TREES TOLD BY THEIR FORM 



57 



by sweet, ill-smelling flesh. The tree is dioecious, there 



being separate male and female trees. The male tree is 



preferable for planting in order to 



avoid the disagreeable odor of the - , 



fruit which appears on the female 



trees when about thirty years old. 



The male tree has a narrower crown 



than the female tree. The buds (Fig. 



46) are very odd and are conspicuous 



on the tree throughout the winter. 



The leaves of the gingko shed in the 



winter. In this respect the tree is 



like the larch and the bald C3^press. 



The gingko belongs to the yew 

 family, which is akin to the pine 

 family. It is therefore a very old 

 tree, the remains of the forests of 

 the ancient world. The gingko in its 

 early life is tall and slender with its 

 few branches close to the stem. But 

 after a time the branches loosen up 

 and form a Ande-spreading crown. 

 In the Orient it attains enormous 

 proportions and in this country it 

 also grows to a fairly large size when 

 planted on the open lawn or in 

 groups far apart from other trees so 

 that it can have plenty of room to 



spread. It then produces a picturesque effect of unusual 

 interest. 



Fig. 46.— Bud of 

 the Gingko Tree. 



