BLACK GUM 339 



is not the right thing to do ; nor is there any justification in 

 calling, here at home or elsewhere, any of the Guins 

 "Satin Walnut," "Circassian Walnut,"*" Bay Poplar," 

 " Hazel Pine," or " Nyssa," for that is a deception. It is 

 true that " Nyssa " is the botanical name for all the true 

 Gums, but the average purchaser is not likely to know that 

 fact, and the dealer practically lies to him with a truth 

 when he sells him Gum under that name. He might as 

 well sell Water Oak as " Quercus." If properly manufac- 

 tured and treated, all the Gums have, for the purpose for 

 which they are adapted, merit enough to be known and sold 

 under their true names. The three important species are 

 Black Gum (Nyssa sylvatica, sometimes called Sour Gum 

 and Pepperidge), Tupelo Gum (Nyssa aquatica, frequently 

 called Cotton Gum), and Red Gum (Liquidambar styraci- 

 Jlua, in some states called Sweet Gum). 



BLACK GUM : Nyssa sylvatica 



THEEE is great lack of uniformity in names given to 

 this tree. It is known as Black Gum in fifteen states, as 

 Sour Gum in fourteen, as Tupelo in eleven, and Pepper- 

 idge in ten. It has the greatest range of any of the species. 

 A line drawn from the coast of southern Maine to southern 

 Iowa, from there to southern Texas, and from there along 

 the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, and again to Maine will in- 

 close an area in which it may be found, but not uniformly 

 so. It may be occasionally seen one hundred feet in height, 

 with a diameter of four and sometimes five feet, but these 

 dimensions are far above the average, as it is by no means 

 uniform in growth. It has many slender limbs which are 

 frequently drooping, but if growing in a dense stand it will 

 show a fairly good stem free from limbs. In some sections it 

 grows along the borders of swamps and flourishes in wet and 

 poorly drained soils, but it is often found on high mountain 

 slopes. Its best development is along the base of the south- 

 ern Appalachian Mountains. 



