2o6 FOREST TREES. 



was considered by my old Indian friend as a great gift. She invited me- 

 to visit the lodge on one of the islands in the Katchawanook Lake,, 

 where they were encamped — saying — " Come see me — drink Sassafras 

 tea — Paddle you myself." But a report of deer, some miles further up 

 the lake caused a sudden movement among the Indians, and the 

 camp was broken up for the time, and when I did visit the island the 

 hospitable Squaw looked much concerned and said " Husband smoke 

 Sassafras got-a-none." In other words it was all gone— so my treat 

 ended in smoke. 



A diet drink called " Sassafras beer," is considered very cooling 

 and purifying to the blood in warm weather, but is composed of several 

 native herbs, roots, and sprigs of trees in addition to the aromatic wood 

 of the Sassafras tree. 



The Sassafras is found m the western peninsula of Upper 

 Canada. The timber is small and only used in some ornamental work, 

 for its sweet, pleasant scent. The full grown tree, under the most 

 favourable circumstances, rarely exceeds sixty feet in height, and fifteen 

 inches in diameter. It is from the root bark that the fragrant essential 

 oil is obtained. 



The flowers which are in clustered racemes, on short reddish stalks,, 

 are greenish-yellow, appearing at the same time as the leaves from scaly 

 buds; the fruit is a hard, blue berry, supported on a fleshy, reddish, 

 club-shaped pedicel. The leaves are often lobed, but generally ovate 

 and entire ; twigs, yellowish green, spicy, mucilaginous, healing, whole- 

 some and purifying. 



The Sassafras belongs to the same natural order as the Laurel, but 

 appears not to possess the dangerous narcotic principle of the Laurel 

 proper. 



There is a pretty spicy shrub, nearly allied to the Sassafras, known 

 as Wild Allspice, Benzoin and Fever-bush, much used by the Natives 

 with their tobacco. 



Sl'ECKI.KD Al.DER — Aliius vicdua, (Willd). 

 " The Alders dark that fringe the pool." 



The Canadian Alder is chiefly found on low ground, on the shores 

 of low-lying lakes and the banks of creeks. It forms dense thickets in 

 such situations, scarcely reaching to the dignity of a tree. The strong, 

 thick, knotted roots send up many woody stems, and these thick knots 

 are not without their value, being varied and ornamental in the grain, 

 and are used for inlaying. The hard knobby roots are also used by the 

 farmers for beetles in their field work, splitting wood and fencing. The 



