124 TREES 



seem to work together to bleach them into utter purity of 

 color and texture. Gradually the white bells fade and a 

 queer little green, tapering seed-case enlarges and ripens. 

 Through the late summer these pale green fruits are ex- 

 ceedingly ornamental as the leaves turn to pale yellow. 



In cultivation, the silver bell tree is hardy in the New 

 England states, but in its native woods it grows north no 

 farther than West Virginia and Illinois. It is easily trans- 

 planted and pruned to bush form, if one desires to keep the 

 blossoming down where the perfection of the flowers can be 

 enjoyed at close range. 



Snowdrop Tree 



M. diptera, Britt. 



A second species called the snowdrop tree skirts the 

 swamps along the South Atlantic and Gulf coast and fol- 

 lows the Mississippi bayous to southern Arkansas. It is 

 smaller in stature than the silver bell tree, but has larger 

 leaves and more showy flowers. The botanical names 

 record the chief specific difference between the two species : 

 this one has but two wings on its seed-cases, while the other 

 has four. This species is hardy no farther north than 

 Philadelphia. The flowers have their bells cleft almost to 

 the base, whereas the bell of the other species is merdy 

 notched at the top. 



THE SWEET LEAF 



Two genera of trees in this country are temperate zone 

 representatives of a tropical family which fmrdshes ben- 

 zoine, torax, and other valuable balsams of commerce. It 



