THE TREES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 125 



and the Yellow Willoiv (S. vitellina), occasionally 

 seen in cultivation. 



Hornbeam. Ironwood. (Carpinus Americana, 

 Michx.) — Among the commonest productions of the 

 country and well known by one or other of these 

 names. It is found on the banks of streams in all 

 parts of the State, generally 12 to 15 feet high, but 

 sometimes 25 to 30, with a diameter of 5 to 6 inches. 

 The trunk has a smooth gray bark, and at the base is 

 irregularly fluted or ridged. The wood is white, ex- 

 ceedingly hard, compact and fine grained, but the 

 small size of the tree forbids its use except for 

 inferior purposes. 



Hop Hornbeam. (Ostrya Virginica, Willd.) — 

 This and the preceding have characters and qualities 

 so very similar that they are generally called by the 

 same names. But the bladdery fruit of this looks so 

 much like Hops that it can very easily be distin- 

 guished through the Summer. It is only in the Up- 

 per District that I have met with it, and very rarely 

 there. It is 20 to 30 feet high, with a brownish 

 finely furrowed bark, the trunk not ridged at the 

 bottom like the preceding. The wood is like that, 

 and also used for levers, &c, for which we have noth- 

 ing better adapted, on account of its great strength 

 and toughness. For mill-cogs, wedges, mallets and the 

 like, both these species would, doubtless, answer well. 



The remaining Group includes a heterogeneous 

 mass of dry-fruited Trees, but fortunately nearly all 



