Teachers' Leaflet. 603 



Facts for teacher. — The cones grow on the tip of the branches. They, of 

 course, are developed from the pistillate flowers. The staminate flowers will be 

 found along the sides of the twigs in May, and are little, yellow balls of pollen. 

 The hemlock cone is much smaller than any of the pine cones. Of course, the 

 number of scales will vary somewhat with the cone. The seeds are borne two 

 beneath each scale. They have wings nearly as large as the scales and are, there- 

 fore, fitted for being distributed by the wind. The cones mature in one year and 

 usually fall in the spring. As the cones are on the tips of the twigs and droop, 

 the squirrels may often be seen getting them and displaying many acrobatic feats 

 while doing so. 



LESSON LXI. 



THE HEMLOCK TREE. 



Purpose. — To call special attention to the hemlock tree and its uses. 



Observations. — 



1. How tall is the tree? 



2. What is its general shape? 



3. Do the branches extend straight out or droop at the tips? 



4. What is the color of the bark? 



5. What is the hemlock bark used for? 



6. What is hemlock lumber used for? 



7. Is a nail driven into hemlock wood as easily pulled out as one 

 driven into maple, ash or other wood ? 



8. \\'hat is the relative price of hemlock, maple, ash, and pine in 

 your neighborhood? 



Facts for teacher. — .When fully grown the hemlock may be from sixty to a 

 hundred feet high and is a very beautiful, conical shaped evergreen. However, 

 an old hemlock becomes very ragged in appearance. The branches droop, and 

 thus are able to shed the snow and do not break. The bark is reddish or gray 

 and very rough and furrowed on the older trees. It has been used largely 

 because of the tannin in it, which is used for tanning leather. The timber which 

 is coarsely grained is much used for the framing of buildings, and is very valuable 

 because the nails cling in it; it makes a cheap and strong framing material, but 

 it is covered with finish of other wood. The price of hemlock at the present 

 time is twenty-seven to thirty dollars per thousand, while maple is fifty dollars 

 per thousand. 



References. — "The Tree Book," Rogers; "Our Native Trees," 

 Keeler ; " Familiar Trees and Their Leaves," Mathews ; " First Book of 

 Forestry," Roth ; " Practical Forestry," Gififord. 



