STUDIES OF LEAF AND TREE (PART III) 



157 



FRINGE TREE, AN UNUSUALLY HANDSOME 

 SHRUB THAT MANY KNOW AS "OLD MAN'S 

 BEARD" (Chionantnus virginica) 



Fig. 46 This is a southern Maryland specimen 

 from the bold, rocky cliffs at Great Falls of the 

 Potomac; it is found growing there most luxuri- 

 antly, offering a very conspicuous object among 

 the imposing rocky banks of the river. 



of it have been used up for gunstocks 

 alone, and household furniture has 

 likewise demanded a fearful toll. But 

 a full history of the walnut trees, 

 botanical and commercial, would fur- 

 nish ample material for a small vol- 

 ume ; so they must be set aside for the 

 present, in that a few words may be 

 said about the hickories. 



There are a dozen species of these 

 and all confined to North America. It 

 was Rafinesque who, in 1808, placed 

 them all in the genus 

 Scoria. In 1817 he 

 changed this name 

 to Hicorius, and, final- 

 ly, in 1836, to Hi- 

 coria. Nuttall changed 

 the last to Carya, which 

 is the one accepted by 

 Gray, and is said to be 

 an ancient name for the 

 walnut. It is also said 

 that every one of our 

 species may be found 

 growing in nature in 

 the State of Arkansas, 

 which is an exception- 

 ally fine region in which 

 to study and compare 

 all the members of the 



group. 



No tree history is 



more interesting than that of the hickories ; it is filled with romance, legend, 

 and tradition for the various products of these trees have been used long 

 before the white man ever came to this country. In Europe these hickory 

 trees are found fossil in the Tertiary, and all efforts to rear the existing 

 types have failed there. Julia Rogers says : "No group of trees has higher 

 qualities than the hickories. The wood of most species is tough, strong and 

 flexible especially valuable for farm implements, tool handles, and the 

 like. There is no other fuel that excels dry hickory for heat and brilliancy 

 of flame. No other of our trees bear such valuable nuts. No finer tribe, 

 of shade and ornamental trees is to be found. With all their positive 

 good qualities, the hickories have scarcely a bad one." 



The upper cut of Fig. 44 shows 

 the arrangement of the leaves in 

 the Big Shellbark Hickory (C. 

 laciniosa), there being but five on 

 the stem in the Pig-nut hickory 

 (C. glabra) ; still other species have 

 seven. The study of hickory nuts 

 is a very long chapter, only equal- 

 ling what could be written about 

 the uses to which the wood of the 

 hickories is put in this country. It 

 has not its like for a great many 

 uses. Hickory nuts and hickory oil 

 cut another big figure commercial- 

 ly ; while of recent years consider- 

 able attention has been paid to the 

 hybrids of the hickories, and still 

 more to the question of improving 

 some of the species through graft- 

 ing. Much success has followed 

 upon experiments in the last field, 

 particularly in selective grafting in 

 the case of the pig-nut. 



The Pecan also belongs in this group ; and, although its wood is of 

 little value to man, the nuts are of very great commercial value. Many a 

 man in the South has become more than wealthy through devoting his atten- 

 tion to their cultivation 

 and subsequent market- 

 ing. 



There are some beau- 

 tiful trees and shrubs 

 in our Olive family 

 (Oleaceae), for the 

 group holds all the 

 Ashes {Fraxinus), the 

 Lilacs {Syr in g a). 

 Swamp Privet {Adel- 

 ia), the common Privet 

 {Ligustum), and the 

 lovely Fringetree {Chi- 

 onanthus v ir g inica ) , 

 also called "Old Man's 

 Beard," a name which 

 is applied, too, to our 

 well-known Clematis 

 vine. 



The Fringe, tree, has 



A PRETTY BUNCH OF THE FLOWERS OF 

 THE FRINGE TREE (Chionanthus virginica), A 

 FINE SPECIMEN OF WHICH IS GIVEN IN 

 FIG. 46. 



Fig 47 This is a very difficult subject for the 

 camera, as the slightest movement of the air will 

 cause the delicate petals to tremble. 



"KEYS" AND LEAVES OF THE SILVER MAPLE (Acer saccharinum), OFTEN- 

 CULTIVATED AS A SHADE TREE IN OUR TOWNS AND CITIES 



Fig. 41 These structures go a long way towards making correct identifications of 

 our maples, and should always be collected with the leaves for the herbarium. 



