Junior Naturalist Monthly. 307 



Poison sumac or "poison elder" is also a large shrub but grows 

 only in swamps or moist places. The twigs are mottled brown and 

 gray. The fruits are round, waxy berries (dry and hard in winter) 

 borne in loose, slender clusters which, instead of being terminal, 

 are axillary, i. e., growing out of the sides of the branches in the 

 axils of the leaves. If the leaves have fallen the leaf-scars are still 

 there and are big and broad, not narrow and circular like those of 

 the staghorn sumac. Fig. 4 (5). 



Fragrant sumac, a low shrub. The fruit is in small clusters of 

 red, hairy berries which fall off early in winter. The small clusters 

 on the present twigs are next year's flowers which open very early 

 in the spring before the leaves. The wood is sweet scented. Fig. 

 4(2). 



Poison ivy or poison oak (a true sumac and by far the most common 

 poisonous plant in the United States) a low shrub or climbing vine, 

 with light brown twigs. The fruit is like that of the poison sumac 

 and the leaf-scars, in proportion to the t-udg, are also similar. Fig. 

 4 (3). 



LESSON III.— SOILS. 



Gather dried but not decayed leaves of the staghorn sumac, " 

 oak, hickory or maple. Using your hands, grind up the leaves. 

 Moisten them. Get a saucer full of yellow or gray soil. Moisten 

 it quite wet. Place the moist leaves in the soil and mix them in 

 well. Set the saucer in a warm place and stir the dirt and leaves 

 occasionally. What happens? What becomes of the leaves in the 

 forest? What becomes of tree stumps? What happens to the 

 grass that is plowed under? What happens to dead bugs? Who 

 ever saw a dead English sparrow? What becomes of the bodies of 

 dead birds? What do angle worms do with the dead leaves? If 

 you do not know, put an angle worm in a flower jar of moist soil 

 with a lantern globe over it. Place a few dead leaves on top of the 

 soil and watch what happens. Why should the above questions 

 be of interest to young gardeners and naturalists? 



LESSON rv^.— NOTE-BOOKS. 



As soon as members of the club receive their November Leaflets 

 we want you to get a small note-book in which you can keep a record 

 of all that interests you in the out-door world. Every senior natural- 

 ist does this. Later in the year we shall ask you to copy a page 

 from your note-book and send it to us, that we may have it published 

 in the Junior Naturalist Monthly. You may watch a tree or bird 



