it is difficult to describe it accurately. Some characters are dis- 

 tinctive, however, and serve as a ready means of identification ; 

 such characters are the peeling of the Sycamore and Paper 

 Birch, the "shagging" of the Shagbark Hickory, the spicy taste 

 of Sassafras bark and the mucilaginous inner bark of the Slip- 

 pery Elm. 



WOOD. It is not expected that the information given under 

 this heading will be of any particular value in identifying living 

 trees. Often, however, the student finds himself in the midst of 

 felling operations, when the information concerning the wood is 

 of considerable value. 



DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT. To a lesser extent do 

 distribution and habitat of a species aid in the identification of a 

 tree. It is a distinct aid to know that the Chestnut is native in 

 south-eastern Michigan only and that the Mountain Ash does not 

 extend south of Ludington. So too, knowing the water-loving 

 habit of the Swamp White Oak, we would not expect to find this 

 same tree flourishing on the top of a hard, dry hill. 



The characters, then, which are used to identify the trees 

 about us are many. Not all will be available at any one time, not 

 all have been mentioned in the foregoing pages nor in the manual. 

 It is our opinion, however, that the student will not be greatly 

 handicapped by this lack of detail, but rather that he will take 

 great interest and genuine pleasure in discovering these things 

 for himself. 



