THE OAKS AND CHESTNUT 71 



Leaf: Has three predominating veins and is a bit 

 more developed on one side than on the other. 



Form and size: A small or medium-sized tree with 

 a single stem and broad conical crowTi. 



Range: United States and Canada. 



Soil and location: Grows naturally in fertile soils, but 

 will adapt itself to almost sterile soils as well. 



Enemies: The hackberry is usually free from disease, 

 though often its leaves are covered with insect galls. 



Value for planting: It is extensively planted as a shade 

 tree in the Middle West, and is frequently seen as an orna- 

 mental tree in the East. 



Commercial value: It has little economic value except 

 for fuel. 



Other characters : The fruit is berry-like, with a hard 

 pit. Tlie fleshy outer part is sweet. 



Other common names: Nettle tree: sugarberry. 



GROUP VIII. THE OAKS AND CHESTNUT 



How to tell them from other trees: The oaks are 

 rather difficult to identify and, in studying them it will 

 often be necessary to look for more than one distinguishing 

 character. The oaks differ from other trees in bearing 

 acorns. Their leaves have many lobes and their upper 

 lateral huds cluster at the top of the twigs. The general 

 contour of each oak presents a characteristic branching 

 and sturdiness uncommon in other trees. 



The chestnut differs from other trees in bearing burs 

 and its hark is also distinctly characteristic. 



How to tell them from from each other: There are 

 two groups of oaks, the white oak and the black oak. The 

 white oaks mature their acorns in one year and, ±ki^«- ^y, 



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