TREES AND SHRUBS 179 



the trees which shed their leaves may be recognized by 

 means of their buds. To one familiar with the trees 

 from childhood none of these means of identification 

 seems important; the tree is a poplar because the 

 general appearance looks like a poplar, just as one 

 recognizes a boyhood friend by his appearance from a 

 long distance and does not have to examine him closely 

 to see if his hair is black or brown or look at the color 

 of his eyes to decide whether it is Dick or Ralph. To 

 the novice, however, these finer points are necessary 

 until one becomes thoroughly familiar with the form, 

 method of branching, color of bark, etc. 



The trees common to the United States are divided 

 into two classes: 



I. Gymnosperms, naked-seeded trees which bear their 

 seed on the face of a scale. The fruit is a woody 

 cone except in the case of junipers and yew where it 

 is berry-like. This class is much older and less special- 

 ized than the second class. 



II. Angiosperms, where the seeds are borne in a closed 

 receptacle not a cone. This class contains the broad- 

 leaf or hardwood trees. 1 



each region and their characteristics described o as to make 

 their identification easy. If further knowledge is desired the 

 State Botanist will doubtless be able to name several books of 

 reference, covering the region in question. In many cases the 

 State Forester publishes a small booklet describing the local 

 trees in a popular way. The best reference book for tree identi- 

 fication is the " Manual of the Trees of North America " by 

 Charles S. Sargent. 



i By hardwoods the broadleaf or deciduous trees are meant ; 

 and softwood is used to characterize trees of the evergreen class 

 regardless of the hardness of their wood. This differentiation 

 is accepted by the lumberman regardless of the fact that certain 

 so-called hardwoods like poplar have wood that is much softer 

 than certain softwoods like the longleaf pine. 



