Shooting 113 



white filaments. Sometimes there is but one 

 in a place, sometimes half a dozen. But 

 they do not make the glory qf the tree. 

 Where the filaments start, there are broad 

 waxen bracts, of the richest coral-pink, curved 

 and voluted like the petals of a flower. They 

 grow so lavishly too. Every little smooth 

 green twig-end wears its flittering pink and 

 scarlet. One might fancy the shrub, out of 

 love with May, had flouted that month with 

 small greeny-white inconspicuous blossoms, 

 and saved strength and beauty to do more 

 than blossom against St. Martin's summer. 



Maples throw down their winged seed long 

 before leaf-fall — thus giving them a better 

 chance to grow. The ash tree has the same 

 habit. It is interesting to note that the seed 

 is shaped like a fairy oar, since ashen blades 

 are the things for rowing. Sassafras keeps its 

 pungent bright black berries until all the leaves 

 are down, although, as in the case of the per- 

 simmon, the keeping varies according to sit- 

 uation, and somewhat according to variety. 

 The books may not recognize the fact, but 

 there are many varieties of sassafras — as in- 

 deed there must be of every seed-grown tree. 



Joe laughed at the thought of Captain John 

 Smith sailing home to England with cargoes 

 of sassafras root in the hold of every ship. 

 Still he loved the smell of sassafras, root and 



