- ous, narrow, white, horizontal lines, and has a bit- \ ter-almond taste. On the older trunks the bark be- comes rough and broken into thick, irregular plates. T he BLACK CHERRY leaves are Twig, two-thirds natural size. Leaf, one-third natural size. alternate, simple, oval to lance-like in shape, with edges broken by many fine incurved teeth, thick and shiny above, and paler beneath. The fruit is dull purplish black, about as large as a pea, and is borne in long hanging clusters. It ripens in late summer, and is edible, although it has a slightly bitter taste. The wood is reddish brown with yellowish sap- wood, moderately heavy, hard, strong, fine-grained, and does not warp or split in seasoning. It is valuable for its lustre and color and is used for furniture, interior finish, tools, and implement han- dles. With the exception of black walnut, the cherry lumber has a greater unit value than any other hardwood of the eastern United States. 15 FAREST TREES > BRR SR RK > PHURKIG HEE _FHIKKEE SEE FRO CHESTNUT (Castanea dentata Borkh.) VER the Southern States the chestnut is native to the hilly and mountain sections. It is one of our most useful trees and as such, has been called the “farmer’s best friend.” The long-pointed leaves with their coarse teeth, each bearing a slender spine, are quite distinctive. They are simple, alternate, average 5 to 10 inches in CHESTNUT Leaf, one-third natural size. Twig, one-half natural size. length, and are dark green in color. The flowers are of two kinds on the same tree, the long, slender, whitish catkins opening in midsummer. The fruit is a prickly burr, which opens at the first frost, or earlier, and drops 2 or 3 shiny, brown, sweet, edible nuts. The bark becomes broken into light-gray, broad, flat ridges, which often have a tendency toward a spiral course around the trunk. The wood is light, soft, not strong, coarse-grained, and very durable in contact with the soil—qualities which make it particularly valuable for posts, poles, crossties, as well as for light building construction. The wood is rich in tannin, and in the southern Ap- palachians it is extensively cut and used for the ex- traction of this valuable commercial product. A bark disease, known as the chestnut blight, is proving fatal to the chestnut, and has already prac- tically exterminated the tree over much of north- eastern United States. It has already reached por- tions of Virginia and North Carolina, 16 FOREST TREES > BROAD UOKE EO HEKO-S OS HEME O HEISE WHITE ELM (American Elm) (Ulmus americana 1.) HE famous shade tree of New England, whose range, however, extends to the Rocky Mountains and southward to Texas. Within this vast area, it is generally common except in the high mountains and wet bottom lands. It reaches an average height of 60 to 70 feet and a diameter of 4 to 5 feet. The bark is dark gray, divided into irregular, flat-topped, thick ridges, and is generally firm, though on old trees it tends to come off in flakes. An incision into the inner bark will show alternate layers of brown and white. The leaves are alternate, simple, 4 to 6 j inches long, rath- er thick, somewhat one- sided, doubly toothed on the mar- gin, and generally Twig one-half WHITE ELM smooth natural size. Leaf, one-third natural size. above and downy below. The leaf veins are very pronounced and run in parallel lines from the midrib to: leaf- edge. The flowers are small, perfect, greenish, on slen- der stalks sometimes an inch long, appearing before the leaves in very early spring. The fruit is a light green, oval shaped samara (winged fruit) with the seed portion in the center and surrounded entirely by a wing. A deep notch in the end of the wing is distinctive of the species. The seed ripens in the spring and by its wing is widely disseminated by the wind. The wood is heavy, hard, strong, tough, and diffi- cut to split. It is used for hubs of wheels, saddle trees, boats and ships, barrel hoops, and veneer for baskets and crates. Because of its spreading fan-shaped form, grace- ful pendulous branches, and long life, the white elm justly holds its place as one of the most desirable shade trees, 17 FAREST TREES >Re Dh Reo E> RK EE EE HRI HSEKEHKE BLACK GUM (Nyssa sylvatica Marsh.) HE black gum, often called sour gum, has been considered a weed in the forest. Weed-like, it finds footing in many types of soil and conditions of soil moisture throughout the State. In the lowlands it is occasionally found in year-round swamps with cypress, and in the hills and mountains on dry slopes with oaks and hickories. The leaves are simple, 2 to 3 inches long, entire, often broader near the apex, shiny, and dark green in color. In the fall the leaves turn a most bril- liant red. T he bark on younger trees is furrowed between flat ridges, BLACK GUM and grad- One-half natural size. ually de- velops into quadrangular blocks that are dense, hard and nearly black. The greenish flowers on long slender stems ap- pear in early spring when the leaves are about one-third grown. They are usually of two kinds, the male in many-flowered heads and the female in two to several-flowered clusters on different trees. The fruit is a dark blue, fleshy berry, two-thirds of an inch long, containing a single hard-shelled seed, and is borne on long stems, 2 to 3 in a cluster. The wood is very tough, cross-grained, not dur- able in contact with the soil, hard to work, and warps easily. It is used for crate and basket veneers, box shooks, rollers, mallets, rough floors, mine trams, pulpwood, and fuel. In the old days, the hollow trunks were used for “bee gums.” 18 FOREST TREES > BROKE HE SHOOK EE HOOKS SO HOKE SE OO HEOXSHDEOCMOG SWEET GUM (Red Gum) (Liquidambar styraciflua L.) HE sweet gum is a large valuable forest tree. It occurs on rich river bottoms and in swamps sub- ject to frequent overflow, as well as on drier uplands throughout the lower and middle parts of the State. It is usually abundant in second growth on old fields and’ in cut-over woods. The bark is a light gray, roughened by corky scales, later becoming deeply furrowed. After the second year the twigs often develop 2 to 4 corky pro- jections of the bark, which give them a winged ap- pearance. The simple, alternate star - shaped leaf, with its 5 to 7 points or lobes, is 5 to 7 inches across and very aro- matic. In the fall its SWEET GUM coloring is Leaf, one-third natural size. brillian t; Twig, two-thirds natural size. ranging from pale yellow through orange and red to a deep bronze. The flowers are of two kinds on the same tree, unfolding with the leaves. The fruit at first glance reminds one of the balls of the sycamore, but on closer inspection proves to be a head. It meas- ures an inch or more in diameter and is made up of many capsules with projecting spines. It fre- quently hangs on the tree by its long swinging stem late into the winter. The wood is heavy, moderately hard, close- grained, and not durable on exposure. The reddish brown heartwood, which suggests the name red gum, is not present to any appreciable extent in logs under 16 inches in diameter. The wood is exten- sively used for flooring, interior finish, paper pulp and veneers for baskets of all kinds. Veneers of the heartwood are largely used in furniture, some- times as imitation mahogany or circassian walnut. This tree should be more widely planted for orna- mental use. 19 FAREST TREES A> ROSE AEE LED RR OKG REE D> HOKE ES > FOG KE ERE PIGNUT HICKORY (Hicoria glabra Britton) (Carya glabra Sweet) HE pignut hickory is a medium to large upland eee occurring plentifully on poor soil in the middle section and less frequently in the other parts of the State. It has a tapering trunk and a narrow oval head. y The bark is close, ridged and grayish, but oc- casionally rough and flaky. The twigs are thin, smooth and glossy brown. The polished brown win- ter buds are egg- shaped. the outer reddish brown scales falling in the autumn, — Twig, one-half natural size. The leaves are smooth, 8 to 12 inches long and composed of 5 to 7 leaflets. The individual leaflets are rather small and narrow. The fruit is pear-shaped or rounded, usually with a neck at the base, very thin husks splitting only half way to the base or not at all. The nut is smooth, light brown in color, rather thick-shelled, and has an edible kernel. The wood is heavy, hard, strong, tough and fiexi- ble. Its uses are the same as those of the other hickories. The small-fruited hickory (Carya microcarpa Nutt.), by some considered a variety of the pignut hickory, differs from it in having a round fruit and a bark which frequently separates into narrow plates. The pale-leaved hickory (Carya pallida Ashe) is found scatteringly in the upland woods, It has pale, delicate foliage. The leaves are woolly or hairy underneath, and when young are covered with silvery scales. The husks are thicker than those of the pignut. 56 FOREST TREES D> ALOR RE DHE KG AE OO HE KE SE OS HEE BH HENS WHITEHEART OR WHITE HICKORY (Mockernut Hickory) (Hicoria alba Britton) (Carya alba K. Koch) HE white hickory, whiteheart, mockernut, or big-bud hickory is common on well-drained soils throughout the State. It is a tall, short-limbed tree averaging 60 feet high and 1 to 2 feet in diameter. The bark is dark gray, hard, closely and deeply furrowed, often apparently cross-furrowed or netted. The winter buds are large, round or broadly egg- Shaped, and covered with downy, hard WHITEHRART OR WHITE HICKORY Leaf, one-fifth natural size. Twig two-thirds natural size. scales, The recent shoots are short, stout and more or less covered with a downy growth. The leaves are large, strong-scented and hairy, composed of 7 to 9 obovate to oblong, pointed leaf- lets which turn a beautiful yellow in the fall. The flowers, like those of all other hickories, are of two kinds on thesame tree; the male in three- branched catkins, the female in clusters of 2 to 5. The fruit is oval, nearly round or slightly pear- shaped with a very thick, strong-scented husk which splits nearly to the base when ripe. The nut is of various forms, but is sometimes 4 to 6 ridged, light brown, and has a very thick shell and small, sweet kernel. The wood is heavy, hard, tough and strong; it is white excepting the comparatively small, dark- brown heart, hence the name white hickory. It is used for vehicle parts, handles and picker-sticks. It furnishes the best of fuel. This and the other hickories are very desirable both for forest and shade trees, 21 FAREST TREES D> Pion > RK EO HEHE EO HES SS SD REKG~< BLACK LOCUST (Yellow Locust) (Robinia pseudacacia L.) rT HE black locust occurs throughout the entire State and in all soils and conditions of moisture except in swamps. It is found as a forest tree only in the mountains, where it attains a height of 80 to 100 feet and a diameter of 30 inches. Throughout the other sections of the State it occurs generally in thickets on clay banks or waste places, or singly along fence rows. The twigs and branchlets are armed with straight or slightly curved sharp, strong spines, some- times as much as 1 inch in length which remain attached to the outer bark for many years. The bark is dark brown and divides into strips as the tree grows older. The leaves are pin- nate, or feather-like, from 6 to 10 inches in length, consisting of from 7 to 19 ob- long thin leaflets. The flowers are fragrant, white or cream-colored, and BLACK LOCUST appear in early Leaf, one-third natural size. spring in graceful Twig, two-thirds natural size. pendant racemes. The fruit is a pod from 3 to 5 inches long containing 4 to 8 small hard seeds which ripen late in the fall. The pod splits open during the winter, discharging the seeds. Some seeds usually remain attached to each half of the pod, and this acts as a wing upon which the seeds are borne to considerable distances before the strong spring winds. The wood is yellow in color, coarse-grained, very heavy, very hard, strong, and very durable in con- tact with the soil. It is used extensively for fence posts, poles, tree nails, insulator pins and occasion- ally for lumber and fuel. 22 FOREST TREES DRE HEE SO HEHEHE SD HOEKEG SO HOKE -~O HR S-< RED MAPLE (Acer rubrum L.) HE red maple, or swamp maple, is widely dis- tributed throughout the State. It is usually a medium-sized tree, quick-growing and relatively short-lived. It is used as a shade tree, though much inferior for this purpose to the other maples, espe- cially the sugar maple. The bark is smooth and light gray on young stems, and dark gray and rough on the old limbs and trunk. RED MAPLE Leaf, one-third natural size. Twig, one-half natural size. The leaves are 2 to 5 inches long and have from 3 to 5 pointed, saw-toothed lobes, which are sepa- rated by sharp angular sinuses or openings. The upper surface when mature is light green and the lower surface whitish and partly covered with pale down. In autumn the leaves turn to brilliant shades of red, orange and yellow. The red flowers in dense clusters appear in early spring before the leaves, the buds turning a deep red sometime before they open. The winter buds are small, red and round or blunt-pointed. The fruit ripens in late spring or early summer. It consists of pairs of winged seeds, or keys, one-half to 1 inch in length, on long drooping stems, red, reddish brown or yellow in color. The wood, which is commercially known as soft maple, is heavy, close-grained, rather weak and of a light-brown color. It is used in the manufacture of furniture, and for turnery, woodenware, and also for fuel, 23 FAREST TREES D> HOKAGE, OS HEKG HE OD HEKE SH OHH S DP KeKE~< SUGAR MAPLE (Acer saccharum Marsh.) HE sugar maple, often called sugar tree, is ee only on the cool slopes of our higher mountains. It is generally a rather slow-growing tree, but in the open it grows faster and has a very symmetrical, dense crown, affording heavy shade. It is therefore quite extensively planted as a shade tree. The bark on young trees is light gray to brown and rather smooth, but as the tree grows older it breaks up into long, irregular plates or scales, which vary from light gray to almost black. The twigs are smooth and red- dish brown, and the winter buds sharp-pointed. The tree attains a height of more than 100 feet and a diameter of 3 feet or more. The sap yields maple sugar and maple syrup. SUGAR MAPLD Leaf, one-third natural size. Twig, one-half natural size. The leaves are 3 to 5 inches across, simple, oppo- site, with 3 to 5 pointed and sparsely toothed lobes, the divisions between the lobes being rounded. The leaves are dark green on the upper surface, lighter green beneath, turning in autumn to brilliant shades of dark red, scarlet, orange and clear yellow. The flowers are yellowish green, on long thread- like stalks, appearing with the leaves, the two kinds in separate clusters. The fruit, which ripens in the fall, consists of a two-winged “samara,” or “key,” the two wings nearly parallel, about 1 inch in length So ae a seed. It is easily carried by the wind. The wood is hard, heavy, strong, close-grained and light brown in color. It is known commercially as hard maple, and is used in the manufacture of flooring, furniture, shoe-lasts and a great variety of novelties. 24 FQAREST TREES D> RRL aE D> PERS KEKE RE ED “FRO KK EE HIKE HEHE BLACK OAK (Quercus velutina Lam.) HE black oak, sometimes farther north called yellow oak or yellow-barked oak, usually grows to be about 80 feet in height and 1 to 3 feet in diame- ter. It is found commonly throughout the State on dry plains and ridges, but seldom on rich ground. The crown is irregularly shaped and wide, with a clear trunk for 20 feet or more on large trees. The bark on the very young trunks is ‘smooth and dark brown but soon be- eomes thick and black, with deep furrows and rough broken ridges. Thebright- Twig one-half BLACK OAK ellow natural size. Leaf, one-third natural size. ace and bitter taste of the inner bark; due to tannic acid, are distinguishing characteristics. The leaves are alternate, simple, 5 to 10 inches long and 3 to 8 inches wide, shallow or deeply lobed, the shape varying greatly. When mature, the leaves are dark green and shiny on the upper surface, pale on the lower, more or less covered with down, and with conspicuous rusty brown hairs in the forks of the veins. The fruit matures the second season. The light- brown nut is from one-half to 1 inch long, more or less hemispherical in shape, and from one-half to three-quarters enclosed in the thin, dark-brown, scaly cup. The kernel is yellow and extremely bitter. The wood is hard, heavy, strong, coarse-grained and checks easily. It is a bright red-brown with a thin outer edge of paler sapwood. It is used for the same purposes as red oak, under which name it is put on the market. Its growth is rather slow. FOREST TREES DARE HE FIR KKK EE HIKE PRK EE SE HEKKE CHESTNUT OAK (Quercus montana Willd., formerly Q. prinus L.) HESTNUT OAK, also known as mountain oak and rock oak, has acquired these names from its leaf, which resembles that of the chestnut, and from its fondness for rocky or mountain ridges. It is found widely distributed throughout the moun- tains on dry gravelly and rocky slopes, ridges and stream banks, and less commonly in the upland part of the State in similar dry, rocky situ- ations. It is noticeably a spreading tree of medi- um height; at 15 to 20 feet, the trunk frequent- ly divides into several large, angular limbs, making an open, irregu- lar-shaped head. The bark is dark reddish brown, thick, deeply di- vided into broad, rounded ridges, and is cHuSENU Gan of high commercial Guethird Heccwrs sea: value for the extraction of tannic acid. The leaves are simple, alternate, oblong, often rounded at the point, irregularly scalloped or wavy on the edge (not sharp-toothed as in chestnut), 5 to 9 inches long, and shiny yellowish green above, lighter and slightly fuzzy beneath. The fruit is an acorn about an inch long, oval, shiny brown, and enclosed up to half its length in a cup. It ripens in one season, and, like the acorn of the white oak, sprouts in the autumn soon after falling to the ground. The wood is generally similar to that of the other upland white oaks, heavy, hard, strong, and durable in contact with the soil. It igs extensively cut into crossties and heavy timbers for bridge, railroad, and other rough construction, and used for fence posts and fuel. 26 FOREST TREES DECREE SD HENGE OD HOKE -~ Blk AE ORR KGS HEE +O REG EE OO HEE SCARLET OAK (Qurcus coccinea Muench.) CARLET OAK, also known as pin, Spanish or spotted oak, occurs usually on dry, rocky, or sandy soils, throughout the uplands of the lower mountains, but is nowhere very abundant or of first importance. It usually reaches a height of 60 or 80 feet, with a trunk diameter of 2 or 3 feet, and is sometimes larger. The branches droop at the ends and form a narrow, open crown and the trunk tapers rapidly. The bark on young stems is smooth and light brown. On old trunks it is di- vided into ridges not so rough as those of the black oak and not so flat- ; topped as SCARLET OAK Twigonehalf those of Leaf, one-third natural size. natural size. the north- ern red oak. The bark is often mottled or spotted ° with gray. The inner bark is reddish. The leaves are simple, alternate, somewhat oblong or oval, 3 to 6 inches long, 214 to 4 inches wide, usually 7-lobed, the lobes bristle-pointed and sepa- rated by rounded openings extending at least two- thirds of the distance to the midrib, giving the leaves a very deeply “cut” appearance. The leaves turn a brilliant scarlet in the autumn before falling. The flowers are of two kinds on the same tree and ap- pear when the leaves are two-thirds or one-half grown. The fruit takes 2 years to mature. The acorn is one-half to 1 inch long, reddish brown, often striped, and about half-enclosed in the cup. The wood is heavy, hard, strong and coarse- grained . The lumber is sold as red oak and has the same uses. It is usually somewhat inferior in qual- ity and sometimes known as pin oak. Scarlet oak is used considerably in ornamental planting. 29 FAREST TREES | WHITE OAK (Quercus alba L.) ITHIN its natural range, which includes prac- tically the entire eastern half of the United States, the white oak is one of the most important timber trees. It commonly reaches a height of 60 to 100 feet and a diameter of 2 to 3 feet; sometimes it becomes much larger. It is found in a wide variety of soils. When grown in a dense stand it has a WHITH OAK Twig, one-half natural size. Leaf, one-quarter natural size. straight continuous trunk, free of side branches for over half its height. In the open, however, the tree develops a broad crown with far-reaching limbs. Well-grown specimens are strikingly beautiful. The leaves are alternate, simple, 5 to 9 inches long and about half as broad. They are deeply di- vided into 5 to 9 rounded, finger-like lobes. The young leaves are a soft silvery gray or yellow or red while unfolding, becoming later bright green above and much paler below. The fruit is an acorn maturing the first year. The nut is three-quarter to one inch long, light brown, about one-quarter en- closed in the warty cup. It is relished by hogs and other live stock. The bark is thin, light ashy gray and covered with loose scales or broad plates. The wood is useful and valuable. It is heavy, strong, hard, tough, close-grained, durable, and light brown in color. The uses are many, including con- struction, shipbuilding, tight cooperage, furniture, wagons, implements, interior finish, flooring, and fuel. Notwithstanding its rather slow growth, white oak is valuable for forest, highway and ornamental planting, 30 FOREST TREES > ROE DS HCH AE DEKE SO HEGRE e YELLOW POPLAR, OR TULIP TREE (Liriodendron tulipifera L.) Voc POPLAR, or tulip tree, received its names from the yellow color of its heartwood and its attractive tuiip-like flowers. It is one of the largest and most valuable hardwood trees of the United States. It occurs commonly throughout the State, but reaches its largest size in the deep moist soils along streams and in the lower moun- YELLOW POPLAR : Twig, two-thirds Leaf, one-third natural size. natural size. tain coves. As more commonly seen, it has a height of 60 to 100 feet and a diameter of 3 to 4 feet. Origi- nal-growth trees, however, attain heights of 150 to 190 feet and diameters up to 10 feet. Growing with a straight central trunk like the pines, and often clear of limbs for 30 to 50 feet, it has a narrow pyramidal head which in older age becomes more spreading. The tree has been extensively cut, but is reproducing rapidly and remains one of the most abundant and valuable trees in our young second- growth forests. It has been planted as on orna- mental and shade tree. ; The leaves are simple, 4 to 6 inches in length and breadth, 4-lobed, dark green in summer, turning to a clear yellow in the fall. The greenish-yellow tulip-shaped flowers appear in April. The fruit is a narrow light-brown, upright cone, 2 to 3 inches long, made up of seeds, each en. closed in a hard bony coat and provided with a wing which makes it easily carried by the wind. The wood is light, soft, easily worked, light yel- low or brown, with wide cream-colored sapwood. It is extensively cut into lumber for interior and exterior trim, vehicle bodies, veneers, turnery and other high-grade uses. FAREST TREES > BRR Ep E> RRO KKK aE D> PIRDKEGE REE OFA EE SD HOKKK SYCAMORE (Platanus occidentalis L.) HE sycamore, also called buttonwood, is con- sidered the largest hardwood tree in North America. It occurs throughout the State but is most abundant and reaches its largest size along streams and on rich bottomlands. It is one of the more rapid-growing trees. In maturity it occasion- ally attains a height of 140 to 170 feet and a diame- SYCAMORE Leaf, one-third natural size. Twig one-half natural size. ter of 10 to 11 feet. It often forks into several large secondary trunks, and the massive spreading limbs form an open head sometimes 100 feet across. The bark of the sycamore is a characteristic fea- ture. On the younger trunk and large limbs it is very smooth, greenish gray in color. The outer bark yearly flakes off in large patches and exposes the nearly white younger bark. Near the base of old trees the bark becomes thick, dark brown and divided by deep furrows. The leaves are simple, alternate, 4 to 7 inches long and about as broad, light green and smooth above, and paler below. The base of the leafstalk is hollow and in falling off exposes the winter bud. The fruit is a ball about 1 inch in diameter, con- spicuous throughout the winter as it hangs on its flexible stem, which is 3 to 5 inches long. During early spring the fruit ball breaks up, and the small seeds are widely scattered by the wind. The wood is hard and moderately strong, but decays rapidly in the ground. It is used for butchers’ blocks, tobacco boxes, furniture and in- terior finish. The European sycamore, or planetree, is less sub- ject to disease than our species and has been widely planted in this country for ornament and shade. 32 FOREST TREES > ho Ri ence D> Bho kn > Hi EE +E HIRI EE HE BLACK WILLOW (Salix nigra Marsh.) HE black willow is common along streams throughout the State except in the high moun- tains. It rarely comes to be over 50 feet in height and is frequently found growing singly or in clumps along the water courses. In winter the easily sepa- rable, bright reddish-brown or golden, naked twigs are quite conspicuous. The leaves are from 3 to 6 inches long and less than one- half an inch wide; the tips are very much tapered and the en- tire margins finely toothed. The leaves are bright green on both sides, turning pale yellow in the early autumn. ; The flowers are in catkins, \ the male and female on sepa- \ rate trees. The fruit is a pod bearing numerous minute seeds which are furnished with long silky down, enabling them to be blown long distances. The bark is deeply di- vided into broad, flat ridges which separate into thick plate-like scales. On old trees it becomes very shaggy. In color it varies from BE MELA light brown tinged Two-thirds natural size. + er Ty oe with orange to dark brown or nearly black. The wood is soft, light and not strong. A high grade of charcoal, used in the manufacture of gun- powder, is obtained from willow wood, and it is the chief wood used in the manufacture of artificial limbs. There are many species, or kinds, of willows not easily distinguished. They are of high value in checking soil erosion and waste along stream banks, for which purpose they should be more extensively grown. 34 FOREST TREES DREGE OD HEHS EE OD HEKO SO HOKE OMEN XK TABLE OF CONTENTS. 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