ARBOR DAY MANUAL. 
317 
White Oak.—We ought to hear from Red Bud and Sassafras and Pepperidge and But¬ 
tonwood or Sycamore, who live in our forests, but they do not appear to be present at 
this convention. Our exercises would not be complete without hearing from the mem¬ 
bers of the Pine family or cone-bearing trees. 
White Pine (Sylvia).— I am one of the tallest and largest, most common, well known 
and valuable trees of the State. In Europe, where some of my number have been intro¬ 
duced, they often call me Weymouth Pine. My leaves are long, light green and in clus¬ 
ters of five. As a long-lived and beautiful tree for ornamenting rural grounds and parks, 
I take a high rank, while an immense amount of valuable lumber is cut from my wood. 
White Oak.—Let us hear from another Pine of Michigan. 
Red Pine (Naoma.)—I am often called Norway Pine, though I do not know why. I 
never lived in Norway but am only found in North America. I am a tall, straight tree, 
with long evergreen leaves in clusters of two. I grow slowly, making valuable timber 
which is much harder than that of White Pine. For ornamental purposes I much re¬ 
semble Austrian Pine, though much superior to that tree, if we rely on the opinions of 
noted horticulturists. 
White Oak.—The White Pine and Red Pine have a sister Pine in Michigan. We shall 
now give her an opportunity to speak. 
Gray Pine (Rose).— I am a tree of small size, found on poor land in Northern Michi¬ 
gan. When young my growth is rapid; my leaves grow in pairs and are quite short. 
My wood abounds in pitch. I am known by a variety of names, as Scrub Pine, Jack 
Pine, Buckwheat Pine, Black Pine, Crocodile Pine, but the name I like the best is Pinus 
Banksiana. 
I want to tell you what Ruskin says: “ The tremendous unity of the pine absorbs and 
molds the life of a race. The pine shadows rest upon a nation. The Northern people, 
century after century, lived under one or other of the two great powers of the pine and. 
the sea, both infinite. They dwelt amidst the forests or they wandered on the waves, and 
saw no end or any other horizon. Still the dark green trees, or the dark green waters 
jagged the dawn with their fringe or their foam, and whatever elements of imagination 
or of warrior strength or of domestic justice were brought down by the Norwegian or the 
Goth against the dissoluteness or degradation of the south of Europe, were taught them 
under the green roofs and wild penetralia of the pine.” 
White Oak.— We have another cone-bearing tree in attendance. I call on 
Hemlock Spruce (Agnes).— I have been called by students in art and botany and horti¬ 
culture “ the most beautiful coniferous hardy tree yet known.” I grow to a good height 
and acquire a large size. My evergreen leaves have delicate tints, my young branches ■ 
droop gracefully. As a timber tree I do not claim the highest honor. My bark is valu¬ 
able for tanning leather. 
White Oak.— There are two other sister evergreens called “Spruces” I see in the 
audience. 
Black Spruce (Rhoda).—-I abound in swamps in Northern Michigan. I am often used 
for Christmas trees on festive occasions, and boys and girls search me over for a supply 
of first-class gum. I am not responsible, though, for all the gum that goes by my name. 
Within a few years my wood has been largely used to make white paper. 
White Oak.— I recognize another evergreen. I call on 
Red Cedar (Clara).—In summer my leaves are beautiful, but in winter they become 
brown. I am found only sparingly in any part of the world, though I am the most widely 
distributed of any tree in the United States. I grow slowly and produce a beautiful red, 
fragrant wood, which is soft and very durable. My wood is now mainly limited to the 
making of lead pencils. 
White Oak.— Let us next hear from 
Balsam Fir (Alice).— I am a rather small, slender evergreen found in swamps, though 
often cultivated as an ornament about dwellings. I arrive at my prime when about four¬ 
teen years old. 
White Oak.— I shall now call on 
Arbor Vitse (Maud).— I thrive in-the swamps of the North and afford shelter to wild 
animals. I am often called white cedar and I furnish most of the telegraph poles, some 
fence posts, railway ties and blocks for paving streets. I take a high place as an orna¬ 
mental tree. 
White Oak.— We have now heard from all of the cone-bearing evergreen trees who are 
present. There is another tree of the State, not here present, which is cone-bearing, and 
belongs to the Pine family. I refer to the Tamarack. 
There are some other matters appropriate to Arbor Day which should demand our 
attention at this time. How do the trees of Michigan compare in beauty and variety 
with those of Great Britain of which we read so much? 
Susie.— The farther north we go the fewer kinds of trees we find; the farther south, 
the greater the variety. Great Britain and Ireland contain more than twice the area of 
.Michigan. They have one basswood, not so good as ours; one very small maple, one 
