232 TREES OF MINNESOTA. 



eastern Texas. In Minnesota frequent in the southern half 

 of the state and not uncommon in the Valley of the Red River 

 even near the extreme northern limit of the state. 



Propagation. Easily grown from seeds which should be 

 sown as soon as ripe or stratified over winter and sown in the 

 spring". 



Properties of wood. Heavy, rather soft, not strong, 

 coarse grained, dark or light brown with thick light colored 

 often yellowish sapwood. Specific gravity 0.7287; weight of 

 a cubit; foot 45.41 pounds. 



Uses. The Hackberry is of rapid growth and is one of 

 the best trees for general park, lawn and prairie planting 

 here. No deciduous tree presents a more graceful appearance 

 in winter when the finely divided spray of the limbs and the 

 small size of the young growth make it very attractive. In 

 this section it is preferred to the White Elm for a shade tree 

 by some experienced planters. It endures drouth well but is- 

 probably not as hardy in this way as the White Elm. It is- 

 also less liable to split in the crotches. The wood to some 

 extent is used to take the place of elm. 



]VJ?ulberry Family. 



The largest genus of this family is Ficus, which contains 

 over 600 known species including the cultivated fig (Ficus 

 carica) and the Indiarubber Tree (Ficus elastica}. The follow- 

 ing genus contains about 10 species, natives of the northern 

 hemisphere. 



Genus MOBUS. 



Trees or shrubs with milky sap and alternate, dentate and 

 often lobed leaves. Flowers monoecious or dioecious (rarely 

 polygarnus) in axillary catkin-like spikes, the pistillate 

 spikes ripening into succulent aggregated fruits. Calyx 4- 

 narted, in the pistillate flower becoming fleshy: stamens 4; 

 pistils 1: stigma 2. 



