37 



water is near by. There are several on Brimble Avenue, 

 near North Beverly, and also on the Topsfield road 

 beyond Putnamville. The largest near at hand is just 

 back of some houses at the corner of Essex and Corning 

 streets, Beverly, not far from the Montserat station. 

 I think it is this tree, or at least one that was near this 

 place, which "Wilson Flagg figures in "Woods and By- 

 ways of New England," (p 63) and which he describes 

 as being "near the 'Outlet' on the old Essex road in 

 Beverly." It does not, however, appear to be the tree 

 which he refers to as one regarded with superstition by 

 the people of that town. 



About the shores of Wenham and Chebacco ponds 

 are several tupelos overhanging the water, and there is 

 one quite prominent in the swamp near the Marblehead 

 branch railroad, in the woods just beyond the Forest 

 River Mills on the way towards Marblehead. The 

 tupelo has its male and female flowers on separate trees, 

 the leaves are shining green until October, when they 

 turn a most beautiful red. It is, unfortunately, a diffi- 

 cult tree to transplant, and our nurserymen have sadly 

 neglected it. 



The witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) is a weak tree 

 common in the woods at Beverly, on the roads in 

 Lynnfield, Swampscott, and elsewhere. It is only 

 conspicuous in October when the curious yellow flowers 

 are fully expanded. Blooming thus in autumn the 

 fruit is not perfected until the next year. When ripe 

 the little nuts open at the end with a snap, and the 

 seeds are shot forth as from a toy pop -gun. The tree 

 is common enough, scattered through the woods, but it 

 must be vastly more abundant elsewhere, or "Pond's 

 Extract" cannot all be made from hamamelis. 



