44 



eastern side of the Topsfield road within about two 

 miles of that town, where there are several well formed 

 trees. It is common in our woods as a small shrubby 

 tree, and there is a large specimen among the other 

 trees against the hill on the road between King's beach 

 and Pride's Crossing. There are some at Kernwood, 

 one especially of quite large size on the north-eastern 

 portion of the estate. The only one I know of in the 

 city proper is in Mr. David Pingree's garden. It is about 

 twenty-five feet high and may be seen from Washington 

 Square, across Mrs. SaflFord's garden, against the di- 

 vision wall. The largest sassafras in the county formerly 

 stood in a field in Manchester, near the railroad. It 

 was over eight feet in circumference, but it died of old 

 age some years ago. 



The sassafras may always be recognized at the dis- 

 tance by its peculiarly solid, dome-shaped head and the 

 comparatively few leaves and branches lower down. 

 It is much more abundant just south of us than here. 

 Any one who is familiar with our trees, travelling by 

 rail to Washington or Philadelphia, will at once notice 

 the changed character of the woods after passing into 

 southern Connecticut. The sassafras, the chestnut, 

 liquidambar, tulip-tree, pin oak and tupelo, form the 

 conspicuous part of the woodlands passed on the train, 

 and these are trees which are either very scarce or alto- 

 gether absent from the woods of Essex County and 

 this part of New England. The sassafras is worthy of 

 more attention than it receives, and the leaves, which 

 vary from simple ovals to three lobed and mitten 

 shaped on the same branch, are a curious study. 



The wild spice-bush (Lindera benzoin) is a shrub 

 common in our woods. It is covered with greenish 



