58 CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE 



extinction of our nut-bearing trees will soon deprive us of the 

 red and grey squirrel. 



Hickory, Carya alba. In addition to the Shagbark there were 

 several other nut-bearing varieties once numerous. The great 

 value of the wood for fuel, as well as the demand for its use in 

 wood-working arts, have contributed to its practical extinction 

 in this locality. Doubtless, God could make a better nut than 

 the hickory, but doubtless God never did. 



Butternut, Jiiglans cinerea. This is still common in open pas- 

 tures and along roadside ways. The outer bark of the nut was 

 extensively used by our grandmothers in dying wool. The wri- 

 ter well remembers wearing the brown home-spun. 



Poplar or American Aspen, Populous tremtdoidiis. Formerly 

 quite common, now comparatively infrequent. The bass wood 

 is still here and still valueless. 



The Black Cherry is frequently seen in open fields and pas- 

 tures. This is the " rum-cherry" of our spirit-loving forefathers, 

 bad 'imitations of which are sold to-day in various rum-holes. 

 There is also a wild red cherry and the choke-cherry. A great 

 many boys have not died by drinking milk after eating freely of 

 the latter fruit. 



There are still a number of varieties of the genus Willow, in- 

 cluding the Osier or Basket Willow. The common willow is 

 undoubtedly doomed to immortality, as it is impossible to destroy 

 a tree that will grow without roots and flourish after death. 



A Wild Plum, Primus Americana, formerly grew in plenty 

 but is now rare. 



Other varieties of trees, both native and introduced, will sug- 

 gest themselves to the reader, such as the alders, elders, leather- 

 wood, mountain sumach, horn beam, leverwood, etc. 



The group of shrubs is large, but we must content ourselves 

 with a mere mention of the more common examples : We still 

 have the white-rod or withe-wood, the fence-mender of the old- 

 time farmer ; the witch-hazel, curious and interesting in its habit 



