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maple family is commonly known as Moosewood, and is encoun- 

 tered in low woods. 



Mountain Maple, Acer spicatiim. This was formerly common 

 but is now infrequently seen. 



Swamp Maple. This variety we thus christen independently, 

 as the authorities do not aid us. It is undeniably a maple, but 

 bears a large single-winged seed vessel, while all the text books 

 assign a double-winged pod to the maple and make mention of 

 no other. We have observed another variety which produces 

 a double seed-pod, the winged halves of which are almost invari- 

 able shed single. This curious habit is not referred to by the 

 authorities. We dismiss the maples by observing that among 

 living specimens of these trees those of first or ancestral growth 

 in Derryfield can be counted upon the fingers of one hand. 



White Oak, Qiiercus alba. These were very common in this 

 locality, but have now largely gone the way of the rock maples, 

 alike hewn and consumed, their diminished successors occupy- 

 ing the scrub lands. An ancient oak, a relic of the native woods, 

 still stands in the southwestern quarter of Concord square, and a 

 few others similarly survive. A very fine specimen stands on 

 the south side of Milford beyond Carroll street, and here and 

 there are others at wide intervals. 



Red Oak, Qiierciis rubra. This was the rail-splitting, stave- 

 making tree of our ancestors, in the days of hand-made barrels 

 and casks. Though formerly plentiful and attaining a great size, 

 from sixty to eighty feet, good specimens have become as rare 

 as cooper-shops. 



Scrub Oak, Qtierciis illicifolia. This little tree, scarcely more 

 than a shrub, supplants a once nobler growth and like many an- 

 other worthless thing flourishes. 



Beech, Fagas ferrugiuea. This strikingly handsome forest 

 tree is fast disappearing, noble specimens being extremely rare. 

 None miss it more sadly than the squirrels, the harvest of nuts 

 supplying them with food. Gone are the ancient groves through 

 which the wild turkey stalked ; gone are the initials of colonial 



