Haxdbook of Tijkks of the jSTorthkrn Statks and Canada. 417 



Tlio Noitlicrii Naiiiiy-bcrry is at best a small 

 tioi", only uikIlt most lavorable cumlitioiis at 

 taiiiin-,' the lieight of 2.5 or 30 ft., with trunk 

 8 or 10 in. in diameter, and is c-ommonly only 

 a shrub. When isoUited from oilier trees it 

 develops a wide rounded top with tough tortu- 

 ous branches. The bark of trunk is of a dark- 

 brown color and fissured into prominent ridges, 

 whicii are more or less divided by transverse 

 fissures. 



It inhabits the banks of streams, margins of 

 swamps and low rich bottom-lands, or 

 sparingly hill-sides where there is an abun- 

 dance of moisture, and in these localities, in 

 tlie month of May, its lustrous green leaves 

 and large clusters of small white flowers are 

 sure to elicit admiration from even the casual 

 observer. Its blue-black fruit in autumn pre- 

 sents a new phase of beauty, which the country 

 children consider as also of utility, for they 

 delight in eating the sweet fruit. It is then 

 that the appropriateness of its names — Wild 

 Raisin Tree and Siceet-berry — is apparent. 



The wood is fine-grained, hard and heavy, a 

 cubic foot weighing 45..! 1 lbs., and the yellow- 

 ish brown heart-wood is of very disagreeable 

 and remarkably persistent odor, suggestive of 

 the odor of rancid butter. 



Lcavrs ovate to oval, 2Vj to ."> in. long, mostly 

 rounded at base and acuminate at apex, sharply 

 serrate, at maturity lustrous dark sreen above, 

 yellowish preen and witli niiiinto black dots be- 

 neatii : petioles wide, si-oia ni nhovi-. the lower- 

 most wavy margined, rufmis loiiHiitosc. Floicers 

 % in. broad in several-raycil cyinis, .;-.") in. across. 

 Fruit ripe in September, oblong, on drooping 

 pedicels in red stemmed clusters with thick blue- 

 black glaucous skin ; stone very flat oval or 

 orbicular. 







./'.I 



