Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1902-06-19
DRESS OF TREES IN WINTER.
Simple Rules that will Aid im Distin-
gushing the Varieties.

Simple Rules that Will Aid im Distin-
gushing the Varieties.
Those who live constantly among the
trees learn almost uncOnsciously to
recognize them in winter as i'm sum-
mer, by their bark and by their so
called habt-that is. by their general
shape. height, spread and mode of
branching. Yet these do not always
suffice for their discrimination aud The
most Observant as well as the novice
may be deceived and mistake one kind
OF tree for another. or some trees the
bark is unmistakable. The long. I'M
tidy strips that hang from the sllag
bark. the thick, lozengeshaped plates
OF the white ash. the chalky white
patches on the trunks of the button
woods distinguish these trees at once
from all others.
On the other hand. while four of our
New England birches, the gray. the
canoe, the yellow and the black birth,
have each strikingly characteristic
bark, the fifth is called the cherry
birch because it's bark resembles that
Of the cherry. THE beech is one of the
few trees with smooth, unfurrOwcd
bark. but this is true also of the rarer
ironwood and virgilia; and. although
poplars in general may be recognized
by their peculiar greenish bark, the
different species can hardly be distin-
guished from each other.
According to situation and environ
ment individual trees of the same spe-
cies often resemble one another In gen
eral appearance. Thus it will be seen
that bark and habit alone are not per-
fectly trustworthy guides to identiica
ton. Leaves. flowers and fruit are
cur guides to the study of trees in the
summer. The lea tless tree bears equal
ly infallible tokens. which once known
render it impossible to mistake its
identity. These are: |. Winter buds.
.. Leaf-scars. 3. General character of
the yearling twig. 1. Color and shape
of pith.
Winter buds are quite conspicuous
objects on the branchlets during the
winter They first appeared with the
developing leaves in the preceding
spring AS small eXcrescences just
above the spot where the leaf-stem
joins the twig. They increase in size
during The summer and attain their
characteristic winter color and appear
ance by the time the leaves fall. They
consist of few or many papery or
leathern scales that fold over and pro-
tect group of tiny leaves and some
times flowers also. which are to de-
velop into the branch of the coming
season. One needs only to compare
the large. sticky. brown buds of the
hOrse-chestnnt. the very small. dry
buds of the elm. the long. slender. spin
die shaped buds of the beech. the vel
vety. gray buds of the butternut and
the buds of the various species of ma
pie to see how very diverse they are m
appearance and how easy it is to rec
OcniZe each one a second time.
The buds of the common locust and
the honey locust are not, however. to
be seen. as they are concealed beneath
the bark. through which they push in
the warm days of late spring. Flower
buds are usually rounder and stouter
than those which contain only leaves.
says the Old Farmers Almanac. Leaf
sears are to be found below each win
ter-bud: they mark the place whence
the leaf fell and correspond in shape
to the base of the leaf-stem. On them
are raised dots. the broken ends Of
woody fihers. Nature gradually pre-
pares for the fall Of the leaf. heals the
tissues even while 1t Is breaking Oft
and makes clean scar, whereas ii u
leaf Is torn off violently before its time
AZ ugly wound results.