Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-07-23

tice thick cluster Of curious Mttle pods.
The fring5s were the blossoms, these are
the seeds. Country children sometimes
hang these seed pods in their ears and make
believe they are earrings. They do look a
little like th5 long pendant ornaments that
were the fashion thirty years ago. All sum
mer you may observe the leaves-bright
grs5n above and lighter shade under
nath. Thy ace the first TO turn in the fall
and a0e very gorgeous in their orange
C-cTs. The red naples ara sometimes call
ed swamp CT scft naples, TO distinguish
them from the hard naples which yield the
syrup and sugar
Ta5 sweet gums are peculiarly graceful
in shape. They grow much larger than
the naples and their leaves grow evenly
and ara usually larger. Some of them are
five CT six inches long. They have five
very distinct lobes and the edges are
sharply serrated or saw-to0ther. Boys and
girls find the fruit very irt5rts ting. 1t is
a rough, rather prickery. brown ball, about
an inch in diameter Il IS stiff ard not
easily crushed, which always seems odd.
because 1t is fun Of holes wrought together
like a bit of lace work. Inside you will
find the seeds.
Sweet gums AND sour gums come from
tbs South, where in the bottom lands they
grow 10 immense heights, not as tall as
thcss tremendous California red woods,
hut as large as our largest elms. The bark
is dark and deeply ridgsd In the South.
a spicy gum oozss from It. Up North, the
trees are not good for much except Shade
ard the beauty they lend the landscape.
That's worth something, Of course; but
the Southern gum trees ara worth a great
deal Of money as lumber when thsy have
been dried.
Eve~yore ought to know the elm by all
means. If we ans 10 have a national trse
as weGl as a national flower let's choose
the elm. There ara mora ems mixed up
with historical events than you can count
in day. Perhaps you know about the
Penn elm and Wash.nGton's elm at Cam
bridge and the treaty elm. If you don't,
though, that's another Story.
The leaf resembles the sour gum, but 1t
is much more delicate and graceful. They
are serra@5d and Irregular. If You pick up
4 hundred leaves and inspect them closely
you VIII see than every On is more or less
Cne-sided. The elm has many graf
br3rtheS growing upward and bending
over from tha top in great majestic curves.
Usually ths gnaat arm-Ake boughs and
fring5J with leafy branchletS.
The oak. you will observe, is altogether
on rent in shape from the elm. Its
branches instead CT growing upward and
curyug. grow out from the leader horizon
tally and suggest strength and sturd!nsss
instead of grace. One suggests the warning
giant, the oth5r the civilized knightly
courier. who can fight If he must. but who
prefers peace. Tbs oaks have very dark,
tough, satiry leaves with many lob5s,
Everybody knows the acorns which are the
fruit OF the oak.
Then there are the chestnuts, their long,
pointed leaves and their white. spiky bios
sons which come early in July, the horse
chestnuts, the bs5chss, the birches and a
most Of others, you may get on knowing
terms with any peasant day YOU choose
to go out to the suburbs If you're q city
child. As for the country mice they ought
to have an unlimited visiting list Of trees.