BANANA FAMILY 



227 



the most important of our forest trees. The hazehmts {Corij- 

 liLs) and the chestnuts {Castanea) are highly prized for their 

 edible nuts. 



Feed for Swine. — The nuts of the trees of this family and 

 the preceding one are abundantly used in feeding swine. The 

 animals are allowed to gather the acorns and nuts (called mast) 

 from the ground under the trees, during the fall and winter days 

 when there is no snow on the ground. The flesh produced from 

 mast is often of good quality, and the economy of its produc- 

 tion is readily understood. Beechnuts 

 alone produce a soft flesh, and some 

 com or other grain is fed for a few 

 weeks before slaughtering. 



WILLOW FAMILY (sALICACEiE) 



In this family, both the staminate 

 and pistillate flow^ers are borne in cat- 

 kins. It includes the willows (Salix), 

 the poplars, and the cottonwoods 

 {Populus). 



All members of this family grow Fig. 149.— Bur of native chest- 



^ nut showing two seeds within. ("Pro- 



readily from cuttings and can be ductive Plant Husbandry."^ 



growm from gTafts. The poplars anc 

 gro%\ai from seed. 



cottonwoods are frequently 



BANANA FAMILY (ziNGIBREACE^) 



This very important family includes a number of inter- 

 esting families of which the banana of commerce (Musca para- 

 disiaca) is an example. Another species of the banana (M. 

 textilis) produces a fibre from which the ]\ranila hemp is 

 manufactured. 



The edible baiumas are grown from suckers, but the fibre 

 varieties are grown from seeds. 



