The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-12-22
TALKS ABOUT TREES.
Miss ArabeIla H. Tucker Lectures at yht
Natural History Rooms.

An interested audience listened to an
address on "Trees," by Miss isabella
H. Tucker. last evening, at the Natural
History rooms. The following is an
abstract:
The artificial life of the day tends
strongly to make us Of the city strang-
crs to nature, to make us forget that
there is anything in the world outside
the industries and achievements of
man. There remains to us, however,
one avenue perpetually and invitingly
open~the trees. 1t is a phase Of nature
study that can be carried on in the
city as well as IN the country. Our
parks, cemeteries, streets and private
grounds furnish g larger number OF
species of trees than can be found in
any country district and their develop
ment is not seriously affected by their
surroundings.
There is a good reason, historically,
for their study for they were mans
early home. We have lost the arboreal
habit, but owe to it our slender, agile
body and delicateiy constructed, fieX-
lille hand; also, according to Prof Sha-
Ter, tree-dWeling has made its mann
mails more social sympathetic and
quicker Witted than others. The eco
nomic uses of trees have played and
now play u great part i'm the life of
man. A tree is a living thing and for
this reason, too, it well repays obserYa-
ton.
The winter season is popularity CON
si3ered as lacking in outdoor interest
but to a genuine tree lover their winter
most beautiful state Then can be
seen the exquisite outlines of the bare
branches, the soft interlacing of the
tWigs, the fine curves of the limbs ard
bonghs. AT this season can be observed
the distinctive character Of the indvid-
ual trees, as at no other time Their
manner of branching, their bark, the
size and position of their buds, the
markings on their twigs, serve to dis
lin5uish them in winter.
The spring is a busy time for the tree
lover. Their misty" season shows
them as if eIyeloped in q soft haze. Too
few of mankind know that the new
leaves of spring are colored as beauti-
fully and in many cases as brilliantly
as those of autumn. Most of us have
eyes for the blossoms covering the bare
tWigs of the red maple like a coral, but
are blind to that prettier sight-a rock
maple in full bloom, and the blossoms
Of the oak, the opening leaf buds of the
hickory and flowers of the birch are
beauties displayed for the most part
before unseeing eyes.
In summer they force themselves up
on us. At that time they are recog-
nized, if at all, by their leaf, blossom
or fruit To the observing eye they then
have distinctive aspects due to their
varying proportions of light and shade,
also to the way they are affected by the
wind. In autumn the trees arrest at
tentlon by their preparation for winter,
resulting in their splendid array of col
or, by which they may be known.
The evolutionist finds in the develop
ment and distribution of trees upon the
earth proofs of his theories. Competi-
ton for air and sunshine caused the
early land plents-the MOSES. lichens.
ferns-to struggle for existence. result
ing in the frightening OF the ferns until
some became trees. These were followed
by cycads, palms, the coniferae and.
hnally by the deciduous trees, Of which
North America has four times as many
Kinds as there are in all Europe; this is
accounted for by the fact that Europe
during the glacial period was entirely
covered with ice, while here the south
ern limit to the ice was the 4Oth par
'NAA~A' AAC w tJ III W men Ulle forest mas
recovered the ground from which II
was driven shows evidences of its vary
ing adaptability, those kinds-willows
poplars, with light fluffy appendages to
seeds, outstripping those with heavier
seeds, in the race for rehabilitation.
There are growing hereabouts 1871
species Of trees, of which Sc are native:
of the remainder. IS were brought from
other points of the United States, and
10 are foreigners. With so long a list
of native trees that are beautiful and
so well adapted to our soil and climate,
it is a pity that there has been so much
planting Of foreign trees, many of
which are inferior to our own. To be
deprecated too, is the craze for trees
showing unnatural color or form\of
foliage or unnatural growth, so preva-
lent.
There is infinite pleasure to be de-
rived from an acquaintance with trees.
and this Is simpler matter than for
merly, as in addition to the local tree
directory many Of the trees may now
be found labeled with their names in
Elm park, where may be seen a speci-
men of nearly every one of our trees.
Acquaintance with tree will ripen
into friendship. And how much pleasure
may be added to our restricted city
lives by such friendship.