346 



EDWARD W. BERRY 



present disconnected areas of distribution represent special cre- 

 ations — which is absurd, or to suppose that the same genus orig- 

 inated independently on different continents, which is almost 

 equally absurd. The details of the geological history of the 

 Witch Hazel family are for the most part unknown because of the 

 imperfection of the geological record. 



Fig. 1. Sketch map showing the existing limits of distribution of the sweet 

 gum and witch hazel with the Tertiary occurrences of the sweet gum indicated by 

 solid black circles. 



Although the modern sweet gum rivals the red maple or the dog- 

 wood in the brilliancy of the autumnal tints of its star-shaped 

 leaves, it was considered practically worthless as a wood until 

 within the past few years, owing chiefly to its tendency to warp 

 and twist. It was formerly left standing in logging operations 

 and when land was cleared for agricultural purposes, the sweet 

 gum was girdled and left to rot. But times and opinions change 

 and the demand for the wood has increased rapidly since about the 

 year 1900. 



