PLANTING MATERIALS 49 



leaves or needles throughout one or more years, but 

 even in these the spring coloring of the new growth 

 may make a delightful contrast with the growth of 

 the preceding year. Such trees give warmth to 

 the winter landscape. The deciduous trees, how- 

 ever, do not lose their charm with the falling of their 

 leaves. Note the gracefulness of the branches of the 

 elm, distinguishing this tree even at a great distance, 

 the beautiful light bluish gray coloring of the bark 

 of beeches and the great strength of their branches 

 extending straight out from the trunk. Note also 

 the rough bark of the bur oak extending even to the 

 young branches, and the pleasing curved outline of 

 the top of the tree, especially in the spring, this out- 

 line being due to the light gray color of last year's 

 bark and later to the light yellow of the expanding 

 buds. The mere mention of the names of trees - 

 the sugar maples, lindens, cherries, sycamores, Ken- 

 tucky coffee trees, pepperidges, sassafras, birches, 

 hickories, walnuts, honey locusts, thorn and crab- 

 apples - -will bring to mind some pleasing peculiar- 

 ity of branching, texture or color of bark, or even 

 the old leaves hanging to the branches of certain 

 trees, like the straw-colored leaves on young beeches 

 and the reddish-brown leaves on some of the oaks. 



