80 TIMBER TREES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



The red imilben-y bears large quantities of seed every year or 

 every other year, and seedlings are found on moist soil tiirongh 

 the forests of the Piedmont plateau region. Numerous sprouts 

 come up after cutting. 



The broad, heart-shaped, pointed leaves are rough above and 

 downy below. The flowers are inconspicuous, and the deep red 

 or purple fruit is sweet and edible, with an agreeable, slightly 

 acid taste. Tlie winter-buds are large, reddish, smooth and 

 conical. 



The wood is light, soft, not strong, rather tough, coarse-grained, 

 compact, very durable in contact with the ?oil, light orange- 

 yellow in color; the sapwood lighter. 



It takes a good polish, and is largely used for fencing, 

 cooperage, snaths, and, at the South, for ship and boatbuilding. 

 The leaves have been used for feeding silkworms, but are not well 

 adapted for that purpose. 



Celtis occidentalis, Linniieiis. 

 (hackberry.) 



A large tree, with bark often much roughened by small ridges, 

 and flexuous, smooth, brown branches. It reaches a height of 130 

 and a diameter of 5 feet, or sometimes is reduced to a low shrub. 



It occurs in rich bottoms or on dry hillsides from the valley of 

 the St. Lawrence river west to eastern Dakota, south through the 

 Atlantic region to southern Florida, and to Texas ; being most 

 abundant and reaching its best development in the basin of the 

 Mississippi river. 



In this State, where it reaches an average height of 50 to 70 

 feet and a diameter of 18 to 20 inches, it is found throughout, 

 except in the high mountain counties, as Ashe, AVatauga, Mitchell, 

 and l*ancey, and attains its greatest size and abundance in the 

 alluvial swamps of the coastal plain. 



It bears seed plentifully and as a rule every year. Seedlings 

 are common near old trees and along river bottoms. 



The leaves are ovate, toothed, taper-pointed, and smooth at 

 maturity. The greenish flowers are inconspicuous, and the 



