TREES HAVING SIMPLE LEAVES 



101 



52. Buttonball. No list of trees would be complete 

 which did not include those three forest giants, button- 

 ball, tulip, and sweet gum. The names Tnittonwood, 

 buttonball, sycamore, and plane tree, as the same tree is 

 called in different parts of the country, all apply to that 

 fine American tree which sheds its bark as well as its 

 leaves, leaving a ghostly monarch of tree life, which 

 produces an enormous crop 



of buttonballs so well known 

 to country boys and girls. 

 The leaves are in proportion 

 to the size of the tree, often 

 measuring a foot in length, 

 and being frequently covered 

 on the under side with a 

 white down called fungus. 



The wood of the sycamore, 

 as it is incorrectly called, is 

 valuable for cabinetwork, having a beautiful grain and 

 taking a high polish. It is, however, difficult to work, 

 and has a tendency to warp. 



53. Sweet Gum. The sweet-gum tree also produces a 

 crop of balls, or seed pods, but although the same size 

 as the buttonballs, they need never be confused, as the 

 gum balls are covered with somewhat sharp points, while 

 the buttonballs are comparatively smooth. 



FIG. 111. Leaf of Button wood 



