70 TIMBER TREES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



stocks, shuttles, large screws, mallets and the shafts of wagons. A 

 decoction for diarrhoea, hemorrhage, etc., is made from the fruit, 

 from which persimmon beer is also produced. 



Large quantities have been cut in North Carolina near the rail- 

 roads. 



Mohrodendron carolinum, Britton.* 



(snowdrop tree, silverbell tree.) 



A tree of medium or small size, with reddish-brown, broadly 

 ridged bark, and bright biown smooth branches striped with pale 

 shallow longitudinal iissures, sometimes reaching a height of 90 

 and a diameter of 3 feet. 



It occurs commonly in rich soil along streams from the moun- 

 tains of West Virginia to southern Illinois, southward to middle 

 Florida, central Alabama and Mississippi, andgthrough Arkansas 

 to western Louisiana and eastern Texas; reaching its best devel- 

 opment in the southern Alleghany mountains. 



In this State, where it reaches an average height of 15 to 25 

 feet, it is found in the Piedmiont plateau as far east as Surry and 

 Mecklenburg, and thence westward it is not uncommon, especially 

 along the upper portions of the water courses. 



The silverbell tree produces seed every two or three years 

 and young plants are common in damp shady woods. Specimens 

 over one foot in diameter are apt to be hollow. 



The thin leaves are finely serrate, light green above, pale, 

 and slightly downy below. The flowers, which appear with 

 the leaves in spring, are white, bell-shaped, and are borne by 

 slender drooping stems. The large dry fruit, about 1? inches 

 long, has four wings and contains a bony nut. The hairy winter- 

 buds are small, obtuse, and dark red or light brown. 



The wood is light, soft, close-grained, compact, light brown 

 in color; the sapwood lighter. It has no uses in North Carolina. 



Fraxinus americana, Liniuisus. 

 (white ash.) 

 A large tree of the first commercial value, with stout, upright 



*Halesia tetraptera, Linnaeus. 



