The Trees of Vermont 15 



choice between Fruit an acorn and Fruit not an acorn. You poke 

 about in the grass beneath the tree with your foot, finding an acorn, 

 water-soaked and worm-eaten, and then another. But these may have 

 been carried hither by an industrious squirrel or washed here by the 

 rain or blown by the wind and deposited for the entrapment of the un- 

 wary. Hence you look up into the tree for affirmation and observing 

 more closely than heretofore you note that the young, green acorns are 

 quite apparent. The genus, then, is Qiicrcns. 



Before going further in your pursuit it will be well for you to 

 go back over the key to make careful note of the particular characters 

 which were used to separate this genus from the other genera and to 

 try to fix these in mind. This being done, you should turn to the page 

 indicated, where you will find a Summer Key to the Species of Quercus. 

 You may then run through this key in the same manner that you 

 did the genus key. If you have been careful in your search you will 

 stop finally at Quercus alba. At this point you will do well once more 

 to pause and go back over this key and try to fix in mind the characters 

 which were used to separate the various species, especially the differ- 

 ence between your tree and Quercus niacrocarpa, which it resembles so 

 closely. This done, you will turn to the page indicated and compare 

 the characters of your tree with the drawings and descriptions. If you 

 are satisfied with your diagnosis, well and good. If you find that you 

 are wrong, go over the keys again and find wherein you were led astray. 



Before you leave the tree take a sample of leaf properly labeled 

 which you can press between the pages of an old magazine and save 

 for future reference. Do this with other trees which you may find 

 and when you get home lay them out side by side so that the labels will 

 not show and compare them. A few trials of this kind will serve to 

 form a mental picture of each leaf which you will remember. 



A very helpful practice for the beginner is that of making keys 

 based upon various characters. Practice keys of this kind will bring 

 out the differences and likenesses of trees as will no other means, and 

 characters which hitherto have escaped the eye will be brought forward 

 prominently. Nor should the student take his characters from books, 

 but rather should go to the woods and get his knowledge at first hand. 



It is hardly necessary to state that while the key is a valuable 

 crutch while learning to walk, once the leg is strong enough to bear the 

 weight it should be discarded, lest it becomes a burden. A key's main 

 function is the guidance of the student through the preliminary steps 

 leading to a more intimate knowledge of the trees. 



