54 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES. 



larger than a pea, is translucent red, and sour, but the 

 birds seem to relish it. 



This tree is common in rocky woods, where it 

 often reaches the height of from 20 to 40 feet ; 

 but generally it will be found beside the high- 

 way often not much taller than the shrubbery among 

 which it grows. Its twigs are red, and the bark of 

 the trunk is dark chestnut-red, very smooth, rather 

 shiny, and is covered more or less with rust-colored 

 marks. Its tiny, white, long-stemmed flowers appear 

 in May, scattered loosely over the branches, and con- 

 tribute quite a graceful appearance to the otherwise 

 slim and scrawny tree. The wild red cherry is com- 

 mon everywhere in the 

 North, and extends 

 southward along 

 the mountains to 

 North Carolina, and 

 westward to Iowa. 



Wild Black Cherry. ^ n e of 



Prunus serotina. our mos t 



picturesque trees, which in 

 perfect figure is more likely 



ru o ac erry. -f oun( -j Qn h e confines of Some 



field or on the bank of a river, is the wild black 

 cherry. Here it is not hampered by the crowding 

 growth of the forest, and it spreads itself over the 



