318 TREES OF MINNESOTA. 



fully ripe, sweet and edible. A tree sometimes reaching- a 

 height of fifty feet, but seldom over twenty-five feet, and often 

 a mere shrub. 



Distribution. From Newfoundland westward along the north- 

 ern shores of the Great Lakes to eastern Nebraska, and south 

 to Florida and Louisiana. 



Propagation. The species by seeds and the varieties by suck- 

 ers, layers and cuttings. 



Properties of wood. Heavy, very hard, close-grained, sus- 

 ceptible of a good polish; dark brown in color, with thick 

 lighter-colored sapwood. Specific gravity 0.7838; weight of a 

 cubic foot 48.85 pounds. 



Uses. The profusion of white flowers produced by the Serv- 

 iceberry in early spring makes it a pretty ornamental tree or 

 shrub at that time of the year. It may be planted to supply 

 food for the birds or to produce fruit for home use. The 

 wood is occasionally used for handles of tools or other small 

 implements. 



Varieties. Amelanchier canadcnsis varies considerably in the 

 form of the leaves, size of flowers and fruit and in habit of 

 growth. The following is the most distinct of these varieties. 



Amelanchier canadensis obovalis. I/ongleaf Service- 

 tree. Dwarf Juneberry. Suscutanberry. 



Leaves oblong or broadly elliptical, acute or rounded at the 

 apex, remotely serrate or nearly entire below the middle, coated 

 at first on the lower surface with thick white tomentum. Flow- 

 ers smaller than those of the species. A small bush or tree 

 common in Quebec, Ontario and the Northeastern States, and 

 in localities westward to the Mackenzie river, North Dakota, 

 Minnesota and Missouri. A dwarf form of this, with large 

 fruit, is cultivated to some extent through the Northern States. 

 The Indians of Minnesota and Dakota gather the berries in 

 rather large quantities and sell small quantities in some of tin- 

 remote towns. 



Amelanchier alnifolia. Western Serviceberry. Ser- 

 viceberry. 



Leaves broadly ovate, obtuse or rarely acute, coarsely dentate 

 or serrate towards the apex. Flowers in civet ralhrr dense 



