108 Native Trees of Canada 



Its wood is occasionally used for handles, fishing-rods, bows, and small turnery 

 and is sometimes sold as lance wood. 



AMELANCHIER ALNIFOLIA, Nutt. SASKATOON 



The saskatoon in Canada is foimd from Alaska south throughout British 

 Columbia, and eastward to Georgian bay in Ontario. It is seldom found as a tree, 

 but is more commonly a shrub 8 or 9 ft. in height; in the prairie region usually 3 or 

 4 ft. high. 



It resembles the eastern tree forms of the Amelanchiers but can be distinguished 

 by its leaves. These are rounder in outline and the lower half of the margin is 

 smooth while the upper half is coarsely toothed. 



The fruit is sweet and edible and resembles the huckleberry in appearance. 

 It is much sought after by the settlers in the West where it is commonly called the 

 saskatoon berry. 



THE HAWTHORNS 



Several hundred species of the hawthorn {Crataegus) have been described. 

 Twenty or more of them are found in Canada of which the greater number occur 

 in the southern portion of the eastern provinces. One species, the black haw 

 {Crataegus Douglasn)^ is found in British Columbia. 



There is no group of trees in Canada in which it is more difficult to separate the 

 different species. So large is this group, and so rapidly is it modifying, that only 

 one who has the time and patience to make a special study of hawthorns can hope 

 to know them all. The points of distinction relied upon are found mainly in the 

 flower and the fruit. It is beyond the scope of a book of this nature to take up 

 their minute differences. 



In habit the hawthorns are usually low, wide-spreading, bushy trees, sometimes 

 found growing as shrubs in thickets. Within their range they are common trees 

 along the country roadside, in open places in the farmer's woodlot, and in fence 

 comers. 



They can be readily distinguished from other trees by their somewhat zigzag 

 twigs which are well armed with long thorns. These thorns occur just above the 

 point at which the leaf is attached and are usually unbranched and exceedingly 

 sharp. The thorns attached to the trunk and larger branches are frequently 

 branched. 



The winter buds are small, shiny, chestnut-brown, rounded, and covered with 

 many overlapping, thick scales. 



The fruits, or "haws," as they are sometimes called, when ripe suggest tiny scar- 

 let apples. They are somewhat edible, but as a rule the proportion of bony seed to 

 flesh is so great that they are not much sought after. They sometimes remain on 

 the tree all winter. 



The wood of the hawthorns is very heavy, hard, and tough, and is sometimes 

 used for small turnery such as handles, mallets, and wooden novelties. 



