Handbook of Trees of the North kkn States and Canada. 193 



The Hackberry in the forests of the rich 

 bottom-lands of me Ohio Kivcr basin some- 

 times exceeds 100 ft in heipht and its trunk 

 is sometimes 4 or 5 feet in diameter, but when 

 in drj'er soil of regions more unfavorable to 

 its growth it is a much smaller tree. When 

 isohited it develops an ovoid or oblong top of 

 many small branches and fine branchlets. It 

 is abundant in the Mississippi bAsin, but in 

 the northeastern states and Canada so uncom- 

 mon or local in its distribution as not to be 

 generally known by the country people when 

 it is observed, and strange names are often 

 given to it. Two large trees having considera- 

 ble local celebrity as "Unknown Trees" (one 

 near Palatine Bridge and the other near Schuy- 

 lerville, N. Y. ) I have found upon examina- 

 tion to be of this specie-^, and my father has 

 told me of having had several similar ex- 

 periences. 



The leaves of the trees of this species in 

 the Black River valley of northern New York 

 commonly show an interesting variegation in 

 mid-summer and becoming more marked as 

 the season advances. This I am informed by 

 Dr. B. T. Galloway is due to a parasitic fungus, 

 known as the PhyUosticta Veltidis E. & K. 



The wood is rather heavy, a cubic foot when 

 absolutely dry weighing 4.5.40 lbs. and is used 

 in the manufacture of furniture and agricul- 

 tural implements, for fuel, fences, etc.^ 



J.rnrrs inequilateral, ovate, more or less falcate, 

 rounded or cordate or tapering' and oblique at base, 

 rnarsely serrate, thin, prominently reticulate, 

 lisrht green and smooth or rousjhish above, paler 

 and fflabrous or nearly so beneath. Floircrs as 

 described for the genus. Fruit siihslobose or ob- 

 long, about V4 in. Ions, with thick dark purple 

 skin, yellowish flesh and smooth pit.^ 



Var. puDiUa Gray, is a shrubby form of the 

 Southern states, through Missouri and westward, 

 with small and more rugose leaves. 



1. Including C. crassifolia Lam. and C. caiiimi 

 Hat. Slime botanists consider these distinct, but 

 tenable directive characters do not seem to exist. 



2. A. W., I, 12. 



3. For genus see pp. 4."2-4;i;i. 



