134 HOW TO KNOW WILD FRUITS 



For two weeks I had been looking, without 

 success, for the bright red berries which this 

 Elder bears. When almost in despair over se- 

 curing a specimen, I chanced to be trolley ing 

 in the vicinity of Mt. Tom, when my eye sud- 

 denly caught a gleam of red against a rocky 

 background. I knew at once that it was my 

 coveted prize. Fortunately a switch was near, 

 and while the car waited there I was able to 

 hurry back, get my specimen, and resume my 

 journey. This especial plant was growing out 

 of a wall of rock. In general, it is found in 

 rocky woodlands and has a wide range from 

 New Brunswick south to Georgia and westward 

 across the continent. A variety with white 

 berries is said to have been found in the Catskill 

 Mountains. 



The shrub grows from two to twelve feet 

 high. The older stems are brown and warty. 

 In blossom and in fruit the plant may be readily 

 distinguished from the Common Elder, and at 

 other times the brown pith in the young shoots 

 serves as a determining feature. The fruited 

 shrub, at a distance, looks something like a 

 sumac. 



