364 ] Trees and How to Know Them 



polished reddish-brown nuts become the prized treasures of chil- 

 dren. Designs can be carved on these nuts, and if they are hol- 

 lowed out they can be turned into pipes, baskets, and other toys. 

 Even when they are put to no use whatever, they have a tremen- 

 dous appeal and are hoarded by boys and girls as if they were 

 precious, hard-earned legal tender. 



In June and July you find the horse-chestnut tree at its loveliest; 

 showy white flower clusters from six to twelve inches high appear 

 then and the leaves are fully developed. Its leaves suggest tropical 

 foliage in their size and luxuriance, for leaflets from five to seven 

 inches long are grouped together like a palm with six or seven 

 fingers. Its bark is dark brown, with deep furrows and scaly ridges. 



Another imported tree furnishes many of the chestnuts that we 

 now buy at the market. It is the Japanese chestnut, a rather 

 dwarfed and compact tree that stays free of blight and is excellent 

 for orchard growth. 



GINKGOS ADMIRABLE FOR CITY STREETS 



City streets are the place to find ginkgos, or maidenhair, 

 trees. This species, imported from Japan and China as a shade 

 tree, is excellent for city use because it thrives on poor soil and is 

 not harmed by heat reflected from pavements. 



The name "maidenhair" was suggested by the fanlike leaves 

 which are shaped like the leaflets of the maidenhair fern. They 

 are deep green and turn a brilliant yellow. The tree is naturally 

 cone-shaped, but as it responds so well to pruning you may see it 

 rounded or otherwise trimmed to a form suitable to narrow city 

 streets. The bark of the short trunk is grayish brown with shallow 

 furrows. 



The Cone-Bearing Evergreens 



FIRS FOR CHRISTMAS 



The firs are so closely associated with the delights of Christ- 

 mas that children are likely to be particularly interested in these 

 trees. We cannot help admiring the symmetrical form and rich 



