THE BIRCHES AND HORNBEAMS 



The European birch is found throughout the 

 North of Europe, and grows in every kind of 

 soil, both wet and dry, — the Earl of Hadding- 

 ton called it, with quaint humor, "an amphibious 

 plant," and after two hundred years this is still 

 descriptive of its habits. 



It is perhaps unnecessary to say that the spe- 

 cific name, alba, alludes to the color of the bark. 



A small, slender tree, 30 to 50 



beam Iron- /'^*='^ high. The bark is light, and 

 wood scales ofl in thin flakes, and is sel- 



Oslrya virginiana , j, , r 



dom more than a quarter oj an 

 inch thick. Small, acute buds; alternate leaf- 

 scars; delicate tmigs. Small catkins, usually 

 three together, pointing upwards. Hop-like jriiit, 

 often remaining on the tree through the winter. 



There is but one native hop hornbeam in 

 New England, and it is an extremely interest- 

 ing little tree. It grows under other trees in 

 the forest, and is easily overlooked, usually 

 being mistaken for a young elm. Of all trees 

 the hop hornbeam is the most retiring in its 

 habits, and takes much the same place among 

 trees that the hare does among animals, or the 

 violet among flowers, living a secluded Hfe in 

 wild places, where the woods partially conceal 

 its identity. 



Its outline against the sky in winter is most 



71 



