“333+ aes iat 7h *. th aE PRO SCIEN OISCIENT/A iets vial | 7 | CS Mi , : | | Me i B, ae i re Oe | i) if 7 ; p : ™ 1) Aree + Py A ip Aes J? COMMON Dik EES of New York ©By JOSEPH S. ILLICK A handy pocket manual of the Common and Introduced Trees of New York Presented to the Schools of New York By the Charles Lathrop Pack Forestry Trust Published and Distributed By The American Tree Association Washington, D. C. 1s a MOL? or “Tf the Nation Saves the Grees Che Crees will Save the Nation ” —CHARLES LATHROP PACK With acknowledgments to the United States Forest Service for the use of 14 Cuts, and to Dr. H. D. House, State Botanist of New York for helpful assistance in recording the local distri- bution of trees within New York. Helpful information on tree distribution was also found in “Trees of New York State” by Dr. H. P. Brown, of the New York State College of Forestry at Syracuse. TEN COMMANDMENTS OF THE TRAIL By HENRY WELLINGTON WACK, F. R. G. S. (Copyright, 1926) By Courtesy of Nature Magazine. FIRST. Use the By-Ways—not the Highways. SECOND. Don’t go Walking to beg a Ride. The Auto- riding Hiker is a Fraud. THIRD. Everything belongs to Somebody. Then respect all Private and Public Property. Be not the Author of its dis- placement, disfigurement or disappearance. FOURTH. Keep off Prohibited Ground. Neither fish nor hunt on Posted Land. Trespassers create bad will toward all Nature Lovers, Campers and Sportsmen. FIFTH. Leave Gates, Fences, Signs, Stakes, growing grain and crops as you found them. Walk around, never across, all planted fields. SIXTH. Pluck no wild flowers—they belong to all. Leave them for all to enjoy. Pick no cultivated Fruit. Resist the boyhood call of the Melon Patch! SEVENTH. Clear away twigs, leaves and pine needles down to moist earth, before laying a Camp Fire one foot square. Keep cook fires low, and less than one-fifth the size of the clearing. Large fires prevent cooking, but destroy forests. Only small fires are safe, quick and comfortable to cook with. Put camp fires out with Water, not with a kick. See that the peat or humus around the fire is not burning under- ground to destroy the woodland after you have left. A single spark may fly a hundred feet and burn a million trees. Arson is no greater crime than stupidity or neglect on the Trail. EIGHTH. Leave campsites clean; Burn all garbage; replace cut Firewood and Supplies found in camps. You are the Guest of an absent Host—not the vandal of a present oppor- tunity. Leave a note of thanks in a wilderness shelter you have used. Put it in order before you depart. NINTH. Silence, or speech in whispers, is the sign of trail experience and good woodmanship. Only fools and asses bray in a Forest. TENTH. When you leave a beautiful Woodland or descend from a Mountain, stop, turn around, and gaze reverently awhile. Then thank God for the boon our Forests are to all Mankind. Treat Life’s Trail responsibly and keep it clean. To the seeing eye and the generous soul, Nature’s beauty— her mysteries and charm—forever call us to her Trails! This handbook aims to open the pathway to the delightful study of trees, and to help fashion a right attitude toward the green and glorious out-of-doors. It was prepared to satisfy a growing demand, particularly among the young folks of the State, for interesting and helpful informa- tion about the common trees. Each year a greater number of boys and girls go out into the fields and forests to take part in some outdoor program of education. To be able to participate in such a wholesome and practical program of education is to enjoy one of the greatest educational privileges ever made available to the young folks of any land. The inspirational and descriptive sec- tions of this book are offered to its readers to study, because a true appreciation of trees and a correct working knowledge of them will go far to guarantee a sound pro- gram of forest conservation, one of the most vital economic problems now confronting the American people. All the common trees native to this State and a number of introduced trees are described in this handbook. A few of the less common trees had to be omitted. Whoever becomes acquainted with the trees treated in this handbook will have a good working knowledge of the trees of the State and be prepared to appreciate their import- ance in everyday life. FOREWORD By CHARLES LATHROP PACK, President of the American Tree Association WASHINGTON, D. C. se GOOD THINGS must be known to be appreciated. There are many things so common in our daily lives that we accept them with little thought. So much a part of our existence they are that they become, perhaps, little known and often less appreciated. Trees run this risk. Shading us, protecting us, purifying our water supply, furnishing the homes that are built from them, providing the paper we use and serving us in thousands of ways, trees deserve to be known and to be appreciated. Without them existence would be worth little. Our country is the greatest in the world. In wealth, in standards of living and in comforts it stands alone. Nature endowed it with boundless resources. We have taken this wealth and built a great nation. The trees in our forests have been our greatest resources; they have made possible what has been accomplished. When our forefathers came to this vast land it was cov- ered with nearly nine hundred million acres of forest. To- day only one-fifth of this immense resource remains. A quarter of a billion acres of this original forest are growing young trees, many of little value. More than eighty million other acres whose destiny is to produce forests alone, are pro- ducing nothing. Of what remains to us of our forests, we are using four times as fast as we are allowing or helping Nature to replace. That is the situation with our forest. One tree or one hundred trees do not make a forest. But one tree stands for the forest. We send one man to our Congress to speak for thousands. We can plant a tree in our dooryard and let it speak for millions. This is the problem of today. It is a problem that the citizens of tomorrow will have brought home to them. They will need to know the trees to meet it. This little book is the personal story of the trees that grow commonly in the soil of our State. It is the story of the trees whose forefathers peopled the great majority of the acres of our State. They are your trees; citizens of your State; companions of your life; servants of your comfort. Knowledge of trees is more than a duty of good citizens. It is a joy to the one who has this knowledge. The tree is a 6 COMMON TREES living thing. It grows as we grow. It pushes upward as we should push upward in life. It spreads its branches out- ward, as we should spread the branches of our minds, broad- ened by experience in life. The tree is a constant lesson to humanity,—a lesson in erectness, in courage, in dignity and in steadfastness. It serves us in thousands of material ways, so should we know it that it may serve us in human ways as a guide and a friend. Throughout our great country our future citizens are everywhere widening their acquaintance with trees. Through various organizations, as well as the schools, they are dis- covering the happiness that this knowledge brings. This little book will serve as a letter of introduction to the common trees in your yard, on your street, in the woodlot on the edge of the city and in the young forest beyond. You can use it freely and many times. It will give you the knowl- edge that leads to appreciation, and this will lead to enjoy- ment even beyond expectation. TREES AND NEW YORK By J. R. SIMMONS, Secretary-Forester, New York State Forestry Association OU are about to read a little book the like of which has not been presented to the people of New York; a text in popular form which undertakes as its subject the unit upon which forestry is based, and without which unit in the aggregate of natural resources, New York would never have been called the Empire State. That unit is the tree. If you have never before understood the basic reasons for the great conservation movement that is in progress today in this and other states, or why the leaders in this field have given so great a portion of their time, means and mental and physical strength to this cause, you are about to be enlightened through a medium that goes directly to the un- derlying principle in a scientific and entertaining manner. Here will be found an intimate story in the nature of a-life history of every variety of local tree that yields timber, that feeds and shelters a bird, that produces grateful shade for man, or that graces a pleasing landscape. The more thoughtful of the people have entered upon a campaign for the perpetuation of forests. The term forests is very broad, but has served the purpose to the extent of developing constructive programs somewhat in advance of a needed popular study of species and their uses. Something OF NEW YORK 7 in the nature of immediate programs of work have been a necessity to save our rapidly diminishing forests. Now the time is at hand for a popular text covering in detail the life, habits and uses of trees, those materials out of which our structure of forest conservation is to be built. You will begin the study of this book as a public duty, and will find it a personal pleasure; you will learn about the trees of your State, and will appreciate more fully the heri- tage you possess; you will join that tree-planting army which you have already heard more or less about, and will have increased the scope of your usefulness as a good citizen. A timely word at all times in favor of conservation is a habit worth cultivation and one which will not in any sense upset the economics or politics of the commonwealth. Read, therefore, and be prepared to say that word, in an intelligent and convincing manner. And then, ‘‘Say it with trees!”’ FORESTRY IN NEW YORK—PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE By NELSON COURTLANDT BROWN, Acting Dean New York State College of Forestry at Syracuse University YES Hendrik Hudson first cruised up the river which now bears his name, and the early Dutch settlers pushed westward along the Mohawk Valley, they found one of the finest primeval forests to be seen anywhere. The entire State of New York was then covered with a magnifi- cent primal forest—-great stands of beautiful white pine thronged the Hudson Valley and central and southwestern parts of the State. The great Adirondack and Catskill regions were crowned with heavy forests of red spruce, white pine, and hemlock. Interspersed with them, and throughout the remainder of the State, were beech, birch and maple. In the southern and central parts of the State there were chestnut, many varieties of oaks, ash, elm, basswood, etc. In 1850 New York was the great center of lumber produc- tion and Albany was the greatest lumber market. The heavy cutting went on until in 1926 New York State was the 27th on the list of lumber producing states. It then spent yearly from sixty to eighty million dollars for freight to bring lumber from the South and Northwest. It could and should grow most of its needed forest products within the State. 8 COMMON TREES On the other side of the picture there are four million acres in “‘slacker’’ or idle lands which should be planted with growing forests. Agricultural economists tell us that we have abandoned farm lands from 1880 to 1920 at the rate of 100,000 acres per annum. From 1920 to 1927 the rate of abandonment was 260,000 acres per annum. This means that it does not pay to farm some of the land that was cleared by the early settlers. This also means that these idle lands should be growing trees—should be made productive so that the economic welfare and prosperity of the State be continued into the future—also that the beauty of the landscape and our hillsides may be preserved. The Conservation Commission at Albany a long time ago saw the future of forestry in New York State, and began the policy of growing and selling little trees at cost to the people of the State to plant on these idle acres. A few years ago they distributed them in great numbers—as many as 10.000,000 in a single year. Now in 1927 there are 30,000,000 little trees available for the schools, Boy Scouts, villages, counties, lumber companies and others to plant on these idle acres. There is not a county in the State that has not thousands of acres of land that should be planted, out- side of the crowded metropolitan centers. There were in 1926 in this State’s tree nurseries 90,000,000 little trees that will be available for planting in the future. These are white pine, Norway or red pine, European and American larch, Norway spruce, Scotch pine, white cedar and balsam fir. Many schools and Boy Scout organizations have enlarged the Arbor Day idea from planting one or two trees, etc., about the school grounds to planting several thousand trees on some idle land about the villages or along the streets or in vacant lots, to make a more pleasing picture for passing motorists, to provide welcome shade in the hot summer days, and to. perhaps grow Christmas trees or much needed wood or lumber. Two husky young boys can often plant from eight hun- dred to a thousand trees in a single day. Many schools in Ot- sego, Chenango, Albany, Onondaga and other counties have already done splendid work in planting trees. Every school in the State should help in this great conservation move- ment. ‘The boys and girls will grow up with the trees and understand and appreciate what the forestry movement means to the welfare of the people of the State. It is something that young and old alike can do. Let everybody help to plant more trees! OF NEW YORK 9 HISTORIC TREES OF NEW YORK STATE By J. R. SIMMONS, N HISTORIC TREE is one near which, or ‘“‘beneath whose shade’ some event of importance in the life of the State or Nation took place. But we have come to consider that this definition should include those trees that have been associated with noted personages; that commemorate hon- ored dead; or that have grown to such great size that they evidently deserve to be classed as historic on account of the things they have seen and heard. Historic trees, indeed, are our only living witnesses of all that has transpired on this continent since Columbus discovered America. From the branches of an Elm that still stands in the City of Rome, N. Y., near the geographical center of the State, the American flag was first unfurled in battle. This tree ade- quately measures up to the general definition, and in addi- tion to this it possesses size, symmetry and great beauty. The Witenagemot Oak, signifying “‘an assemblage of the wise,’ is typical of the second division of historic trees— those associated with noted people. This tree is near Schagh- ticoke, Rensselaer county, and marks the spot where the Board of Indian Commissioners, headed by Governor Andros and the militia of the King of England, assembled to confirm the link of friendship between Indian tribes and to strengthen the alliance between the Fort Albany Militia and their scouts. The trees planted in various parts of the State as memorials for heroes of the Great War typify the historic trees of a third division. A good example is furnished by the four parallel rows on the Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn. But many other planted under the auspices of the American Tree Association might be named as evidence that the tree has come to be recognized as one of the most beautiful and most permanent of monuments, and that trees planted for heroes are classed as historical. Most of them bear a bronze marker. Tree which for sheer size and beauty have become historic, and which make up the fourth division, are best represented by the Gowanda Elm, New York’s greatest tree, and by the enormous Balm of Gilead Tree at Balmville near the City - 10 COMMON TREES of Newburgh. The Gowanda Elm is 39 feet in circumfer- ence near the ground, and perfectly cylindrical and without limbs up to 50 feet from the ground. At that height it is 20 feet around. The tree is 100 feet high and contains 17,000 board feet of lumber—sufficient to make 1,800 bar- rels. The old Balm of Gilead at Balmville, N. Y., is 25 feet in circumference, and is recorded in the annals of New York as far back as 1640 at which time a spring of sparkling water issued from its base. New York contains no less than twenty-five trees or groups of trees that should be recorded as historic. If to these we might add all of the memorials that have been planted during recent years our records would fill an entire volume. The writer on historic trees, therefore, faces a diffi- cult problem, for who would wish to offend by omission of its name and place, one of these faithful friends of a Nation! For the purposes of this book we shall seek to set down in concise form a record of New York’s outstanding trees. To those that have been omitted we can but express an apol- ogy that is reverent and humble, and that differs entirely from any expression of regret that we might wish to offer to those persons who are now related to the trees in the way of ownership. But to the owners we would say, ‘‘Let us have any records in your possession, to the end that we may assist in their preservation and foster a national regard for historic trees.”’ As a matter of record mention should be made of two very interesting contests conducted in this State for the pur- pose of locating the largest trees and those known as historic. The first contest was organized by the State College of Forestry at Syracuse and the New York State Forestry Asso- ciation in 1921, and the results published in New York For- estry by the New York State Forestry Association, Albany, Nutr. The second contest covered historic trees, and was con- ducted by the College of Forestry. The attached list indicates the result of the original con- test, the prize for the largest tree going to the Gowanda Elm: OF NEW YORK’™ 11 HISTORIC TREES OF NEW YORK Name of Tree Location Historic Connections Balm of Gilead..... Balmvyillejcc ee cae .»+Marked fork in roads, 1640. Caledonia Elm.......Caledonia ........... Marked meeting place of Iroquois on Albany-Niagara Trail. Canandaigua Balm of rh ( Gilead................Canandaiguea ........From a riding whip planted by Mary : Kibbe, daughter of a pioneer. One of the largest trees in N. Y. Girth, 28 feet. Council Elm ........ Johnstown........... Site of Indian Council, 1772. Fort Stanwix Sapling.Rome............... Aine rienn flag first flown from tree, Gowanda Elm ....... Gowandashissas5 aes: New York’s largest tree. Hitchcock Button- PE OUe ete rec eik Lebanon Springs ....Sprang from cutting set by Capt. Jas. Hitchcock on journey to this place ‘‘to drink medicine waters.” King Philip Oak ..Schaghticoke ........ Associated with King Philip’s Wars. Lafayette Tree.......Geneva ............. Spot where Lafayette was welcomed. Monument Tree .....Cobleskill ........... Massacre by Brant, 1778. Pioneer Elm........ Ballston Lake.......Site of cabin of first white settlers. Seythe Tree..........Schaeffer Farm, Seneca county....Contains scythe blade of J. W. John- son of Waterloo, killed in Civil War. Smithfield Presby- terian Oak....... oe Omithfield........... Service held here by Whitfield, 1770. Sir Wm. Johnson Walnut ...... seseeeeLake George ........ Johnson made Commandant under tree. Tree in Five Places.................0000. Stands at corner of Oswego and Cayuga counties and at corner of three town- ships. Tree of Peace...... Schaghticoke ........ Planted by Governor Andros and Indian Commissioners. Twelve Apostles......74th St., Brooklyn..These trees bear dates cut in 1710. White Plains Oak...White Plains........ Commemorates purchase from Indians. White Plains..... sie se SYCAMOLEs.< oe cic wets Stands near Washington headquarters. Washington Tree... .Pauling ............. Site of Washington headquarters. LARGEST TREES OF NEW YORK Name and Address Species Circumference Charles J. Richards, The Gowanda News: (Gowandiy (NG Ves « ocibetecs ose ole Elsie creer inlsioieloretsvere 34 ft., 2 in. W._S. Funnell, Editor of Inquirer, Blenipstead Piss Fou ccaies rele sates cistron ale Chetry 5 x:2 dies serene 14 ft., 4in. iW. G> Markliam, Avon, N. Y......... BGI eros evans ciate oie 18 ft. Dr. F. H. Wisewell, Phelps, N. Y..... ASNGEN) ciao sis staat iela ns 40 ft. (3 trees) H. D. Pixley & Son Coa., I ticasUNG Vioccieeisieia sieve sic.c's ais eieace'sis Bil raiy cin Sore ateratern vera tte 17 ft., 6 in. David M. Krick, 414 Plane St., New- ark, N. J. (Stony Brook, N. Y.)...... White Oak .......... 21 ft., 6 in. George Spraggon, 129 Main St., Ge- TIC VANWIN pan lo taiclata'a @ 6 oosso. oe aralelaveld: oi dceehs VLU a ever misters Aoi 25 ft. (3 in. from base) H. VY. Pratt, Wayland, N. Y. (Tree at Btaly Hollow ye voreranc'stssciecetais ie aieco's'e lee Beli ce svaiiareicrae cusses 24 ft., 10 in. (3 ft. up) Orville B. Ackerly, 243 West 34th St.nNa Ye Co (Stony Brook: Tree)... imc noses ceciieteetle 19 ft., 7 in. 2 COMMON TREES Name and Address Spectes Circumference A. E. McCall, The Bath Platndealer, Bath CN Ve icv iave lial ate als Brat b oie, ROL diese oe eyareeranarete James T. Fleming, Lafayette, N. Y. (Fulton) Chain) iio sei eratlatciaharsruatela Pine i ciis eva iatelstete eran Mrs. Louisa C. Lockwood, 36 South Broadway, White Plains, N. Y....... SY¥CAMOLC oie cairo stare Charles P. Russell, Williamson, N. Y...Balm of Gilead....... John L. Weyant, Yorktown, N. Y......White Oak.......... M. F. White, New Berlin, N. Y....... Blinioc caetentesinieletels Henry Treen, Waterville, N. Y....... Bele etecicidiocinieturerste Katharine G. Hanby, Sodus, N. Y..... Marjorie J. Jones, 7 Marvin St., Clin- CODS ING Niece eet ce alata hana eu ciara eae Bebo ios uacis sation ee Mr. Clare DeWitt, Montour Falls, IN BMWA pans ateielatietayielelves Eiocrait jolla pita Oak eet eiys venti ane William C. Gallagher, Slaterville Springs, N. Y. (McLean Tree)...... ed rn)s,cioesavclas o.cial eval dictate Wm. B. Krum, 207 First St., Ithaca, INA Mea alae eid avelavel ctuierattla ark praioetetene ie Ma eis kerceevat ete poravareters Willow fs des ieseieine Basswood ........... HE) Cea PSI CEASE Buttonwood ......... Horsechestnut......- THocust is: vosints cere ses Herman Haupt, Jr., E. Seatucket, L. I..Black Weinns alareitarere E. W. Blue, District Forest Ranger, i Old Forge, N. Y. (Oneida Co.)..... (Tree Dead) ........ O. Partridge, Gerry, N. Y............. Bilan acts eee ehalereiaverelale Mrs. A. H. Cropsey, Middleport, N. Y..Choke Cherry ....... H. T. Field, Oneida, N. Y., “Elm Broole: Farm7t iyi eavcistecutnoit te sinaciee ne Blin is oaeiodiae a ciew oon John E. Dilger, 909 Main St., New Rochelle, No O¥.. 2 sae somo bias Walnut ere rclale eters Bdrm) isetaisucieleis aiclacerate O. H. Westfall, Marion, N. Y......... Maples steicivciscisie icine Reuben E. Robie, Savona, N. Y....... Relymii Sievaioatvoteatels sieve C. T. Young, Ransomville, N. Y....... Bile Ae aeyaiece cay J. P. Reed, Clermont, N. Y........... Cottonwood ......... Elizabeth M. French, 653 W. Qnon- daga St., Syracuse, N. Y. (Mes- sengers\\ Bay)) ( dsjescre soe eee leleaane 1 Os WU A RA Ie H. F. Pellman, Hamburg, N. Y........ PO I ies de Geo. M. Salisbury, Phelps, N. Y....... Willow) ties. sisie si aiaces Mrs. B. Johnson, 125 Seneca Street, Syracuse; Ne Weed see aleloreratatsi ets SD am ee ietevaveena re lover Karli. ay, Trvings| (Ile) Yectscleiceeoe Blam eee erctere euelrate Mrs. Mary Cuddeback Britting, Hu- MiUeniot, IN) Mies yy icie lola atare eile: Sisiore'p wheres Chestnut sacle etree Robert Atkins, Esopus, N. Y.......... Chestamticyeials Gevet-}i2 Lewis E. Coe, Livonia, N. Y.......... Bile riaveleervel alate shavele/s Miss Isabel Conklin, The Palatine, Newburgh, N. Y. (Salisbury Mills)..Willow ..........--. W. L. Loope, Millerton, N. Y......... ake Re eee ste iaaes 4 Mrs. Raymond G. Miller, R. F. D. No. 1, Greenwich, N. Y..........00. Fel ana payable tena! ate G. M. C. Roberts, Henrietta, N. Y., FOL Le DOWD is sioje cielsiaistacctevelevete toile |sh oterpistorereretelelede/atelttele 21ft., 6 in. 15 ft., 4in. 13 ft., 9% in. (Historic) 18 ft., 7 in. 15 ft. 13 ft., 4in. 12 ft. 15 ft., 4 in. 8 ft., 2 in. 8 ft. 11 ft., 2 in. 20 ft. (base) 26 ft. (dead) 22 ft., 5 in. 18 ft. OF NEW YORK 13 EXPRESSIONS OF OPINION TREES EW subjects more quickly excite the interest of boys and girls at school than trees. Every child seems to have a natural aptitude for this study, born perhaps from an instinctive love of outdoor life in’ which trees play so important a part. That this should be the fact should prove an inspiration to teachers to cultivate in our youth an appreciation of the tremendously essential part trees play in our complex fife. ‘“‘Plant trees!’ should become a byword in the classroom, and every. effort should be made to stimulate and encourage and enhance this natural interest. The conservation of trees is vital to our well-being. “To denude. our forests means disaster from any number of sources; that is a patent fact. The preservation of our natural playgrounds is contingent upon the conservation of our trees. Apart from our dependence upon our trees for protection against flood, for surety of a lumber supply, for certainty of a yield of sufficient water for domestic and transportational needs, we must ever be mindful of the asset trees constitute in the beauti- fication and adornment of our immediate environment and our proximate and distant horizons. ALFRED E. SMITH, Governor of New York State. FORESTS AND THE STATE REES, which are indispensable to human comfort and well-being the world over, are intimately associated with the home. In masses they _ form the forests that yield timber for building, for furniture and a variety of other uses, pulp for the making of paper, and wood for pur- poses almost beyond numbering. Upon this practical basis, the value of our tree can be measured in terms of the number of dollars’ worth of products that they will yield. If wisely utilized, they can be made to supply our needs without destroying the initial estimated value. Today we see our forests with clearer vision than in the past. They are the protection, the home, and the sustenance. of a wonderful variety of wild life. In their shade is the source of waters, the home of wild flowers, shrubs, countless birds and other forms of animal life. Measured by their indirect influence upon ‘the lives of those who enjoy the recrea- tional advantages that trees afford, and this includes almost our entire population to a greater or less degree, the total value of our shade and forest trees cannot be adequately computed by ordinary monetary stand- ards. . This recreational value is perennial and perpetual. Its blessings are bestowed upon us year after year in increasing measure as we seek them, and will continue through generation after generation in so far as our trees and forests are protected and multiplied. If we will but know our trees, learn to love them, and stimulate this interest in others, the future of our forests is secure. We can pass on to the next generation no greater heritage than these forests, properly conserved and augmented by intelligent reforestation. FRANK PIERREPONT GRAVES, President of the University of the State of New York and State Commissioner of Education. EVERY BOY SHOULD KNOW TREES Every regular Dad should want his boy to know trees; in order to help the boy, Dad must know the different varieties of trees: any book that will help Dad to this information should reflect itself in the boy if 14 COMMON TREES Dad is, as he should be, a chum and companion to the boy. Regular Dads teach their boys thru long walks in God’s great out-of- doors laboratory, many of Nature’s mysteries. Trees, as forest cover for wild life; trees, as protectors of our hillsides from erosion; trees, as retarders of the run-off from the rains; trees, as helping to keep our streams more even in their flow; trees, as keeping more water all the time in our streams. Therefore, more and better swimming holes, better skating, better fishing. Let’s be regular Dads and each year go into partnership with Sonny in planting trees on some idle acre. To the tomorrows, made better for the children of the tomorrows, by idle acres set to work growing trees for Sonny, is a part of my mission, for I want to be a regular Dad. How about you, Daddy? JOHN D. CLARKE, President, New York State Forestry Assn. FORESTS FOR RECREATION One of the fundamental things in forestry and in deriving the greatest pleasure from out-door recreation is to be able to identify what we observe. THE COMMON TREES OF NEW YORK ought to be a great stimulus to all the people who are interested in out-door life, in having some sort of a pocket guide that will enable them to identify our com- mon trees. This publication will also do much to interest and instruct people along forestry lines, because when we have identified a tree we will com- mence to think of why we get different species of trees on different char- acters of soil and we will want to learn why trees grow in mixture and why some trees develop one way and other trees grow along other lines. It is going to open up a great new field of Nature study to a great many people, and it is not only going to result in their obtaining knowledge in this, to them, new Nature field, but it is going to interest them more in outdoor life and make them think of the uses of forests, the protection of forests from fire and from disease and no doubt lead them to the study of the growth of trees, the question of reforesting idle lands and other things that go along with real forest development. ) \Cak. PETTIs, Supt. Division of Lands and Forests, (My. Pettis died on January 29, 1927) EVERYBODY SHOULD LOVE TREES “In the corner of my dooryard is a maple tree said to be the largest maple in the State. You would be surprised how many persons stop to look at that tree and wonder about its age. The tree men who repaired it recently said it was two hundred and fifty years old. “‘Have you ever thought about the story such a tree could tell if it had the power of vocal expression? It would speak about George Wash- ington and the Continental Army passing along that roadside. It would speak about the British Army. It would tell marvelous tales of the Indians. There is romance as well as war associated with its shade. Unnumbered thousands of birds have nested in its branches. “Everybody should be a friend of the woods. Good health is to be had by walking under the trees. Good eyesight is to be developed by gazing into their branches. Good thoughts will be cultivated by the calm and peace of the forest. ‘We should plant trees along the highways. We should shade our homes with beautiful trees. They are an inspiration to everybody.” HON. ROYAL S. COPELAND, U.S. Senator from New York. OF NEW YORK 15 THE WOODS tal is the boy with spirit so low who upon hearing the name Robin Hood does not long to go to the woods; and where is the girl who upon hearing the name Gene Stratton Porter, does not wish to go out among the beauties of nature. ‘There is only one way for boys and girls to satisfy this longing for the out-of-doors and that is to get ready, go out into the open, and there fill up on the many good things that nature holds ever ready to give to us. The forest is much more than a grouping of trees. It is a complex community of living things. Associated with the trees are shrubs, wild flowers, ferns, fungi, mosses, and many other plants. And among this varied plant life live the birds, the deer, the rabbits, the snakes, the squirrels, and a long list of other animals. All these living things are a part of the forest. To know the forest fully means that we know these wonderful creatures of a great creation. Blessed is the boy and the girl who can go out into the woods and learn the many interesting and useful lessons that a woods envir- onment makes available. There is no better place for summer play than among the trees. A tree environment is the best place to seek adventure, to become handy and hard, to see beauty, to think quietly, to walk reverently, to become acquainted with trees, flowers, and ferns, and to study the feathered folks and their furred friends. But we cannot have these privileges unless we care for our forests. It is a sad story, but only too true, that the forests have been swept with haste from the face of the civil- ized world. Few original forests, except those out of reach, are now left. It is time to begin a constructive occupancy of the earth. To exist as a Nation, to prosper as a State, and to live as a people, we must have forests. But to have them we must do our part in rebuilding the wrecked and wasted forest areas that now abound everywhere. Forest fires must be stopped. More and better trees must be produced. Existing forests must be handled more wisely. Idle forest land must be put to work. Unless these and many other necessary things are done, forest restoration will not move forward. Our forest slogan should be, ‘‘Let’s have good forests and get them now.” If you want to do an act of kindness—Protect the Forests. If you want to do an act of faith—Plant Forest Trees. If you want to prove that you are unselfish—-Devote Y ourself to the Woods. 16 COMMON TREES THE TREES REES are much more than columns of wood that lift their heads toward the sky. They are living and friendly creatures of a great and wonderful creation. They are glori- ous nature-made objects, surpassed only by him who walks among them in living beauty and thinking grace. They are the earth’s fairest cloak, designed primarily for a life of service and to broadcast happiness and bring comforts to the people of the earth. The botanist tells us that ‘‘a tree is a woody perennial plant having a single main stem commonly exceeding 10 feet in height and usually devoid of branches below, but bearing a crown of branches and foliage at the summit.” This may be a good descriptive definition of a tree, but it does not really tell us what trees are. To really know trees we must have a knowledge of more than the length of their trunk, the position of their crown, and the distinctive characteristics of their bark, branches, twigs, buds, leaves, flowers, fruit and other structural features. Trees are living things, and in their lives are more interesting and worthwhile lessons than in their structures. The lives of trees unfold to us beautiful messages and fashion an attitude of tree apprecia- tion without which tree knowledge is soulless. There is a human as well as a material side to trees. They do so many things that man doeth. To say that they breathe, eat, drink, grow, reproduce, work, and rest is naming only a few of their common functions. They have habits, pos- sess peculiarities, and are adaptive to the environment in which they live. All these attributes place them among the most interesting living things on the face of the earth. Many a time have I been impressed with the quiet and natural ways of trees and their clean and normal lives. It will ever be to our credit if we too can grow, live and give in the same quietness and naturalness. ‘Then, too, they stand erect, reach high, root deep, and do many good deeds. In many ways the acts of trees are worthy patterns for all of us. If our lives give shelter, pleasantness, and relief as do the trees, they will bring blessings and comforts in growing abundance. OF NEW YORK 17 TREES ARE OUR FRIENDS "F°REES LIVE TO GIVE. Whenever we look at a tree we should think it has some gifts for us. If the gifts are not wood or food, shade or shelter, they may be one of a long list of other good things we need in our everyday life. Trees are such commonplace things that we often overlook their full service to us. Let us pause just long enough to list a few of the things our tree friends do for us: Trees make a great contribution to the world’s beauty. They pay beauty dividends every day. No place is complete without them. A home without trees is charmless. A road without trees is shadeless. A park without trees is purpose- less. A town without trees is cheerless. A country without trees is hopeless. . Trees give us shade and shelter. Beneath their friendly branches man has found refuge from the scorching sun and the angry winds. Today, as in ages past, man seeks the shade of friendly trees to write and enjoy what others have written. Some of the world’s greatest thoughts were born in the soft shades of friendly trees. Wherever I see trees shading occupants of benches in our city parks as they shel- ter the lambs that gather at their feet in the pasture, I think of their friendliness. Trees help purify the atmosphere. They give out enor- mous quantities of oxygen through the tiny openings in their leaves. In this way they help make and maintain the pure air we need to keep us alive. Trees help supply us with wholesome water.. The best drinking water comes from the springs that flow from tree- covered watersheds. The pure water that trickles out from among the roots of trees is a great factor in maintaining the health of our people. Trees safeguard us against drought and protect us against raging floods. They increase the low water runoff in sum- mer and decrease the high water runoff in early spring. Trees feed, shelter, and give homes to the wild animals of the forest, particularly the birds. 18 COMMON TREES Trees give us rich food. Every boy and girl remembers the delicious chestnuts, walnuts and hickory nuts from trees. The cherries, apples, pears, and the tasty persimmons are also among our favorite fruits. Trees enrich the soil. Their leaves, upon falling to the ground, are a big factor in maintaining the fertility of our soil. Tree-enriched soils make possible the production of many of the necessary crops of life. ‘Trees give us a wonderful environment for play. There is no better place to play and rest than among the trees. The lap of a tree is the most comfortable and attractive rest- ing place on the face of the earth. Clean, outdoor play grounds make clean young hearts. The right use of leisure is as vital to good citizenship as the right use of toil. Trees supply us with wood, which is one of the most necessary things of life. We use it every day. We cannot get along without it. It is essential to our welfare and our life. Not all the good things that trees do for us have been listed. There are many other ways in which they help us. Enough benefits have been recorded, however, to convince every boy and girl and their teachers, that trees are truly among our best helpers and greatest benefactors. WITHOUT TREES ITHOUT TREES this would be a dreary and uncomfort- able world. Trees are among nature’s best gifts, but they are so common that we do not half appreciate their shade and beauty. We partake of their food and wood as a matter of course. Oft it is with trees, as with friends; we do not appreciate their real value until we have lost them. What would we think and how would we feel if some powerful dragon would rush through our streets and about our countryside and over-night destroy all the trees. Then, as never before, would we think of their gifts and realize how intimately they serve us. Without trees man would be without many indispensable things of life. Without trees the birds, squirrels, and many other wild folks would be homeless. Without trees many oF NEw York Tne of the choicest wild flowers and ferns would be without a sheltering canopy. Without trees the whole balance of nature would be destroyed and human life imperiled. Man cannot get along without trees. Apart from their practical value, they make for better manhood and woman- hood by inspiring cleaner thoughts and higher ideals. “The spiritual value of loving them and being with them is beyond estimate. If we want to continue as a happy people and a prosperous nation we must see to it that we have plenty of thrifty and healthy trees. This is our civic and social duty. Treeless lands are as cheerless as creedless countries are hope- less. THE PARTS OF A TREE HEN we look at a tree we can recognize in its makeup three principal parts. They are the roots, the stem, and the crown. The roots comprise that part of a tree that is usually found below the ground. Our common trees have two general type of root systems, namely, shallow- rooted and tap-rooted. Such trees as the spruces, the hem- locks, and the pines have roots that tend to spread and lie close to the ground. These shallow-rooted trees are, as a rule, not windfirm. Other trees, such as the hickories, the oaks, and the walnuts develop a long taproot. These trees are firmly anchored and rarely uprooted. Roots have three main lines of work. They anchor the trees to the ground, absorb water from the soil, and trans- port water to the stem. Without roots, trees could not stand up, and without roots trees would starve for they supply water and food to the stem, branches, twigs, leaves, and other parts of the crown. The principal work of the big roots near the stem is to help the trees stand up, while the fine root hairs at the end of the rootlets are the ones that absorb the water from the soil. The stem of a tree, also called trunk and bole, is the main axis extending from the roots to the crown, or to the tip in case of an unbranched stem. ‘Tree stems show a wide range in form. ‘They range from long to short, straight to crooked, and from erect to prostrate. An examination of a cross-section of a stem will show three principal parts— bark, wood, and pith. In the central part of the stem is the pith. About it is the wood, which in many trees can be divided into the darker heartwood and the lighter sapwood. Between the wood and the bark is a thin layer known as the cambium. This is the most vital part of a tree, for it is here that all new wood and bark are made up. When a tree 20 COMMON TREES is girdled, the ring of cambium is severed.. This kills the tree, for the thin cambium layer is the life-giving part of the stem. The most valuable part of a forest tree is the stem, for in it is produced the wood that is used so exten- sively by man. ‘The principal functions of the stem are (1) support of the tree crown; (2) transportation of food and water; and (3) storage of food. During the winter months considerable food is stored in the stem for use early in spring when growth starts. \. The bark may be divided into two parts—the outer or dry bark, and the inner or living bark. The bark of some trees is very valuable. Some of their products are tannin, cork, dye, and other important commercial products. The bark is very helpful in identifying many of our common trees. The beech can always be recognized by its smooth gray bark, the shagbark hickory by its shaggy bark, and the paper birch by its white bark which peels off in thin papery scales. Other trees also have very distinctive features. The crown of a tree is made up of many parts such as branches, twigs, buds, leaves, flowers, and fruit. The branches and twigs have many markings, such as lenticels (breathing pores), leaf-scars, and bundle-scars, which are helpful in recognizing trees. The buds are either opposite or alternate in their arrangement. “They are among the best tree features to use for the identification of trees in winter. In summer the leaves have the most distinctive characteristics. In using them in tree identification work, it is helpful to classify them into four major groups: (1) those with oppo- site leaves; (2) those with alternate leaves; (3) those with simple leaves; and (4) those with compound leaves. If this simple clasification method is followed, tree identifica- tion becomes easy and interesting. THE FOOD OF TREES W* KNOW that trees grow. They get bigger from year to year. In order that they can grow they must feed. The raw material out of which trees make their food comes from two sources—the soil and the air. The rootlets with their many small root-hairs absorb water and with it many food substances are held in solution. During the growing season there is a continuous flow of sap from the roots through the stem to the leaves, where it is converted into nutritious tree food. When the sunlight plays upon the granules of leaf green, tree food is manufactured. To make the food, water is brought from the stem through the leaf stalks into the leaves. Then a complex chemical process takes OF NEW YORK 21 UE EEIEEEEEEEEEREEEER! place. This. is the reason why leaves have been called the laboratory of the trees. The principal product derived from this process, known by the technical name of photo-synthe- sis, is starch. As rapidly as the food is manufactured in the leaves, it makes its way down through the cells of the twigs, branches, and the stem. A continuous stream of nutritious sap is moving downward. ‘The thin layer of cambium cells which encircle the tree then draws upon this food supply to build up new wood, bark, and other tree tissue. When there is an excess of food material it is stored in the roots, stems, branches, and twigs for later use. It is interesting to know that in making the starch, oxy- gen is a by-product. This explains why it is healthy to have green growing plants about us in daytime. Leaves prepare food only in daytime, and their output is the greatest in full sunlight, and is almost negligible during dark nights. This is the reason why we find the most luxuriant tree growth in moist, sunny, and warm regions. It is also worth know- ing that during the periods of the year when the leaves are not manufacturing food, the trees live upon a food supply stored up during the long and light days of summer time. THE ENEMIES OF TREES REES have many enemies. They are fighting for their lives all the time. There are 200,000 known kinds of insects that attack trees. It is estimated that caterpillars, beetles, borers, and other insects cause a loss of one hundred million dollars every year. Birds help us a lot in holding the insects in check. But they cannot wage war unaided. We must take a hand in this serious insect problem. When we think of tree enemies we must not overlook tree diseases, such as blights, rusts, and rots. They too are a serious menace. ‘These diseases affect the tree’s health, just as human diseases affect our health. Not many years ago the chestnut was the foremost tree in many eastern states. Now middle-size to large chestnut trees are very scarce. There is a good reason for this. In 1904 the deadly chestnut blight was imported from China. In twenty years it travelled over practically the entire range of the chestnut, killing trees by the millions. So far no practical method of control has been found. As a result of its destructive work the chestnut tree is rapidly vanishing. There are thousands of other tree diseases continuously at work holding back the growth of trees. And decay is always hard at work destroying the wood that the trees have built up. Trees must be kept strong and healthy so they can 22 COMMON TREES i throw off disease. To accomplish this we must keep our for- ests clean. Unless we do this we will pay an ever increasing price for lumber, and later on we will have no more forests to draw on. The greatest enemy of our trees is fire. ‘The carelessness of man is responsible for nearly all forest fires. With this in mind, let us consider a few of the things forest fires do. 1. Forest fires destroy the beauty of the woodlands. 2. They destroy animal and plant life. 3. They destroy tree seeds and seedlings that would grow into valuable stands of timber. 4. They kill an enormous number of promising young. middle-aged and old trees. 5. They consume large quantities of felled timber and other forest products. 6.. They destroy the leaf litter on the forest floor. 7. They impoverish the forest soil. Many bare and sterile hillsides are the result of repeated forest fires. 8. Forest fires open the way for the destructive work of insects, fungi, erosion, floods, and drought. 9. They frequently destroy buildings, crops, and fences, and occasionally homes. 10. They may also be responsible for the loss of human lives. There is no end to the damage forest fires do. They bring no good to anyone. In their wake we find waste and impov- erishment. ‘To prove our citizenship we must begin right now to battle this red foe. Every boy and girl should become a tree protector, and it would be well for the grown-ups to turn a heedful ear to the lessons of forest protection. If we want to continue as a nation of wood users we must become a nation of wood growers. To do this effectively we must wage a constant warfare against the foes of our friends—the trees. PRE- VENT FOREST FIRES—IT PAYS is a slogan that should be repeated over and over again until it becomes a household word, for everybody loses when our forests burn. WHAT FORESTRY IS Eo is the art of handling forest land in such a # way that it will be of the greatest service to man. This implies a good working knowledge of forest trees, for they are the principal members in the make-up of the forest. A OF NEW YORK ye correct working knowledge of trees will go far to guarantee a sound program of forest conservation, which is one of the most vital problems confronting the people of our state. WHEN TREES GROW OST PEOPLE believe that trees grow from early spring Vi when the leaves begin to come out until the first frost when they start to. show their autumn color. That this wide- spread belief is not correct is now known. For instance in the latitude of southern Pennsylvania our native forest trees make 90 per cent of their height growth in 40 days of spring and early summer. Not all trees begin to grow at the same time. Some begin early in spring, while others delay starting their growth until late April or early May. The Wild Black Cherry starts about the first of April, while the Tulip Tree or Yellow Poplar does not begin until late in April, and the Norway Spruce waits until early in May. The fact that the different trees start their growth at different times may not seem strange, but where is the person who is not amazed to learn that the Sweet Buckeye has its whole height growth for the season completed in some regions by the tenth of May. For ten years the author has watched different specimens of this tree in Pennsylvania, and with no single exception all the height growth for the year was finished by May 10. This means that the height growth took place in 35 days in spring- time. An even greater revelation of this growth study was the fact that growth takes place by leaps and bounds. Periods of rest often occur between periods of growth. These rest periods may be long or they may be short. In this respect trees are not different from boys and girls who are willing to have long rest periods scattered freely among their work- ing hours. Several years ago, the author tagged a chestnut oak tree and measured its growth carefully. It began growing on April 17, and grew regularly until May 23. Then it began a rest period of 32 days. On June 24 it started to grow again and continued until July 13. If you figure out this tree's height growth you will find that at the beginning of the season it grew for 36 days, then rested for 32 days, and thereafter grew again for 20 days. During the first growth period it grew 10 inches—an average of about one-third of an inch per day, and during the second period 1314 inches— an average of more than three-fifths of an inch per day. 24 COMMON TREES This was one of the most interesting tree studies ever undertaken by the writer of this handbook. He hopes that many boys and girls will continue this study and help add to our tree knowledge. DO TREES BREATHE? iets TREES BREATHE is a firmly established scientific fact. Year after year, during night and day, in summer and in winter, trees inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. Trees breathe from the time they are seeds until they die. The leaves are often called the lungs of a tree. It is true most of the oxygen enters through little openings on the leaves. Most of these tiny openings are on the lower leaf surfaces. They have been given the technical name of sto- mata. On the leaves of some trees there have been counted as many as 100,000 openings on a square inch. These little doorways open to let in oxygen and to let out carbon diox- ide. Not all the oxygen is inhaled through the leaves, for some is taken in through little openings on the twigs known as lenticels. They can readily be recognized as pale to brown dots. On some trees, such as the birches, cherries, and sumacs, they are large and easily visible to the naked eye, while in other trees they are small and obscure. Trees also transpire, that is, give off water. We may call it perspiring or ‘“‘sweating.’’ When an excess amount of water is delivered to the leaves it is given off through small stomata, the same openings through which the trees breathe. This excess water is given off as an invisible vapor. Scientists have estimated that a big oak may transpire as much as 150 gallons of water during a single day of summer. HOW TO TELL THE AGE OF TREES Se TREES reach a great size and become very old, while others remain small and die young. A definite age limit cannot be set for each kind of tree, but for general use our common trees may be said to be long-lived or short-lived. Of our native trees, the White Oak, Button-wood, White Pine, and Hemlock are long-lived trees, and the Poplars, Willows, some Cherries, and a few Oaks are short-lived. Some of the Sequoias of California exceed the 3,000-year mark, and the big Cypress Tree of Tule growing in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico, has been estimated from 4,500 to 5,000 years and is sometimes spoken of as “‘the oldest liv- ing thing in the World.” OF NEW YORK 25 It is not always easy to tell the age of a tree. Sometimes . accurate written records are available. In other cases it may be possible to get a reliable verbal statement from one who knows exactly when a specific tree or a group of them was planted. In the absence of accurate records or reliable state- ments, the best way to tell the age of a tree is to count the annual rings on the cross section of the stem near the ground, and add to this count the number of years it took the tree to grow to the height at which the count was made. In case of a felled tree, the stump section is a good place to make the count. The number of rings on the top section, plus the number of years it took the tree to grow to the height of the stump, gives the total age of the tree, for each ring usu- ally represents a year’s growth. To determine the age of standing trees an instrument is in use known as an increment borer. By means of this borer a small core about 14 of an inch in diameter is taken from the stem, and rings thereon are counted. The results furnish a good basis for estimating the age of trees. It has proved very valuable to foresters in studying the growth of standing forest trees. There is another method that is helpful in telling the age of such trees as White Pine, which develop their lateral branches in distinct whorls or stories one above another. The distance between these whorls of branches normally represents a year’s growth. If the branches have fallen off or been removed, one can often see the circle of branch scars on the stems. By counting the number of sections between these separate stories of branches one can estimate very closely the age of the trees in question. The age of young hard- wood trees can also be told by counting the rings of terminal bud-scale scars upon the twigs and the slender stems. The portion of the twigs from the tip to the first ring of bud- scale scars is one year’s growth. The distance between the first and second rings is another year, and so on as far down the stem as these scars remain visible. Telling the age of trees is fascinating pastime. After you have been successful in telling the age of a few trees you will find yourself questioning the age of others. You will not have gone far in your study of the age of trees until you will be convinced that the age of young trees like that of children is far more easy to tell than that of grown-up trees. 26 COMMON TREES WHERE TO STUDY TREES a hats BEST PLACE to study trees is right where you are— if a tree happens to be near. If you are in a city and it is not convenient for you to go out into the woods, you can — study the trees on the home grounds, along the streets, or in the parks. Do not forget to get acquainted with the tree that may stand near your front door. Other satisfactory © places are fence rows, stream banks, waste places, abandoned fields and woodlots. But the best place of all to get an acquaintance with trees is out in the great forest stretches on the mountain tops and in mountain valleys. Out there the trees are so plentiful and look so natural. HOW TO STUDY TREES HE FIRST THING one usually wants to know about a tree is its mame. Each tree has two kinds of names—the common name and the scientific name. One of our best known trees has the common name of WHITE OAK. | Its scientific | name is Quercus alba. Some trees have five to ten or more common names. Whoever knows the common and scien- tific names of a tree has mastered the first step in tree iden- tification. There are a number of common ways to get acquainted with trees. Some students are fortunate enough to have good teachers who know the trees. When this is true, tree identi- fication is very easy. But there are other less fortunate ones who must study them from books. The study of trees is one of the purest delights of outdoor life. It is so pleasant, so fascinating, and so stimulating that it becomes a pastime of rare delight. To know trees is to love and protect them. In teaching our boys and girls about trees we will place in their possession an unafraid attitude towards the out-of- doors and thus instill into them the duty of preserving tree _ homes for our cheery bird friends ‘‘Whose habitations in the — treetops e’en are half-way houses on the road to Heaven.”’ Fortunate are the boys and the girls who can tell the names _ of trees, know the quality of their fruit, the fragrance of their _ flowers, the form of their leaves, the flavor of their twigs, the color of the bark, and the properties of their wood; especially whether the wood is tough or brittle, easy or hard © to chop and split into firewood. OF NEW YORK 27 THE PINES HE PINES are the most important group of evergreen for- est trees native to New York. In addition to the six native species, a large number have been planted within the State for ornamental purposes and for reforestation. The six pines native to New York are White Pine, Pitch Pine, Red Pine, Jack Pine, Short-leaf Pine, and Jersey or Serub Pine. The Pines can be distinguished from the other forest trees by their long needle-like leaves, which are grouped in clusters of 2, 3 or 5. Their leaves persist for 2 to 3 or more years. This places them among the evergreen trees, which contribute so much to the beauty of our rural landscape at all seasons of the year, especially in winter. In studying the evergreen trees of New York it is well to remember that Spruces have short, stiff, 4-sided needles which are attached to the twigs by a short brown stalk. The Bal- sam Fir and the Hemlock have short flat needles which appear to be arranged in two lateral rows. A close examination of the twigs shows, however, that they are arranged spirally about the twigs. Those of the Hemlock are marked with two white lines on the lower surface and attached to the twigs by short stalks, while those of the Balsam Fir are pale green below and without stalks. The leaves of the Arbor Vitz and White Cedar are scale-like, while the Red Cedar has both scale-like and awl-like leaves. “The American Larch is the only native conifer that sheds all of its leaves each autumn. Its short needle-like leaves occur singly on the twigs of last season’s growth and in clusters of ten or more on the spurs of the older growth. The following table will be helpful in getting acquainted with the New York Pines: Five needles in 4 cluster. =.=) White Pine Usually: three needles in a cluster____.____-______- Pitch Pine Two or three needles in a cluster___________ Short-leaf Pine Two needles in a cluster: a. Needles slender, 5 to 6 inches long..__..Red Pine b. Needles, slender, twisted, spreading, 114 to 3 inches long._Jersey or Scrub Pine c. Needles curved and twisted, 34 to i atinches longi e ke See a ai Jack Pine 28 COMMON TREES WHITE PINE Pinus Strobus, Linnaeus 0 ati is no tree in the World that surpasses the White Pine in beauty, stateliness, individuality, and usefulness. Reliable records show that the first American house was built of White Pine. : A It is the only evergreen tree native to eastern North America ‘WHITE PINE One-third natural size. . that has soft, slender, flexible, straight, bluish-green leaves grouped in clusters of five. They are 3 to 5 inches long and persist for 2 years. ‘ The cones are 5 to 10 inches long, short-stalked, narrowly cylindrical, rarely hang long on the trees. The cone-scales ~ are thin, flat, and without prickles. The trunk is straight, when grown in dense stands is clear of branches for many feet from the ground. The lateral branches occur in whorls of 3 to 7 arranged in horizontal layers. Upon falling they leave distinct circles of branch- © scars. The wood is soft, light brown, straight-grained, easily worked. It is used for a wider range of purposes than any American wood. The White Pine is native only to eastern North America. It is found from Newfoundland west to Manitoba and Min- nesota, southward to New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and IIli- nois and along the mountains to Georgia. Formerly it made — up a large part of the forests throughout New York, but in © many places it has been completely cut out. It is generally — distributed in the northern part of the State and in the Adirondacks up to 2,500 feet. In recent years it has been © planted widely in all parts of the State. White Pine is the most important forest tree in eastern North America and ~ probably in the World. OF NEW YORK 29 PITCH PINE Pinus rigida, Miller ITCH PINE has more common names than any other east- L ern pine. Some of them are Jack Pine, Hard Pine, Yellow Pine, Nigger Pine, and Black Pine. In pioneer days it was called Torch Pine and Candlewood Pine because the early settlers used pine knots from this tree for torches in their cabins, and for traveling out- of-doors at night. The leaves are 3 to 5 inches long, rather rigid, and occur in bundles of three. Sometimes two needles occur in a bundle. It is the only eastern pine that produces dense mats of nee- dies along the main stem. This PITCH PINE unusual growth is One-half natural size. often seen on open-grown specimens. The cones are egg-shaped, 2 to 3!4 inches long, some- times occur in clusters and persist for many years. ‘Trees loaded with thousands of cones are common. The bark is reddish-brown to black and breaks up into irregular plates which peel off in thin scales. It becomes thick early, which makes this tree the most fire-resistant ever- green in eastern North America. The twigs are golden brown, angled in cross-section, stout and brittle. The crown is usually irregular in outline and ragged in appearance. The wood is rather brittle, coarse grained, pale brownish- red with wide sapwood. It is used for railroad ties, mine timbers and general construction work. Pitch Pine is found from New Brunswick to Lake On- tario and south to Virginia and along the mountains to Georgia. This tree is generally distributed throughout New York on dry sandy soil below 1,500 feet. It is very common on Long Island, Staten Island, the hills of the Hud- son Valley, the plains between Albany and Schenectady, and around Oneida Lake. It extends northward to Plattsburg. It is an ordinary tree, rarely exceeds 70 feet in height and 2’ feet in diameter and well adapted to mountain soils. On exposed and windswept places it is usually small and stunted. It deserves good care and protection, for it pro- duces a fair grade of wood. 30 COMMON TREES RED PINE Pinus resinosa, Atton HE RED PINE, also called Norway Pine, is one of the most important pine trees native to North America. It has already won a front-rank place. As it becomes better known its real merits will be more fully appreciated. RED PINE One-half natural size. The leaves are straight, slender, flexible, 4 to 6 inches long and occur in pairs. They are usually tufted at the end of the branches and persist for 3 to 5 years. The cones are egg-shaped, about 2 inches long, usually without stalks. It has no spines or prickles on the cone- scales. The bark is thick, reddish-brown, marked with shallow furrows, peels off into thin scales. The twigs are stout and orange brown. The wood is rather hard, pale red, with thin light sap- wood. It is used for nearly all purposes for which White Pine is used. The Red Pine is a tree of the Northwoods. It is found from Nova Scotia south to central Pennsylvania and west to Minnesota. Recently a new outpost of this tree was found in Pendelton county, West Virginia. This is the most southern station where it occurs naturally. In New York this tree occurs locally throughout the Adirondacks and across the northern part of the State. It extends southward to the Helderberg and Catskill mountains and westward to the Genesse valley and the Finger Lake region. It is usu- ally found in open groves or scattered with other trees. The Red Pine rarely exceeds 70 to 80 feet in height and 3 feet in diameter. It has few enemies, grows rapidly, and if given care and protection will produce large quantities of © high quality wood. It is one of our most attractive evergreen | trees. Oe ae a ee — i ee ee eS ee ee eee OF NEW YORK 31 JACK PINE Pinus Bankstana, Lamb. 4 Nae JACK PINE, also called Gray Pine and Scrub Pine, is a slender trunked tree of the Northwoods, where it covers vast areas of barren lands and extensive sand dunes. The leaves are needle-shaped, 34 to 1% inches long, rather stout, generally curved and twisted, and occur in clusters of two The flow- ers appear in May and June. The staminate are arranged in crowded clusters at the base of the season's growth; the pistillate oc- cur in clus- ters of 2 to 4 on the new One-half natural size. growth. The fruit is an oblong, conical, strongly curved cone 114 - 2 inches long, without stalks, usually stands erect, and may persist for years. The cone scales are thick at apex and armed with small prickles, which usually fall off early. The twigs are slender, at first yellowish green, later dark purplish brown. On main stem the bark is dark brown, slightly tinged with red, and peels off into narrow scales. The wood is light, soft, weak, pale brown to orange. Sapwood is thick and whitish. It is used for pulpwood and manufactured into ties, slack cooperage, and lumber. The Jack Pine is a small forest tree, rarely exceeding 50 feet in height and 18 inches in diameter. Exceptional speci- mens reach a height of 70 feet. It is found from Nova Scotia westward to British Columbia and south through New England to New York, northern IlJlinois, Michigan, and central Minnesota. Its east and west range is 2,500 miles and its north and south extension is 1,500 miles. This tree is found locally in the sandy, barren soils of northern New York. It is nowhere abundant, but is rather common along the lower Ausable in Essex and Clinton counties. The Jack Pine is usually found on dry sandy soil and rocky ridges. It grows rapidly in youth, is well adapted to reclaim sandy waste areas, and serves well as a nurse tree for more valuable species. 32 COMMON TREES OTHER NEW YORK PINES HE SCRUB PINE (Pinus virginiana, Mill.) is a small to i medium-sized tree. It usually reaches a height of 30-40 feet and a diameter of 18 inches. It is a pioneer tree often found in abandoned fields and waste places, where it pre- pares the way for other more valuable trees. The leaves occur in pairs. They are 114-3 inches long, twisted, spread widely from each other. ‘The cones are nar- row, conical, sharp-pointed, 2-3 inches long, and persist for many years. The cone scales bear slender prickles. “Che twigs are smooth, purplish, tough, usually flexible. On older trunks the bark peels off in thin scales. The Scrub Pine is found from southeastern New York and north-central Pennsylvania to Georgia and Alabama and west to Texas. In New York it is reported only in the sandy soils in the western and southern parts of Staten Island. It prefers rolling uplands between the mountains and the lowlands. * * x * * * The Shortleaf Pine, also called Yellow Pine and Hard Pine (Pinus echinata, Miller), is primarily a tree of the south- land, where it makes its best growth at elevations of 400 to 1,500 feet, but it occurs as high as 3,000 feet. In New York this tree occurs in sandy, rocky, or barren soils of Staten Island. Formerly was found northward to Westchester county. The Shortleaf Pine has many characteristics in common with Pitch Pine, but the older trees can be distinguished by their cinnamon red bark, which divides in large rectangular blocks and peels off in numerous thin scales. Younger speci- mens can be identified by their pale bluish white to pur- plish brown twigs, which are circular in cross-section.. The twigs of Pitch Pine are heavier, golden brown, and angular in cross-section. It is a very valuable timber tree. x IA * * * The Scotch Pine (Pinus sylvestris, Linnaeus) is a native of Europe. It has been planted widely in the eastern United States. During the last 25 years it has been used exten- sively for reforestation purposes in New York and other eastern states. It is also common throughout the State as a specimen tree in ornamental plantings. The Scotch Pine can be distinguished from other pines by its reddish bark on the upper third of mature stems, and by its bluish-green needles, which occur in twos and are 214 - 3% inches long. Its conical, often lopsided, cones 114-244 inches long, and usually pointed backwards, are also distinc- tive. This introduced tree is easy to plant, grows rapidly, and yields good wood. Locally it is used as a Christmas tree. OF NEW YORK 33 RED SPRUCE Picea rubra, (DuRot) Dietrich @ leg RED SPRUCE, also called Swamp Spruce and Spruce Pine, is a small to medium-sized tree. It rarely exceeds 50 feet in height and 18 inches in diameter. The leaves are about 4 inch long, 4-sided, blunt-pointed, and yellowish-green. RED S ey One-half natural size. The cones are about 114 inches long, elongated, ovoid, and short-stalked. The cone-scales are reddish-brown, usu- ally with smooth margins. The bark is thin, close-fitting, and peels off into small reddish-brown scales. The twigs are light reddish-orange- brown, and usually coated with fine pale hairs. The wood is soft, usually white. It is used extensively in the manufacture of paper pulp and sounding boards for musical instruments. The Red Spruce occurs from Newfoundland west to Min- nesota, south to New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and along the Alleghenies to Georgia. This tree is common through- out northern New York and the Catskill region, and locally abundant southward to Hudson highlands and westward to the central part of the State. Wet, boggy places are its favor- ite home. Closely related to the Red Spruce is the Black Spruce— Picea mariana (Miller) BSP. The Black Spruce can be dis- tinguished from the Red Spruce by its blue-green foliage and its smaller cones, which are usually more persistent. The cone-scales are jagged along the margin while those of the Red Spruce are usually smooth. The Black Spruce is a transcontinental tree, extending from Labrador to Alaska and south to northern New Jersey, central Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. It is common in swamps and bogs across the northern part of New York, and found locally south- ward to Dutchess, Sullivan, and Delaware counties, and west- ward to Cattaraugus county. It prefers wet, swampy places, and is cut extensively for Christmas trees. PRUCE 34 COMMON TREES WHITE SPRUCE Picea canadensis, ( Mill.) BSP HE WHITE SPRUCE, also called Cat Spruce, is a vigorous and handsome tree of the Northwoods. It is distrib- uted widely, has a rather broad pyramidal crown, and reaches a height of 50 to 60 feet and a diameter of 1 to 2 feet. The leaves are awl-shaped, 4-sided, bluish-green needles, about 34 of an inch long. They persist forseveral years and are ill- scented y \\j when bruised. NX Nye 1 ey The fruit =) : is a slender, == oblong, cyl- riers Wh 8 Brea Ys stalkless cone from 1 to 2 inches - WHITE SPRUCE long. One-half natural size. The bark on old trunks is thin and light grayish-brown. It separates in thin scales. The twigs are grayish-green to orange-brown. The buds are light brown, broadly ovate, blunt-pointed, about 4 to % of an inch long. The wood is soft, weak, straight-grained and light yellow. It weighs about 32 pounds per cubic foot when dry, and is used chiefly for pulpwood. The White Spruce is a transcontinental tree. It is found from Labrador and Newfoundland to Alaska, and south through New England to New York, Michigan, Minnesota, and northern Montana. In New York this tree is common in moist woods in the northern counties. Locally it is abun- dant. It is common in most sections of the Adirondacks, found southward to Washington county, but not reported from Catskill region. Low damp woods, banks of streams and borders of lakes are its favorite home. It grows best - where the winters are cold. Under favorable growing condi- tions it makes a good growth and develops an attractive form. It is used locally in large quantities as a Christmas tree. OF NEW YORK 35 NORWAY SPRUCE Picea Abies, (Linnaeus) Karsten HE NORWAY SPRUCE is not a native of New York, but it has been planted so extensively for ornamental and for- estry purposes that it may be regarded as a naturalized tree. During the last 25 years many Norway Spruce trees have been planted in all parts of New York for ornamental and reforestation purposes. Ny ~ TEs! mathe a Su ‘i \ iy Pe NORWAY SPRUCE One-half natural size. The ue are 4 to 1 inch long, 4-sided, dark green, sharp-pointed, and attached to twigs by short and slender stalk-like projections of bark. The cones are 4 to 7 inches long, cylindrical without stalks or very short-stalked, usually hang down from end of branches. The cone-scales are thin, broad, reddish-brown, finely toothed along margin. No other New York spruce tree has such large cones. The bark on old trunks is roughened by rather large red- dish-brown scales. The twigs are light reddish-brown, roughened by projecting leaf-bases. On older trees they often assume a characteristic drooping or weeping habit. The wood is light, soft, white, straight-grained, easily worked. Heartwood and sapwood are not distinguishable from each other. It is used for paper pulp, interior finish, crates, and baskets. The Norway Spruce is native to middle Europe. It is the principal tree in the famous Black Forest of Europe, and prefers rich moist soil, and is rather tolerant of shade. It has been said that ‘‘the Norway Spruce is the best paying forest tree in the world.” 36 COMMON TREES AMERICAN LARCH Larix lacicina, (DuRot) Koch HE AMERICAN LARCH, also called Tamarack, is a north- ern tree. It stands out prominently among its associates because it sheds all of its leaves in autumn. | The leaves are flat, soft, slender and about one inch long. On the twigs of last season’s growth they occur singly; on the spurs of older twigs in clusters of ten or more. 8 The _ cones are among the smallest of any American tree. They average two-fifths of an inch in length, bear about 12 scales, and often persist for many years. The glossy brown twigs are without foliage in winter and covered with numer- ous stubby spurs. The bark on older trunks is reddish- brown and breaks up into small roundish scales. The wood is heavy, hard, and dur- able in contact with the soil. It is used for posts, poles, ties, and in ship building. The American Larch is found from Newfoundland south to northern New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and west to Minnesota an through British Columbia to Alaska. It occurs in swamps and other wet places throughout northern New York, south- ward to Dutchess county, central New York, and westward to Cattaraugus county. It rarely exceeds 50 feet in height and 2 feet in diameter. Wet places are its favorite home. The European Larch (Larix decidua, Miller) has been planted rather widely in New York. The latter has larger and usually erect cones, stouter and yellower twigs, and longer and more abundant leaves. AMERICAN LARCH One-half natural size. OF NEW YORK 37 BALSAM FIR Abies balsamea, (Linnaeus) Miller HE BALSAM FIR, also called Balsam, Fir and Blister Pine, is the favorite Christmas tree of the American people, and one of our most beautiful evergreen trees. Most people who have seen it have a lasting impression of its rare beauty. On” eek } . pepe WW INES sy BALSAM FIR One-half natural size. _ The leaves are flat, stalkless, blunt-pointed, 34 of an inch long, deep green on upper surface, pale green with two white lines on lower. surface. They are spirally arranged, but appear to be in two flat rows. It is a common practice to fill pillows and cushions with the fragrant leaves. The cones are 2 to 4 inches long, cylindrical in outline, stand erect on twigs. The cone-scales fall off shortly after maturing and leave only a bare cone-axis. The bark is smooth, grayish-brown, and dotted with pro- jecting balsam blisters. Upon puncturing them a clear bal- sam flows forth. The twigs are rather stout, grayish-brown and smooth. The buds are egg-shaped, blunt-pointed, glossy, one-sixth of an inch long, clustered at end of twigs. The wood is soft, pale brown, not strong nor durable. It is used chiefly for crates, boxes, and pulp. The Balsam Fir is a tree of the Northwoods. It is found from Labrador to Manitoba and Minnesota, south to Penn- sylvania and along the mountains to Virginia. In New York this tree occurs chiefly in swamps and peat bogs. It is common throughout the Adirondacks, the northern counties, and higher Catskills. It extends south to Dutchess and Dela- ware counties, and westward to Ontario and Cattaraugus counties. This tree is planted in all parts of the State as an ornamental tree. 38 COMMON TREES HEMLOCK Tsuga canadensis, (L.) Carriere HE HEMLOCK, also called Spruce Pine and Hemlock Gb Roath, is an important forest tree with a very pleasing and graceful appearance. As an ornamental tree it has few equals and as a timber tree it stands in the front rank. WF © \\ ONAN EZy py “id ie 7 “i) Ze VALS A SS VAS HEMLOCK One-half natural size. The leaves are flat, 14 of an inch long, rounded or notched at apex, dark green and glossy above, with two white lines on lower surface, joined to the twigs by short and slender woody stalks. They are spirally arranged, but appear as if arranged in two flat rows alongside the twigs. A third row of small leaves point forward on the top of the twigs. The cones are oblong, light brown, 34 of an inch long, short-stalked. They often persist throughout the winter. The cone-scales are about as wide as long. The outer bark is reddish-brown and scaly; the inner is cinnamon-red. If one takes a pocket knife and bores into the inner bark and finds it cinnamon red he has a positive distinguishing characteristic of this tree. The twigs are very slender, grayish-brown, at first hairy, and rough when needle- leaves are shed. The wood is hard, weak, brittle, liable to splinter and difficult to work. It is used for coarse lumber, boxes, crates and pulp, and the bark is rich in tannin. The Hemlock is found from Nova Scotia to Minnesota and south to New Jersey and Pennsylvania and along the mountains to Alabama. It is common on moist sites in nearly all parts of New York except Long Island and Staten Island. It is a shade-loving tree and not very windfirm. It usually reaches a height of 60 to 80 feet, but may become 100 feet high and 4 feet in diameter. OF NEW YORK 39 ARBOR VITAE Thuja occidentalis, Linnaeus HE ARBOR VITAE, also called White Cedar and Cedar, is one of the most widely planted evergreen trees in North America. It develops a conical symmetrical crown and usu- ally reaches a height of 25 to 50 feet. ARBOR VITAE One-half natural size. lap one another, are aromatic when crushed, marked with glandular dots. They are arranged in pairs. Each succeed- ing pair alternates with the next pair. The cones are oblong, 4 of an inch long, with 6 to 12 blunt-pointed, reddish-brown scales. The trunk usually divides near the base. The bark is grayish to reddish-brown, usually furrowed, and peels off into thin shred-like strips. The Arbor Vitae is found from Southern Labrador west to Manitoba and Minnesota and south to North Carolina. This tree is common on wet calcareous soils throughout northern New York. Locally it forms part of impenetrable ‘“‘cedar swamps.” It is rare southward to West Chester county, and westward to Lake Erie. More than 50 garden varieties of Arbor Vitae are known. Some of them, such as White Arbor Vitae and the Golden Arbor Vitae, are distinguished by their color. Among the commonest forms are the pyram- idal, the globose, the juvenile, and the pendulous form. Closely related to the native Arbor Vitae is the Oriental Ar- bor Vitae planted extensively throughout eastern North America. 40 COMMON TREES WHITE CEDAR Chamaecyparis thyoides, BSP HE WHITE CEDAR is exclusively a tree of the Coastal T Pain. In the southern part of its range it occurs in the swamps with bald cypress and swamp hardwoods, but more often is found in pure stands. Its straight trunks often stand in very close formation. The _ leaves are small, scale-like, blu- ish-green, 4-ranked, ~ \ over-lapping and en- tirely cover the slen- der twigs. The cones are near- ly round, about %4 of an inch in diame- ter. They mature in one year and contain from 4 to 8 winged seeds. The cone- scales are distinctly shield-shaped. The bark is thin, ranges in color from an ash-gray to light brown. It separates freely into loose shreddy scales. The wood is light, Gar ard rucaty alee soft, slightly fragrant and rather durable. These qualities recommend it for boat and canoe building, shingles, fence posts, poles, stakes, and rustic furniture. It is being substituted for chestnut tele- phone poles, since the supply of the latter is becoming scarce. The White Cedar ranges from Maine southward along the coast of Florida and. Mississippi. In New York this tree is found chiefly in swamps along the coast. It has been reported inland to Putnam and Orange counties. Some of the commoner ornamental varieties are the Golden White Cedar and the Blue White Cedar. Closely related to the Eastern White Cedar are two west- ern cedars also belonging to the genus Chamaecyparis. They are the Nootka Cedar—Chamaecyparis nootkatensis, Sud- worth—and the Port Orford Cedar—Chamaecyparis law- soniana, Parl. OF NEW YORK 4) RED CEDAR Juniperus virginiana, Linnaeus ED CEDAR is a common household word. In recent years -the ‘‘red cedar chest’’ has won its way to a special place in the modern home. The leaves are of two kinds, namely, scale-shaped and awl-shaped. The scale-shaped are commonest, one-sixteenth RED CEDAR One-half natural size. of an inch long, closely appressed to twigs, four-ranked. The awl-shaped are narrow, sharp-pointed, spreading, do not overlap, occur in 2’s and 3’s. The fruit is a dark blue berry about 1% of an inch in diameter. Berries are freely eaten by birds. The bark is very thin, reddish-brown, shallowly furrowed, peels off in long shred-like strips. The wood is soft, very durable, of even texture, works easily. The heartwood is red, the sapwood white. This color combination and its pronounced fragrance, supposed to ward off moth and other insects, account for its wide use for clothes chests, closets and for interior woodwork. It is also used for fence posts and pencils. The Red Cedar, also called Cedar, and Juniper, is found from Nova Scotia to South Dakota south to Florida and Texas. In New York this tree is common on poor dry soil in the Hudson and Mohawk valleys. It becomes less abundant northward and is rare in the southwestern coun- ties, not known in the Adirondacks, but local westward in Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties. In abandoned fields, waste places and along fence rows one often finds it. Birds distribute the seeds widely. This tree grows slowly, needs plenty of sunlight, and rarely exceeds 50 feet in height and 18 inches in diameter. It has a distinctive narrow conical crown when growing in the open. 42 COMMON TREES COMMON JUNIPER Juniperus communis, Linnaeus HE COMMON JUNIPER is a variable tree with several -geographical varieties and garden forms. It sometimes becomes 20 feet high. | The leaves are linear, about %4 to 4 of an inch long, tapering to a sharp point, usually concave, and marked with a broad white band on up- per surface. They spread nearly at right angles to the twigs and _ persist for man y years. T he fruit is a dark blue to glaucous round berry, about 4% of an inch in di- ameter and matures at the end of the second or third year. The fruit is occasion- ally employed COMMON JUNIPER im medicine, One-third natural size. and in Europe it is used to impart a peculiar flavor to gin. The bark is dark reddish-brown and peels off in thin scales. ‘The twigs are smooth, glossy, and reddish-brown. The wood is hard, close-grained and very durable. The Common Juniper reaches almost around the World. It occurs from Greenland and Newfoundland south through New England to Pennsylvania and along the mountains to North Carolina and westward to Alaska and New Mexico. It is also common in northern and western Asia to Korea and Japan. It is probably the most widely distributed tree native to North America. In New York this tree is found across the northern and central parts of the State. It is rare in western New York and unknown on Long Island and Staten Island. The variety ‘‘depressa’’ is common on exposed summits of the Adirondacks and Catskills. V4 4 . i NAZz Nid (—= Whi rad/ a NN Ne WM J {WAV i SS ih OF NEW YORK 43 BLACK WILLOW Salix nigra, Marshall HE BLACK WILLOW reaches the largest size and has the widest distribution of any native American Willow. It is the only native willow of timber size, sometimes reaching a height of 80 feet and a diameter of 4 feet. It can always be distinguised by its simple, alternate, long, narrow, sharp-point- ed leaves, 3 to 5 inches long. At the base of the short leaf- stalk round leaf-like appendages often clasp the twigs. The flowers are of two different kinds. Both are arranged in short stubby spikes. The pollen - bearing and seed - producing always occur on dif- ferent tree. The seeds are minute, bear dense tufts of long silky down, occur in large numbers in small capsules on drooping tassels. The bark varies from light brown to dark brown and black... On-‘old trunks it becomes BLACK WILLOW furrowed and peels One-fourth natural size, except 2, 4, 6 and 8 . which are enlarged. off in scales. The branches are slender, brittle, somewhat drooping. The buds are sharp-pointed, 14 of an inch long, covered by a single reddish-brown scale. The wood is pale reddish-brown, used chiefly in boxes, excelsior, charcoal, pulp, artificial limbs. The Black Willow occurs from New Brunswick to Flor- ida, west to the Dakotas and southern Mexico. It is gener- ally distributed throughout New York, but is rare above 2,000 feet in the Adirondacks and in the pine barrens of Long Island. One usually finds it in wet places, but it will grow on dry situations. 44 i COMMON TREES PUSSY WILLOW Salix discolor, Muhl if Oats Pussy WILLOW, probably more than any other tree, tells the people of both city and country when spring is here. During a brief period of spring it gives the chief touch of beauty to the landscape through its fine display of yellow blossoms that are visited by thousands of bees. The leaves are simple, alternate, elliptics (3) €0.))5 inches long, bright green above and silvery white be- low. A distinctive feature of the leaves is the wavy margins with coarse teeth. The flowers are of two kinds. Both are arranged in short, stubby spikes. The pol- len - bearing and the seed-producing always occur on different trees. They appear _be- PUSSY WILLOW fore the leaves and One-fourth natural size. tell us when spring - . is coming. ‘The seeds are produced in large numbers in hairy long-beaked light-brown capsules. The bark is thin, smooth, greenish, rarely scaly. The stout branchlets are marked with orange-colored breathing pores. The buds are alternate, %4 of an inch long, duck-bill like, flattened on inside, dark reddish-purple. The wood is sim- ilar to that of Black Willow. The Pussy Willow is found in moist meadows, and along banks of streams and in other wet places from Nova Scotia south to Delaware and west to Manitoba and Missouri. In New York this tree is generally distributed in the State below 3,000 feet, but it is rare on Long Island and Staten Island. It rarely exceeds 25 feet in height and is of considerable value in landscape work, especially along water courses. OF NEW YORK 45 SHINING WILLOW Salix lucida, Muhl HE SHINING WILLOW, also called Glossy Willow, is an attractive small tree sometimes reaching a height of 25 feet. It takes its common name from its shiny leaves and twigs. The leaves are alternate, simple, lanceolate to ovate, long- pointed, finely toothed along mar- gin, shiny on upper surface, 3 to 5 inches long, 1 to 144 inches wide. The flowers (both. staminate and pistil- late) occur in droop- ing tassels before the leaves come out. The fruit..is: a smooth pale - brown capsule arranged in drooping tassels. They contain many minute seeds. The bark is smooth, bitter, and reddish-brown. The twigs are shiny, stout, yellowish- brown. The buds are alternate, %4 of NY h an inch long, covered \ , by a single yellowish- SINT ea brown scale. The One-half natural size. wood is soft, light, even-grained, white to light brown. It is of little commercial importance. The Shining Willow has a wide distribution. It is found from Newfoundland to Manitoba, south to Pennsylvania and Kentucky and west to Nebraska and eastern Montana. In New York this tree is found in most sections of the State. It is common in the Adirondacks, less common southward, and rare on Long Island and Staten Island. The Shining Willow will grow on almost any kind of soil with considerable moisture. Its dark green, laurel-like, lustrous leaves make it attractive for ornamental planting in cemeteries, parks, and estate. This tree acts as a soil binder on areas subject to erosion. ih tay 46 COMMON TREES WIDELY INTRODUCED WILLOWS HREE WILLOWS have been widely introduced into New York. They are the Weeping Willow, the White Wil- low, and the Crack Willow. The Weeping Willow (Salix babylonica, Linnaeus), a native of Asia, was introduced into the United States in 1702 by a famous botanist named Tournefort. Sometimes this tree is called Napoleon Willow because of its association with the great French general during his exile. It has been planted widely in New York. This tree can always be dis- tinguished by its weeping habit. Its long drooping branches are distinctive, and when young they are tough and pliable, but later become brittle. Its leaves are simple, alternate, 4 to 7 inches long; in shape they resemble the Black Willow and in color those of the White Willow. The White Willow (Salix alba, Linnaeus), a native of Europe, was brought to America by the early settlers. It is now found from the Atlantic to the Pacific and is given planting preference where erosion and landslides are to be stopped. It is found throughout New York as an orna- mental tree. In some places it has escaped cultivation. This tree sometimes reaches a height of 70 feet and a diameter of 4 feet. The leaves are simple, alternate, 2 to 4 inches long, one-third to two-fifths of an inch wide, finely toothed along edge. When young the leaves are pale green and hairy on both sides, but when mature they are distinctly white only on the lower surface, whence the name White Willow. The Crack Willow (Salix fragilis, Linnaeus), a native of Europe and northern Asia, has been planted widely in America, especially in the prairie states. It is well estab- lished in eastern New York, particularly about the earlier settlements. It occurs locally westward. It is readily dis- tinguished from the White Willow by its yellowish-green twigs and larger leaves, which are 3 to 6 inches long, 4 to — 1 inch wide, coarsely toothed along margin. The branches | are so brittle that they crack off easily in a slight breeze, | whence the appropriate name Crack Willow. After a storm the ground beneath this tree is often completely covered with twigs and branches. OF NEW YORK 47 QUAKING ASPEN Populus tremuloides, Michaux | ie QUAKING ASPEN is also called Trembling Aspen and Small-toothed Aspen. The air must be remarkably still if the foliage is not quaking or trembling. The leaves are simple, alternate, 114 to 2% inches long, nearly round, finely toothed on margin, with leaf-stalks flat- tened laterally. z The flowers ap- pear early in the spring. Pollen- bearing and seed- producing occur on different trees. Both are arranged in slender droop- ing tassels. The fruit is a 2- valved capsule con- taining small seeds with tufts of fine hairs. ae: shark iis white or grayish to yellowish- green; on old trunks becomes rough and _ black. T he twigs are QUAKING ASPEN smooth, shin vi; One-fourth natural size, except enlarged flowers reddish-brown. ne ate The buds are narrow, conical, sharp-pointed, smooth, shiny, appear varnished, covered with 6 to 7 reddish-brown scales. The wood is soft, weak, not durable, fine in texture, white to light brown. It is used for paper pulp, boxes, crates, and wooden dishes. The Quaking Aspen is the most widely distributed tree in North America. It is a transcontinental tree extending from Newfoundland to Alaska and south to New Jersey, Ken- tucky, Mexico, and California. This tree is common in most sections of New York, but is rare on calcareous soils and infrequent in the pine barrens of Long Island. Closely related to the Quaking Aspen and widely dis- tributed in New York is the Large-toothed Aspen (Populus grandidentata). “The leaves of the latter are larger and more coarsely toothed, and its buds are stout, broad-pointed and covered with a flour-like coating. 48 COMMON TREES COTTONWOOD Populus deltoides, Marshall HE COTTONWOOD, also called Carolina Poplar, has been . extensively planted along streets, in parks and on home grounds in New York. _ The leaves are simple, alternate, broadly triangular, square at base, 3 to 5 inches long, with long and laterally flattened leaf-stalks. The flowers ap- pear before the leaves. Pollen - bearing and seed-producing occur on different trees. Both are arranged in drooping tassels. The fruit is a 3 to 4 - valved capsule ar- ranged in drooping tassels and containing numerous small seeds with tufts of fine hairs. ‘ne Dark on young trunks is smooth and greenish- yellow; on old trunks becomes ashy-gray to dark brown and deep furrowed. The lateral branches take an upright position. Pa SEINE a The twigs are stout, One-fourth natural size, except enlarged flowers yellowish, marked and twig. with grayish dots, have prominent ridges below leaf-scars. The buds are large, resinous, glossy, chestnut-brown. Ter- minal bud is often 5-angled. The wood is soft, not durable, white to brown, works easily. Used for paper pulp, boxes, and crates. The Cottonwood is found from Quebec south to Florida and west to the Rocky Mountains. This tree occurs locally in moist soils, and along streams and lakes throughout New York outside of the Adirondacks and Catskills. Closely related to the Cottonwood is the introduced Lom- bardy Poplar, a native of southern Europe. It can be recog- nized by its narrow and high crown with almost vertical lateral branches. Its leaves are triangular, short-tipped, finely toothed along the margin. OF NEW YORK 49 BALSAM POPLAR Populus balsamifera, Linnaeus HE BALSAM POPLAR, also called Balm of Gilead, is a well-known tree of the Northwoods, where it reaches a height of 75 feet and a diameter of 3 feet. The leaves are alternate, simple, ovate, 3 to 6 inches long, 1 to 3 inches wide, lustrous dark green above, and finely toothed along mar- gin. The leaf-stalks are round and 1 to iy 2 inches long. The sef\.% flowers appear in April before the leaves. The stami- mate are arranged in tassels 3 to 4 inches long and the pistillate in loose-flowered tas- sels 4 to 5 inches long. The fruit is a 2- valved capsule ar- ranged in drooping tassels 4 to 5 inches long. It matures from May to June. The bark on old ie ga trunks is thick, gray- One-third natural size. ish, and roughened by shallow furrows and dark warty for- mations. ‘The twigs are stout reddish-brown to greenish- gray. The buds are large, long-pointed, sticky, resin-coated and fragrant if crushed. The terminal bud is up to one inch long. The wood is light, soft, close-grained, light reddish- brown. The Balsam Poplar is a tree of the Northwoods. It is found from Newfoundland south to New York and west through Michigan to Colorado and Alaska. In New York it is common in the Adirondack region and across the north- ern part of the State, but less common southward to Dutch- ess county, the higher Catskills and westward to Wyoming and Niagara counties. Moist sites, river bottoms and borders of lakes are its favorite home. This tree grows rapidly and is easily propa- gated from cuttings. It is used locally for shelter belts. 50 COMMON TREES BLACK WALNUT Juglans nigra, Linnaeus ih Bi BLACK WALNUT is more fortunate than many trees in that it has only a few common names. Throughout its entire range of 650,000 square miles it is called Walnut, Black Walnut or Walnut-tree. BLACK WALNUT Leaf and fruit. one-fifth natural size. Twig, three-fourth natural size. The leaves are alternate, compound, with 13 to 23 leaflets. Leaflets are 3 to 4 inches long, sharp-pointed, toothed along margin, stalkless. The flowers are of two kinds. Both occur on same tree. The pollen-bearing occur in unbranched drooping tassels. The nut-producing occur in few-flowered clusters on the new growth. The fruit is a round furrowed nut, I to 2 inches in diame- ter with a green non-splitting fleshy husk which turns black when mature. The bark is thick, rough, furrowed, dark brown to gray- ish-black. The twigs are stout, grayish-brown, bitter to taste, contain gray to light brown chambered pith. The buds are covered with downy scales. Terminal bud is as long as wide. Lateral buds are smaller. The wood is rich dark brown, hard, strong, splits easily, very durable. Used in furniture, interior finishings, sewing machines, gun stocks. The Black Walnut is found from southern New England to Minnesota and south to Florida. In New York it is common north to Saratoga and Jefferson counties and west- ward to Lake Erie. It is rare in the Chemung and Tioga sections, and generally less common than formerly. It does not go so far north nor to such high altitudes as the Butter- nut. The Black Walnut is an important t‘mber tree, produc- ing excellent lumber and fine nuts. OF NEW YORK 51 BUTTERNUT Juglans cinerea, Linnaeus HE BUTTERNUT, also called White Walnut, is close-kin of the Black Walnut. The leaves are alternate, compound, with 13 to 23 leaflets. The flowers are of two kinds. The pollen-bearing occur in unbranched drooping clusters. The nut-producing occur in few-flowered clus- ters on new growth. The fruit is an elongated nut with a hairy, sticky, non- splitting husk. The nut is 4 - ribbed, pointed at one end, sharply furrowed over entire surface, and contains a sweet, oily edible kernel. The bark is gray to ashy-white, sepa- rates into wide flat ridges. The twigs are stout, greenish gray, often downy, contain dark - brown chambered pith. The buds are covered with dense pale down. Terminal bud is 4 to % of an inch BUTTERNUT long, flattened, blunt- One-fourth natural size, except 3 and 4 which are pointed, longer than enlarged and 7, 8, 10, 11 and 12 natural size. wide. Lateral flower buds are pineapple-like, often placed one above another. The wood is soft, not strong, light-brown. Used in furniture, interior finishing, and chests. The Butternut is found from New Brunswick to Minne- sota, south to Delaware and Arkansas and along mountains to Georgia. This tree is common locally across New York, but remains below 1,500 feet in the Adirondacks. It pre- fers rich, moist, calcareous soil, is most frequently met along streams, fences, and roads, and rarely exceeds 50 feet in height and 2 feet in diameter. 52 COMMON TREES SHELLBARK HICKORY Carya ovata, (Miller) K. Koch Wes SHELLBARK HICKORY, also called Shagbark Hickory, is the best known of all the hickories. It produces the best nuts and has the most distinctive features of all the native hickories. The leaves are alternate, 8 to 14 inches long, compound, with 5 to 7 leaflets. The three upper leaf- lets are the largest, the pair nearest the base is usually only about one-half the size of the terminal ones. The flowers are similar to those of the other hickories. The fruit is round, 1 to 2 inches long, with husk that splits into 4 sections from apex to base. The nuts are smooth, white, 4-angled, pointed at the ends. The kernel is large and sweet. The bark is smooth and light gray on young stems. On old trunks it becomes dis- SHELLBARK HICKORY tinctly shaggy. The one-fourth natural size, except 7 which is natural twigs are reddish- size and 8 slightly enlarged. brown to gray, covered with numerous light dots, usually smooth, sometimes hairy. The buds are egg-shaped, blunt- pointed, about three-fifths of an inch long, covered with about 10 bud-scales. The wood is very heavy, hard, strong, tough, elastic, close- grained. Used chiefly for handles and vehicles. The Shellbark Hickory is found from Quebec to Minne- sota, south to Florida and Texas. In New York this tree is common in most sections of the State outside of the Adi- rondacks and the higher Catskills. Not reported from the pine barrens of Long Island. This tree, usually reaching a height of 50 to 75 feet and a diameter of 2 feet, should be carefully protected. It is the largest of the true hickories. OF NEW YORK 53 BITTERNUT HICKORY Carya cordiformis, (Wangenheim) K. Koch HE BITTERNUT HICKORY, also called Swamp Hickory and Water Hickory, is usually found in moist to wet locations. One usually finds it as a single specimen or in small groups in low and fertile situations in the rich agri- cultural valleys. J* is the most handsome of the native hickories. The leaves are alter- nate, compound, 6 to 10 inches long with 7 to 11 leaflets. Leaflets are long, narrow, sharp- pointed, without stalks except the terminal one. They are smaller and slenderer than those of other hickories. The flowers are of two kinds. They occur on same tree. The pol- len- bearing occur in drooping tassels, 3 to 4 inches long. The nut- producing occur in few-flowered clusters on new growth. BITTERNUT HICKORY One-fourth natural size. The fruit is a thin-shelled nut with bitter kernel covered with a thin shelled husk, which splits to middle into 4 valves. Winged projections mark meeting line of husk sections from apex to middle. The bark is light gray, rather thin, roughened by shallow furrows, does not scale nor shag off. The twigs are slender, smooth, grayish to orange brown or reddish. The buds are long, flattened, blunt-pointed, covered by 4 yellowish scales. The wood is heavy, hard, strong, somewhat brittle. It is inferior to that of other hickories, but used for practically the same purposes. The Bitternut Hickory is found from Quebec to Minne- sota, south to Florida and Texas. This tree is found in most sections of New York, except the Adirondacks above 1,500 feet and the higher Catskills. Not reported from pine bar- rens of Long Island. It is often found along streams and in swamps. It grows best on rich, moist soil such as is found in the farm woodlot. This tree may attain a height of 100 feet and 3 feet in diameter. 54 COMMON TREES PIGNUT HICKORY Carya glabra, (Miller) Spach Guess PIGNUT HICKORY is an important forest tree. It occurs on real forest soil on the foothills and mountain slopes, and produces valuable wood. The leaves are alternate, compound, 8 to 12 inches long with 5 to 7 leaflets. Leaflets are long, narrow, sharp-pointed, smooth, glossy. They are slightly larger than those of the Bitternut Hickory. The flowers are similar to those of the other hick- ories. The fruit is pear-shaped to spherical, with neck-like projection at base. The husk is thin, often does not split or may split to middle. The kernel is usually small and bitter, and not edible. The bark is close-fit- ting, dark gray, marked with shallow furrows, PIGNUT HICKORY does not shag off. The One-fourth natural size. * twigs are smooth, tough, reddish-brown, marked with pale dots. The buds are oval, blunt-pointed, reddish-brown. The wood is similar to that of other hickories, but some- what superior to Bitternut Hickory. The Pignut Hickory is found from Maine to Minnesota, south to Florida and Texas. It occurs in most sections of New York except in the Adirondack region, where it is found only at lower elevations. It is most common on dry ridges and_ hillsides. It is a medium-sized tree, frequently reaching a height of 60 feet and diameter of 2 feet. Closely related to the Pignut is the Mockernut Hickory— Carya alba, (Linnaeus) K. Koch. It is also called Big Bud and White-heart Hickory, and can be distinguished by its close-fitting, evidently furrowed bark that does not shag off, its stout hairy twigs, its hairy leaves with 7 to 9 large leaflets, its large round thick-shelled nut with thick husk and small kernel. ‘The buds are larger than those of any other hickory. While the fruit is larger, its kernel is small and not edible. It is common in the rich agricultural valleys of New York. OF NEW YORK 55 GRAY BIRCH Betula popultfolia, Marshall ieee GRAY BIRCH, also called White Birch and Poplar Birch, is among the most beautiful and the most adaptive of North American trees. It thrives in wet places and grows on dry and rocky mountain tops. It is conspicuous because of its white bark marked with triangular black spots at the origin of lateral branches. io The leaves are sim- eo ple, alternate 2 to 3 inches long, triangular to egg - shaped, long- pointed, slender-stalked, highly varnished on up- per surface. The flowers are sim- ilar to those of other birches. The fruit is a slender cylindrical spike con- taining numerous small winged seeds and 3- lobed scales. The bark is close-fit- ting, dull-white, marked with triangular black spots. It peels off sparingly in layers. Near the base of old trunks it becomes dark and rough. On small stems it is golden yellow and marked with as many as 75 pale elon- gated breathing pores per square inch. The twigs are slender, grayish-brown, rough to touch. The wood is light, soft, not strong, not durable. It is used for fuel and locally manufactured into spools, novelties, and paper pulp. The Gray Birch is found from Nova Scotia to Lake On- tario and south to Delaware and southern Pennsylvania. This tree is common across New York south of the Adiron- dacks, especially in the Hudson valley and Ontario lowlands. It is rare or absent in the Chenango, Chemung, Susquehannah and Allegheny valleys. It sprouts freely, producing as many as 100 sprouts from a single stump. The Gray Birch rarely exceeds 8 inches in diameter. GRAY BIRCH One-third natural size. 56 ; COMMON TREES PAPER BIRCH Betula papyrifera, Marsh HE PAPER BIRCH is also called Canoe Birch and White Birch. Every boy and girl has learned that the bark of this tree was used by the Indians and early settlers in the making of canoes. No person who has seen it will forget its chalky white bark. It reaches a height of 50 to 75 feet and a diameter of 3 feet. The leaves are simple, alternate, oval, 2 or 3 inches long, finely toothed on margin. The flowers appear about April and are of two kinds. The pollen-bearing occur in drooping tassels about 4 inches long. The seed - producing occur in erect spikes about 1 inch long. The fruit is short- stalked, usually drooping, cylindrical spike about 1144 inches long. The tiny seeds are winged and produced with 3-lobed scales. The bark on_ older branches and small to me- dium stems is chalky to ‘pj creamy white and peels off in thin papery scales. ; : marked with elongated ies eae orca pt i yellowish - brown breath- enlarged. ing pores. On old trunks it becomes rough and fissured. On very young stems it is golden to reddish-brown. When once removed the bark is never renewed. The wood is strong, hard, light-brown with light sap- wood. It is used for spools, shoe lasts, fuel, paper pulp, and many common household articles. The Paper Birch is found in the Northwoods from the Atlantic to the Pacific. It extends east to Labrador, south to New Jersey and Pennsylvania and Michigan, west to the Rocky Mountains and from there to Alaska. In New York it is common on barren, stony, and sandy soils throughout the Adirondacks and Catskills, where it ascends to higher elevations than any other deciduous-leaved tree. It extends southward locally to Delaware and Broome counties and westward to Lake Erie. PAPER BIRCH OF NEW YORK 57. BLACK BIRCH Betula lenta, Linnaeus | ee BLACK BIRCH, also called Sweet Birch and Cherry Birch, is one of the handsomest of our native birches. The winter-green flavor of the twigs is an unfailing distin- guishing characteristic. The leaves are simple, alternate, egg-shaped, 2 to 5 inches long. On the last season’s growth they occur singly; on older twigs in pairs but never op- posite each other. The flowers ap- pear before the leaves and are of two kinds. The pollen-bearing are arranged in droop- ing tassels from 3 to 4 inches long. The fruit is an erect cylindrical spike 1144 to 2 inches long. The seeds are small winged nutlets with 3 - lobed scales. The bark on young stems and branches is smooth, shiny, close-fitting, black- ish, and _ dotted with pale elongat- BLACK BIRCH ed breathing pores. Leaves, fruit, and flower tassels one-fourth natural On old trunks is size. thick, black, breaks into irregular rough plates. The wood is heavy, hard, strong, brownish with yellow sapwood. It is used for furniture, interior finish, pulp, chem- icals, and fuel. The Black Birch is found from Newfoundland to On- tario, south to Indiana and North Carolina. It is common in rich soils of moist woods across New York from Lake Champlain and the Hudson valley to St. Lawrence county and Lake Erie outside of the higher Adirondacks and Cats- kills. It extends southward to Long Island. 58 COMMON TREES RIVER BIRCH Betula nigra, Linnaeus HE RIVER BIRCH is also called Red Birch and Water Birch. It usually occurs on river banks or other watery places. The leaves are simple, alternate, egg-shaped, 2 to 3 inches long and wedge-shaped at base. The flowers ap- pear about April, : are of two kinds. a an The pollen - bear- 3 4 ing are arranged in drooping tassels, 2 to 3 inches long. The seed - produc- ing occur in small spikes about one- third of an inch long. The fruit is an erect cylindrical spike, 1 to 14% inches long. The seeds ripen in early summer with 3- lobed scales. T he. bark 1s reddish - brown to cinnamon-red, peels off in large thick layers. On WR old trees the bark becomes thick and RIVER BIRCH deeply furrowed. One-third natural size. The twigs are reddish-brown and more or less hairy. The wood is strong, heavy, close-grained, reddish-brown with white sapwood. It is used in the manufacture of wood- enware, turnery, pulp, and chemicals. The River Birch extends farther south than any other of our native birches. Its range is from Massachusetts to Min- nesota and south to Florida and Texas. In New York this tree is found locally in wet places in the lower Hudson valley and other places in the southern and central parts of the State. Exceptional trees reach a height of 80 feet and a diameter of 4 feet. The River Birch may be called a soldier tree, for it battles fiercely with the overflow waters of swollen streams. It is of inestimable value as a protector of river and stream banks. OF NEW YORK 59 YELLOW BIRCH Betula lutea, Michaux ee YELLOW BIRCH, also called Silver Birch and Swamp Birch, is one of the most important timber trees of east- ern North America, sometimes reaching a height of 100 feet and a diameter of 4 feet. It can be readily recognized by its ragged yellow bark which peels off in thin papery scales. On old trunks the bark becomes reddish-brown and roughened with fissures. Its twigs, leaves, flowers and fruit are similar to those of the Black Birch, but the twigs lack the sweet wintergreen flavor, and the fruit scales are smooth and equally lobed while those of the Yellow Birch are hairy and unequally lobed. The Yellow Birch is found from Newfoundland to Min- nesota, south to New Jersey and Pennsylvania and along the mountains to North Carolina and Tennessee. It is common in the Catskills and Hudson highlands, and abundant north- ward across the State, especially in the Adirondacks and west to the Great Lakes. It is one of the commonest timber trees of the Adirondacks. Rich uplands, borders of streams and swamps are its favorite home. It deserves to be classed as an important forest tree, for it reaches a large size, pro- ~ duces valuable wood, is propagated easily and has few enemies. WHITE BIRCH Betula alba, Linnaeus HE WHITE BIRCH, also called European Birch, is native from northern Europe to Japan. Its bark is white, close- fitting, and peels off sparingly. “The leaves are not so long- pointed and its twigs are smoother than those of the Gray Birch. It is common in cemeteries, along streets, upon lawns, and in parks. The varieties of the White Birch commonly found in New York are (1) Cut-leaved White Birch; (2) Weeping White Birch; (3) Cut-leaved Weeping White Birch; and (4) Purple-leaved White Birch. This tree has won a prominent place in American landscape work. ‘The first memorial tree to mother was a White Birch planted on Mother’s Day at Reading, Pennsylvania, in 1923. Presi- dent Coolidge planted a White Birch tree at the White House on Mother’s Day, 1924. 60 COMMON TREES AMERICAN HORNBEAM Carpinus caroliniana, Walter HE AMERICAN HORNBEAM, also called Ironwood, Blue Beech, and Water Beech, is a small bushy tree usually found along streams and other low places. In appearance it will pass for a little brother of the Beech. The leaves are simple, alternate, 2 to 4 inches long, ovate, long-pointed, finely toothed along margin. The flowers are of two kinds, both appearing on same tree. The pollen- bearing occur in_ tassels about 114 inches long; the seed-producing in few- flowered clusters about 34 of an inch. The fruit is a small, prominently ribbed nut about one-third of an inch long, enclosed in a leaf- like 3-lobed bract, which is usually toothed on one margin of middle lobe. The seed is attached to a leaflike bract. The bark is thin, smooth, bluish-green, and marked with distinctive furrows running up and down along the trunk. The twigs are slender, red- AMERICAN HORNBEAM dish to orange, and cov- One-fourth natural size. ered with scattered pale Twig section and seed with winged bract, breathing pores. Small enlarged. buds are about % of an inch long, covered with 8 to 12 reddish-brown bud-scales. The wood is heavy, hard, and strong. It is sometimes used for levers, tool handles, wedges, and mallets. The American Hornbeam is found from Nova Scotia to Florida and west to Minnesota and Texas. It is common across New York, including the Adirondacks up to 2,000 feet. It is rare or absent in the coastal plain part of the State. Locally it is common in wet places where it often occurs in dense thickets almost to the exclusion of other trees. ———— OF NEW YORK 61 HOP HORNBEAM Ostrya virginiana, Miller (K.. Koch) ewe Hop HORNBEAM, also called Ironwood, has appro- priate common names, for its fruit is hop-like and the wood is “hard as iron.’’ It is the only tree native to eastern North America that produces hop- -like fruit. An examina- tion of the fruit shows that it is s made up of a number of loose papery bags in each of which is found a little brown nutlet. The seed bags are arranged in clus- ters usually from | to 2 inches long and at- tached to the twig by a hairy stem. The leaves are sim- ple, alternate, 3 to 5 inches long, ovate, long-pointed, finely toothed along the margin. The flowers are of two kinds. Pollen- bearing and seed-pro- ducing occur on the same tree. The for- mer occur in droop- ing tassels about 2 inches long, and the 1 rn HOP HORNBEAM atter are produced in Twig section and seed with enclosing erect clusters. During One-fourth natural size. membrane enlarged. winter the partly de- veloped pollen-bearing flower catkins occur in clusters of 3 or 4 at the ends of the twigs. The twigs are delicate and interlacing. The thin grayish- brown bark peeling off in narrow, flat scales, and the small reddish-brown buds with four-ranked bud scales are dis- tinctive. The Hop Hornbeam is widely distributed over the eastern United States. It is found from Cape Breton Island to Florida and west to Minnesota and Texas. It is found locally throughout New York except in the higher Adiron- dacks, but is rare southward on Long Island and Staten Island. One finds this tree usually by itself. It is rarely over 30 feet high and 12 inches in diameter. 62 COMMON TREES SMOOTH ALDER Alnus rugosa, (DuRoi) Sprengel i Me SMOOTH ALDER, also called Black Alder, is common along streams and other wet places. It usually remains a shrub, but occasionally it becomes 20 feet high. The leaves are simple, alternate, obovate, rounded at apex, wedge-shaped at base, finely toothed along margin. The flowers ap- pear before the leaves and are of two kinds. The pollen - bearing oc- * cur in drooping tasse hs 2tayd. 1406 inches long. The [LS seed-producing are {>* greenish to pur- plish with scarlet styles. “Fhey are about % of an inch long and oc- cur in 2's or 3's at the’ end \\\of;" the yin) branches. "a The fruit is a cone - like woody structure about 14 3 : to Ys of an inch One-fourth natural size. long. Twig section with bud and leaf-scar, enlarged. SMOOTH ALDER The bark is thin, smooth, often grooved, grayish-green, dotted with numerous brown lenticels and marked with white blotches. The twigs are greenish to grayish-brown, dotted with brownish lenticels and marked with leaf-scars with 3 bundle-scars. The buds are alternate, 4 of an inch long, evidently stalked, blunt-pointed, covered with 2 scales. The wood is yellowish-brown and marked with broad rays. The Smooth Alder is found from Maine to Florida and Texas and west to Minnesota. It is common in New York south of the Adirondacks. The Speckled Alder (Alnus incana) is commoner northward across the State. At higher elevations in the northern part of the State the Mountain Alder (Alnus viridis) is found. Alnus tncana, a large shrub, is generally distributed in wet soil throughout the State. OF NEW YORK 63 BEECH Fagus grandifolia, Ehrhart N° hardwood tree is more beautiful or more easily recog- nized than the American Beech. The leaves are simple, alternate, 3 to 4 inches long, pointed at tip, wedge-shaped at base, coarsely-toothed along margin. When mature they are stiff, leathery, with straight, sunken veins. BEECH One-half natural size. The flowers are of two kinds, appear about April. The pollen-bearing occur in stalked round heads; the nut-pro- ducing in a few-flowered clusters. The fruit is a stalked, prickly, four-valved bur, usually produced in pairs, containing triangular, pale brown, shining nutlets with sweet kernel. The bark is smooth, light gray, often marked with initial carvings. The twigs are slender, dark gray, marked with circle of bud-scale scars. The buds are alternate, slender, conical, sharp-pointed, 34 of an inch long, 5 times as long as wide, covered with 10 to 20 reddish-brown scales. The wood is very hard, strong, tough, not durable in con- tact with soil. It is an excellent fuelwood, and is used exten- sively in the manufacture of charcoal, chemicals, novelties. The Beech is found from Nova Scotia to Wisconsin and south to Florida and Texas. This tree is common through- out New York except in the pine barrens of Long Island. The beech trees one usually sees about our cities are the Euro- pean Beech (Fagus sylvatica, Linnaeus). which is the parent of the Purple or Copper Beech, the Weeping Beech, and the Cut-leaved Beech. 64 COMMON TREES CHESTNUT Castanea dentata, (Marshall) Bork. N° TREE has brought more real joy to boys and girls, and grown folks than the Chestnut. To go a-nutting for Chestnuts is among the best of outdoor sports. The leaves are simple, alternate, 6 to 8 inches long, sharp- pointed and coarsely-toothed. The flowers appear in June or July. They Pen are arranged in slender, ay yellowish-white, pencil- BN: like plumes. The seed- producing occur in small numbers near the base of the plumes. The fruit is a prickly bur with 1 to 5 nuts maturing in September or October. The bark on branches and small trunks is smooth, brownish and close - fitting; on old trunks becomes grayish- brown and deeply fur- rowed. The twigs are smooth, greenish to brown, dotted with nu- merous small white breathing pores. The buds are alternate, 14 of an inch long, blunt- pointed, covered with 2 CHESTNUT to 3 chestnut - brown One-fourth natural size. scales Twig sections and single flowers, enlarged The wood is light, soft, not strong, coarse-grained, dur- able. It is used for posts, poles, ties, general construction and interior finish. The Chestnut is found from Maine to Michigan, and south to the Carolinas and Georgia and Arkansas. This tree is common locally across New York south of the Adi- rondacks, but rare or absent in pine barrens of Long Island, and infrequent on soils rich in lime. The deadly Chestnut Blight has killed practically all trees of commercial size. OF NEW YORK 65 THE OAKS F THE 300 Oaks known in the world, 55 are native to “North America, and most of these occur in the eastern United States. The oaks make up the largest group of for- est trees native to New York. In all there are 16 different kinds of oaks native to this State. They grow under a wide range of conditions and show wide variations in form and other distinguishing characteristics. The best way to get. acquainted with New York oaks is to divide them into two major groups, the one group to comprise the White Oaks and the other the Black Oaks. It is easy to place the oaks of New York in these two groups by remembering the follow- ing characteristics of each: THE WHITE OAKS: The leaves of the members of this group have rounded lobes (not bristle-tipped), and the ker- nels of the acorns are usually sweet. All the oaks of this ’ group mature their acorns in a single season; for this reason they are sometimes called Annual Oaks. The seven New York members of this group are White Oak, Swamp White Oak, Bur Oak, Post Oak, Chestnut Oak, Yellow Oak, and Scrub Chestnut Oak. THE BLACK OAKS: The leaves of the members of this group have bristle-tipped (not round-lobed) leaves, and the kernel of their acorns is usually bitter. All the oaks of this group require two seasons to mature their acorns; for this reason the representatives of this group are sometimes called Biennial Oaks, which means two-year oaks in contrast with the one-year White Oaks. The immature acorns are very helpful in recognizing the members of the Black Oak group, especially during the winter months when the trees are with- out leaves. The nine New York members of this group are Black Oak, Red Oak, Scarlet Oak, Pin Oak, Spanish Oak, Black Jack Oak, Elliott’s Oak, Willow Oak, and Scrub Oak. The sign of all oaks is the acorn. It is an unfailing distinguishing characteristic. Man has good reasons for his high regard for the oaks. Their most important gift is wood. They also supply us with cork, dyeing materials, tanning products, food for wild and domestic animals, and many other valuable products. 66 COMMON TREES WHITE OAK Quercus alba, Linnaeus HE WHITE OAK is the most important hardwood forest tree native to North America. It has held this front rank place since the earliest days of colonization. ‘This tree was common in the original forests of the rich agricultural areas of New York. The leaves are simple, alternate, 5 to 9 inches long, 2 to 4 inches wide. They are divided into 3 to 9, usually 7, blunt - pointed, finger- like lobes. Mature leaves are deep green above and light green beneath. The flowers appear about May and are of two kinds. The pol- len- bearing occur on the old growth in drooping tassels 2 or 3 inches long. The acorn- producing occur in small clusters on the new growth. The fruit is a sessile or short-stalked acorn ma- WHITE OAK turing in one season. : One-fourth natural size. Thie light brown anes Single flowers and twig sections, enlarged are about 34 of an inch long, seated in a warty cup, enclos- ing about 1% of nut. The nuts are relished by wild animals. The bark is grayish-white and peels off in numerous loose scales. The early settlers made it into a tea used in the treatment of tonsilitis. “The twigs are smooth, light-gray, dotted with light lenticels. The buds are alternate, egg-shaped, blunt-pointed, reddish- brown, clustered at end of twigs. The wood is heavy, hard, strong, close-grained, light-brown, durable. Its uses are in- terior finish, flooring, furniture, general construction, imple- ments and fuel. The White Oak is found from Maine to Minnesota and south to Florida and Texas. It is common throughout New York south of the Adirondacks and locally northward. This tree reaches its best development on rich moist soil, where it attains a height of 75 to 100 feet and 2 to 4 feet in diameter. OF NEW YORK 67 SWAMP WHITE OAK Quercus bicolor, Willdenow | ieee SWAMP WHITE OAK is usually found in swamps, about ponds, and along the banks of streams. In youth it is rather attractive, but with advancing years it becomes ragged and unkempt in appearance. The leaves are simple, alternate, 5 to 6 inches long, 2 to 4 inches broad, wavy- toothed on margin, dark green above, light green and hairy on lower sur- . face. They are broadest between the middle and — the apex. T he flowers and wood are similar to those of the White Oak. The fruit is a long- stalked acorn that ma- tures im one_ season. The acorns are about an inch long and usually occur in pairs. The bark on old trunks is thick, grayish- brown and breaks in long deep furrows. On SWAMP WHITE OAK the small branches it One-third natural size. sheds off in flakes like that of the Sycamore. The twigs are stout, yellowish to reddish-brown. The buds are about 4 of an inch long, blunt-pointed, smooth, red- dish-brown. The Swamp White Oak is found from Maine to Mich- igan and south to Georgia and Arkansas. It is common in moist to wet places across New York south of the Adiron- dacks and northward to Saratoga and St. Lawrence coun- ties. Not reported from pine barrens of Long Island. Trees 3 to 4 feet in diameter and 80 feet high are not unusual. The largest specimen of Swamp White Oak ever recorded was the Wadsworth Oak which was 27 feet in circumfer- ence. It was near this tree that Robert Morris and the Seneca Indians made an important treaty in 1797. 68 COMMON ‘TREES BUR OAK Quercus macrocarpa, Michaux A iss BUR OAK, also called Mossy Cup Oak and Over Cup Oak, is one of the largest of American oaks. It reaches a height of 100 feet and 5 feet in diameter. The leaves are simple, alternate, 6 to 12 inches long, 3 to 6 inches wide, shiny and deep green above, pale and finely hairy _ beneath. Near the middle are deep clefts that almost divide the leaves into two parts. The flowers and wood are similar to those of White Oak. The fruit is a large acorn matur- ing in one season. The nuts are 34 of an inch long with a white and sweet kernel. The cup covers about half of nut and is bor- dered by distinct fringe along mar- gin. The twigs are stout, yellowish- brown and usually BUR OAK © marked with corky One-third natural size. | winged projections. The buds are alternate, 4 of an inch long, blunt-pointed, reddish-brown, clustered at end of twigs. The bark becomes deeply furrowed and has a tendency to peel off in flaky scales. The Bur Oak is found from New Beuiawien ane Nova Scotia west to Manitoba, and south to Pennsylvania, Kansas and Texas. In New York it is found across the State on rich soils south of the Adirondacks and northward to Lake Champlain and Jefferson county. Not reported south of Greene county in Hudson valley. The Bur Oak is a valuable timber tree and used exten- sively for ornamental planting. It is easy to transplant, grows rapidly, has few insect enemies. OF NEW YORK 69 POST OAK Quercus stellata, Wangenheim ie POST OAK was given its name in pioneer days when it was used extensively for posts, a use for which it is well adapted on account of durability. ‘The Post Oak is not an evergreen tree, but some of its brown leaves usually hang on until the new crop appears. The leaves are simple, alternate, coarse, stiff, leathery in texture, 4 to 6 inches long. They are dark green and shiny on the upper surface, have a heavy coating of rusty brown hairs on lower surface. Under a mag- nifying glass the hairs are star-shaped whence the specific name ‘‘stel- lata.” The two basal lobes are small and the three terminal lobes are large and generally squarish in _ outline. Near the middle of the leaf is a deep cut that al- most separates the leaf POST OAK into two parts. One-third natural size. The flowers are like those of the other oaks. See White Oak. The fruit is a small acorn maturing in one season. ‘The nut is about 14 of an inch long, dark brown, often striped. The cup is shallow, covered with pale wooly scales, enclos- ing about % of nut. The bark is darker, rougher and less scaly than White Oak. The twigs are stout, hairy and rusty. The buds are. alternate, 1g of an inch long, blunt-pointed, reddish-brown, clustered at end of twigs. The wood is similar to White Oak and Sioa for the’same purposes. The Post Oak, also called Iron Oak, is found from Massa- chusetts to Kansas and south to Florida and Texas. It is found on Long Island and Staten Island northward to West- chester county. It is a medium-sized tree, rarely exceeding 60 feet in height and 3 feet in diameter. 70 COMMON TREES CHESTNUT OAK Quercus Prinus, Engelmann HE CHESTNUT OAK, also called Rock Oak, and Tanbark Oak, is an important forest tree. Its importance will grow, for it produces valuable wood, and yields bark rich in tannin. The leaves are simple, alternate, stiff, 5 to 9 inches long, 2 to 4 inches wide, coarse- ly toothed along margin. The flowers are similar and the wood ranks close to White Oak. The fruit is a_ large acorn maturing in one sea- son. The nut is 1 to 14 inches long, oval, smooth, glossy, chestnut - brown. The cup is thin, deep, hairy inside, covers one- third of nut. The bark on young stems and branches is smooth, thin, yellowish- brown. On old trunks it HEN, TOO, there is the seritiment the Father of Arbor Day, J. Sterling Morton, left in the wonderful memorial grove he planted in Nebraska when he arranged for a tablet, among the trees he loved, which says: “‘If ye seek my monu- ment look around you.” DED REES, man’s best friend, the friend without whom exist- ence is impossible, picture life in all its variety. Look at the wind-swept coast and there you will find struggling for existence among the rocks the trees. Thus does man, buffetted by the winds of fortune, struggle. You will find the trees clinging to river banks in their endeavor to hold those barriers in place against the flood time. Again you will find the trees mothering the springs and protecting them from the ravages of the sun that they may feed first the rivulet, then the stream that at last becomes the mighty river of com- merce. Dt] W? can look back through the ages and find that when the trees have gone, civilizations have disappeared. Nature is the great teacher, and when man violates her laws he must pay a terrible penalty. Nature works slowly, but her decisions and ends are sure as the coming and going of the sun. To Nature’s laws man must give heed if he con- tinues to inhabit the earth, for all life is bound up in her mandates. DIa> W: see this enthralling mystery of life everywhere; in the seed that becomes the apple blossom; the flower that gives its nectar to the honey maker; in the roots of the tree that, buried, nevertheless gives back ever renewing life as a reward to those who plant. Kilmer pen-pictured this in that immortal verse about the “‘tree that looks at God all day and lifts its leafy arms to pray.” Pe COMMON TREES 63 Nasu peg to the tree and the part it plays in man’s exist- — ence we find it the corner stone of his existence because of — the part the forest products play in commerce. DED HEODORE ROOSEVELT expressed it well when he said: “‘A people without children would face a hopeless future: — a country without trees is almost as helpless; forests which are so used that they cannot renew themselves will soon van- ish, and with them all their benefits. When you help to preserve our forests or plant new ones you are acting the part of good citizens.” D> E live by example. So in planting trees we set a fine example to others, for they see what you have done and thus the message of the trees is spread. DBS A ae this is of the utmost importance is set forth by Mrs. John Dickinson Sherman, President of the General Fed- eration of Women’s Clubs, when she says: ‘“There can be no more important educational work than turning the atten- tion of the new generations to the importance of trees. On every hand we will see this importance if we will but look. The thing is to get us to look.” DED] CAMPAIGN of education must be carried on all the time on behalf of trees because the trees cannot speak for them- selves. DEtED W JE must get more people to consider the beauty of trees; the value of trees; the economic situation bound up in trees; all the trees mean to us. DED Cy you imagine this country without trees? Da Ms the planting of a tree carries you into the world beyond its beauty, into the world of service all trees perform, then the tree has, indeed, opened up a world of thought into which all must enter, for the vast economic problem is a national one. If the tree then succeeds in doing this it has, after all, spoken more loudly than any of us can speak for them. So may all of us, as Theodore Roosevelt pointed out, become “‘good citizens,’’ and may there be new millions in the tree planting army. OF NEW YORK 123 Tree Ailanthus Alder. Smooth? (3/2).)4);.\/2!,: American Holly ........ American Hornbeam . American earch yk. s)4) 02k PATBOR I Aba eis eo) ecnats Ash: Black Mountain Waterers oh cl atts Aspen, Quaking 0 25%. 2; Basswood niet ee ie. Mieke Beech metal esata) d\nehie eieire BlackorGumitere olay: Butternut WaldiBlackyi nace, Chestn wee ey aw i, €ottonwood .......:.. Cucumber Tree ........ Dogwood, Flowering ... Elm: American Rockett an eany nels Wy. Slippery FirpBalsamyoniscere sinks Hackberry eee Hawthorn (Cockspur Thorn, Scarlet Thorn) . Hemlock ee aperains Hickory: Bittermmae se eens. Pagnutayh al separ evuaain! Shellbarkig ei eee Holly, American ....... Hornbeam: American ... Hop Horse} Ghestnutin a.) INDEX Tree Page Juniper, Common ...... 42 Kentucky Coffee Tree ... 98 Larch, American ....... 36 Laurel, Magnolia ....... 82 Locust: Common)... 05 oon 95 HOMEY) is katara OM Gay, 96 Magnolia, Laurel ...... 82 Maple: Ash-EBeaved ii ini aeie 110 Mountain iii ince apc: 109 INarwayiiiyay sven iinet 111 LEE I SU aU A A 107 Silvers ve ene 106 Striped ee se haan 108 SH QAe ean ly eens 105 Mulberry, Red tsa nee 81 Oak: Blacker n am eelanaetapaee 72 Br eens recientes ake 68 G@hestanty isnot 70 ere et er rarely Gerace 74 Ost CS ea Ne tad 69 15S URE Tan N Lae aly Mae 71 Scarleeiy av vehaenee sere 73 Crit by a eiiycn sian ne paral 76 Wihite oyna anny as 66 White, Swamp ...... 67 Wille wiles ee Cieianiy de 75 Papawiit cateiereare jeraieie 85 Persimmon yee nea ade LS ine: Jackie cre sia atoe Ve aeiaet 31 Piteb! u/c \stare eit ae 29 ) Sa (UR aE Me a 30 Witte ea ne 28 Poplar, Balsam ........ 49 Quaking Aspen ........ 47 Redbudi7 6 vice che anaes 97 Sassafrage soc dane eld eee 86 Shad: Bish) Man eunas 90 Spruce: Norway i ecu waives 35 Red ive ae Que co ahae 33 NV Bite Seal ary ak 34 Sumac: Poison jens sinner 103 Stagborsy is hii yas bisa) 102 SWELL GUMS en ratte 88 SRulipvelrree ny Miaka eons 84 Watlnap, ) Black: iii ye: 50 Willow: ) 5) Eye) ES Me RATE NY TN Gan EDD 43 USSU ey lap ey oni ie) Aieane 44 pod2 76} ba ki AS eA ld 45 Witch-Hazeli)20isscoiile 87 we New York Botanical Garden Library K484.N7 14 Illick, Joseph Simo/Common trees of Ne “VA 3 5185 00113 3 ae 1G sieht i aSiest i ett . ine u : i a e tases Sra wishes Ee ide HES ease Sales: ee e a ran fies Sasso peisatastetezeiateet en OS eerpstica rate Ee yeertoast =,