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and black gum. Its wood can scarcely be distinguished from that of the 
tulip-tree, and it is used for the same purposes. It can be identified by 
the long pointed buds and by the fruit, which after the fall of the petals 
grows from the center of the flower to about the size and in the shape 
of a small cucumber. 
- Gleditsia triacanthos. Honey Locust—There are two species of 
Gleditsia in our district, triacanthos and aquatica, the latter having been 
found in the woods around Ullin. The first mentioned is the more impor- 
tant commercial species, and is easily recognized by the long-branched 
thorns on trunk and branches, by the compound leaves, and by the long 
pods containing hard, dark-brown seeds. The heartwood is classed along 
with the larch for durability. The species is used for railroad ties, lum- 
ber, and charcoal. The wood has a pleasing grain when quarter-sawed, 
but in durability it does not rank with the black locust. 
Tilia americana. Basswood.—This is primarily a tree of the river 
bottoms, where it is associated with elms, hackberry, tulip-tree, and black 
cherry. The wood is used for wooden-ware, carriage bodies, high-grade 
trunks and boxes, backing and drawers for furniture, excelsior, and 
matches. It is light but strong, resembling cottonwood. The genus Tilia 
may be known by the fruit, which consists of two or three nutlets 
attached to a foliar expansion which assists in scattering the fruit. 
Sassafras sassafras —This is a common tree coming in on old fields, 
along with persimmon and sumach. It can be identified by the frequently 
mitten-shaped leaves and the aromatic odor of the inner bark. Its heart- 
wood is brown and very durable, so that it is used for fence posts, cooper- 
age, and boat building. Its roots are used for tea. 
Robinia pseudacacia. Black Locust——This tree is quite common in 
the Ozark region, on slopes above the Ohio River, where it is not attacked 
by the locust-borer, which is so destructive to pure stands. The wood is 
strong, and in durability ranks with Osage orange, from which it is not 
easily distinguished except by the yellower color of the former. It is 
used for fence posts, telephone poles, and insulator pins, and during the 
war it was largely utilized for tree nails and for fastening together the 
parts of wooden ships. The destructiveness of the locust-borer makes it 
inadvisable to plant this species in southern Illinois, although it is one of 
the best trees for reclaiming worn-out soils subject to gullying, or for 
holding blow sand. 
Prunus serotina. Wild Black Cherry.—Occasional specimens of this 
tree are found in bottomland forests. It can be recognized by the bark, 
which is broken up into square plates, and by its fruit, which grows in 
racemes. The heartwood is of a deep wine-red color, and fine in both 
grain and texture. It is a valuable cabinet, and an excellent propeller, 
