PAPERS ON BIOLOGY AND AGRICULTURE 67 



PLANTAGINACEAE. PLANTAIN FAMILY. 

 Genus Plantago, Tourn. Plantain. 

 Plantago major.. Common Plantain. Not common, 



CHENOPODIACEAE. GOOSEFOOT FAMILY. 

 Genus Chenopodium, Toum. Pigiseed. 

 Chenopodium album, L. Pig\seed. Common. 



POLYGONACE-\E. BUCKWHEAT FA^^LY. 

 Genus Rumex, L. Dock. Sorrel. 

 Rumex altissimus. Wood. Pale Dock. Common. 



Genus Polygonum, Tourn. Knotweed. 

 Polygonum dumetorum, var. scandens. Gray. Qimbing False Buckwheat. 



THYMELAEACEAE. MEZEREUM FAMILY. 

 Genus Dirca, L. Leathenvood. Moosewood. 

 Dirca palustris, L. Moosewood. Used for withes by Indians. 



URTia\CK\E. NETTLE FAMILY. 

 Genus Ulmus, L. Elm. 

 Ulmus fulva, Michx. Slippery or Red Elm. Rare. 



Ulmus americana, L. American or \^liite Elm. Quite common, and a 

 large tree. 



CUPUUFERAE. OAK FAMILY. 

 Genus Betula, Tourn. Birch. 

 Betula lenta, L. Cheny Birch; Sweet or Black Birch. 

 Betula lutea, Michx. f. Yellow or Gray Birch. 

 Betula papyritera, Marshall. Paper or Canoe Birch. 



The birches and poplars are the most numerous trees of the reservation and 

 from an Indian point of view are among the most valuable, especially the 

 birches, for from them their birch bark utensils are made.* 



•Birch Bark Utensils: The bark of the white (paperi birch was used in the 

 old times and is still used for making various convenient small vessels, pails, 

 and trays. When made for permanent use, the parts of the article are firmly 

 sewed together with basswood twine and the edges counter wrapped with the 

 same material. 



If the article is wished to be made water tight, its seams are sealed with 

 pitch. The following are some of the useful birch bark articles used by the 

 Bois Fort Indians: Mococks (in which wild rice and maple sugar are stored i; 

 dishes; sap dishes (used in catching maple sapi; rice baskets; buckets; trays 

 and winnowing dishes (used when separating the chaff from the rice.) 



The CANOE is also made from birch bark. The Ojibwa reached his zenith 

 in manufacture when he made the canoe. It is undoubtedly the most beautiful 

 and light model of all the water crafts ever invented. The frame work is made 

 of white cedar or some other light, durable wood; the ribs are thinned to the 

 right thickness with a drawing knife, and when the desired number are ob- 

 tained, they are steamed, after which they are curved according to the part of 

 the canoe which they are intended to brace. The tops of the ribs are then 

 securely tied to the top plate-piece of the canoe with roots of tamarack, or 

 some other tough tying material ; this frame is then placed in a sort of rack 

 and the birch bark put on it so ingeniously and so well sewed together and the 

 seams so well closed with pitch, that the finished canoe is water tight and 

 rides on the water like a cork. 



Genus Corylus, Tourn. Hazel-nut. 



Corylus rostrata. Ait. Beaked Hazel-nut. Ver>' common and much used 

 as food by the natives. 



Genus Carpinus, L. Hornbeam. Iron-wood. 

 Carpinus caroliniana, Walter? American Hornbeam. Blue or Water Beech. 



