The Project Gutenberg EBook of Studies of Trees, by Jacob Joshua LevisonThis eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and withalmost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away orre-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License includedwith this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.netTitle: Studies of TreesAuthor: Jacob Joshua LevisonRelease Date: June 23, 2005 [EBook #16116]Language: EnglishCharacter set encoding: ISO-8859-1*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STUDIES OF TREES ***Produced by Thaadd, Ben Beasley and the Online DistributedProofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net[Illustration: Frontispiece."Come forth into the light of things,Let Nature be your Teacher."--WORDSWORTH.]STUDIES OF TREESBYJ.J. LEVISON, M.F.Lecturer on Ornamental and Shade Trees, Yale University Forest School;Forester to the Department of Parks, Brooklyn, N.Y.FIRST EDITIONFIRST THOUSAND1914PREFACEIn presenting this volume, the author is aware that there are severalexcellent books, dealing with one phase or another of tree life, alreadybefore the public. It is believed, however, that there is still need foran all-round book, adapted to the beginner, which gives in a brief andnot too technical way the most important facts concerning theidentification, structure and uses of our more common trees, and whichconsiders their habits, enemies and care both when growing alone andwhen growing in groups or forests.In the chapters on the ...
The Project Gutenberg EBook of Studies of Trees, by Jacob Joshua Levison
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net
Title: Studies of Trees
Author: Jacob Joshua Levison
Release Date: June 23, 2005 [EBook #16116]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STUDIES OF TREES ***
Produced by Thaadd, Ben Beasley and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
[Illustration: Frontispiece.
"Come forth into the light of things,
Let Nature be your Teacher."
--WORDSWORTH.]
STUDIES OF TREES
BY
J.J. LEVISON, M.F.
Lecturer on Ornamental and Shade Trees, Yale University Forest School;
Forester to the Department of Parks, Brooklyn, N.Y.
FIRST EDITION
FIRST THOUSAND
1914
PREFACE
In presenting this volume, the author is aware that there are several
excellent books, dealing with one phase or another of tree life, already
before the public. It is believed, however, that there is still need for
an all-round book, adapted to the beginner, which gives in a brief and
not too technical way the most important facts concerning the
identification, structure and uses of our more common trees, and whichconsiders their habits, enemies and care both when growing alone and
when growing in groups or forests.
In the chapters on the identification of trees, the aim has been to
bring before the student only such characters and facts as shall help
him to distinguish the tree readily during all seasons of the year.
Special stress is laid in each case on the most striking peculiarities.
Possible confusion with other trees of similar appearance is prevented
as far as possible through comparisons with trees of like form or habit.
Only such information is given concerning the structure and requirements
of trees as will enable the reader better to understand the subsequent
chapters. In the second half of the book, practical application is made
of the student's general knowledge thus acquired, and he is acquainted
with the fundamental principles of planting, care, forestry, wood
identification and nature study.
The author recognizes the vastness of the field he is attempting to
cover and the impossibility of even touching, in a small hand-book of
this character, on every phase of tree study. He presumes no further;
yet he hopes that by adhering to what is salient and by eliminating the
less important, though possibly interesting, facts, he is able to offer
a general and elementary _r sum _ of the whole subject of value to � �
students, private owners, farmers and teachers.
In the preparation of Chapter VIII on "Our Common Woods: Their
Identification, Properties and Uses," considerable aid has been received
from Prof. Samuel J. Record, author of "Economic Woods of the United
States." Acknowledgment is also due to the U.S. Forest Service for the
photographs used in Figs. 18, 122 to 138 inclusive and 142; to Dr.
George B. Sudworth, Dendrologist of the U.S. Forest Service, for
checking up the nomenclature in the lists of trees under Chapter V; to
Dr. E.P. Felt, Entomologist of the State of New York, for suggestions in
the preparation of the section of the book relating to insects; to Dr.
W.A. Murrill, Assistant Director of the New York Botanical Gardens, for
Fig. 108; and to Mr. Hermann W. Merkel, Chief Forester of the New York
Zoological Park, for Figs. 26, 59 and 60.
J.J. LEVISON.
BROOKLYN, N.Y.
June, 1914.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
HOW TO IDENTIFY TREES
The Pines
The Spruce and Hemlock
The Red Cedar and Arbor-vitae
CHAPTER II
HOW TO IDENTIFY TREES (Continued)
The Larch and Cypress
The Horsechestnut, Ash, and Maple
Trees Told by their Form
Trees Told by their Bark or Trunk The Oaks and Chestnut
CHAPTER III
HOW TO IDENTIFY TREES (Continued)
The Hickories, Walnut, and Butternut
Tulip Tree, Sweet Gum, Linden, Magnolia, Locust, Catalpa, Dogwood,
Mulberry, and Osage Orange
CHAPTER IV
THE STRUCTURE AND REQUIREMENTS OF TREES
CHAPTER V
WHAT TREES TO PLANT AND HOW
Trees for the Lawn
Trees for the Street
Trees for Woodland
Trees for Screening
CHAPTER VI
THE CARE OF TREES
Insects Injurious to Trees and How to Combat Them
Important Insects
Tree Diseases
Pruning Trees
Tree Repair
CHAPTER VII
FORESTRY
What Forestry Is and What It Does
Care of the Woodland
CHAPTER VIII
OUR COMMON WOODS: THEIR IDENTIFICATION, PROPERTIES AND USES
Woods Without Pores (Soft woods)
Woods with Pores (Hard woods)
CHAPTER IX
AN OUTDOOR LESSON ON TREES
INTRODUCTION
A good many popular books on trees have been published in the United
States in recent years. The continually increasing demand for books of
this character indicates the growing public interest not only in the
trees that we pass in our daily walks, but also in the forest considered
as a community of trees, because of its aesthetic and protective valueand its usefulness as a source of important economic products.
As a nation, we are thinking more about trees and woods than we were
wont to do in the years gone by. We are growing to love the trees and
forests as we turn more and more to outdoor life for recreation and
sport. In our ramblings along shady streets, through grassy parks, over
wooded valleys, and in mountain wildernesses we find that much more than
formerly we are asking ourselves what are these trees, what are the
leaf, flower, twig, wood and habit characteristics which distinguish
them from other trees; how large do they grow; under what conditions of
soil and climate do they thrive best; what are their enemies and how can
they be overcome; what is their value for wood and other useful
products; what is their protective value; are they useful for planting
along streets and in parks and in regenerating forests; how can the
trees of our streets and lawns be preserved and repaired as they begin
to fail from old age or other causes? All these questions and many more
relating to the important native and exotic trees commonly found in the
states east of the Great Lakes and north of Maryland Mr. Levison has
briefly answered in this book. The author's training as a forester and
his experience as a professional arboriculturist has peculiarly fitted
him to speak in an authoritative and interesting way about trees and
woods.
The value of this book is not in new knowledge, but in the simple
statement of the most important facts relating to some of our common
trees, individually and collectively considered. A knowledge of trees
and forests adds vastly to the pleasures of outdoor life. The more we
study trees and the more intimate our knowledge of the forest as a unit
of vegetation in which each tree, each flower, each animal and insect
has its part to play in the complete structure, the greater will be our
admiration of the wonderful beauty and variety exhibited in the trees
and woods about us.
J.W. TOUMEY,
Director, Yale University Forest School.
NEW HAVEN, CONN.,
June, 1914.
STUDIES OF TREES
CHAPTER I
HOW TO IDENTIFY TREES
There are many ways in which the problem of identifying trees may be
approached. The majority attempt to recognize trees by their leaf
characters. Leaf characters, however, do not differentiate the trees
during the other half of the year when they are bare. In this chapter
the characterizations are based, as far as possible, on peculiarities
that are evident all year round. In almost every tree there is some one
trait that marks its individuality and separates it, at a glance, from
all other trees. It may be the general form of the tree, its mode of
branching, bark, bud or fruit. It may be some variation in color, or, in
case of the evergreen trees, it may be the number and position of the
needles or leaves. The species included in the following pages have thus
been arranged in groups based on these permanent characters. Theindividual species are further described by a distinguishing paragraph
in which the main character of the tree is emphasized in heavy type.
The last paragraph under each species is also important because it
classifies all related species and distinguishes those that are liable
to be confused with the particular tree under consideration.
GROUP I. THE PINES
[Illustration: FIG. 1.--Twig of the Austrian Pine.]
How to tell them from other trees: The pines belong to the _coniferous_
class of trees; that is, trees which bear cones. The pines may be
told from the other coniferous trees by their leaves, which are in
the form of _needles_ two inches or more in length. These needles
keep green throughout the entire year. This is characteristic of all
coniferous trees, except the larch and cypress, which shed their
leaves in winter.
[Illustration: FIG. 2.--Twig of the White Pine.]
The pines are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere,
and include about 80 distinct species with over 600 varieties. The
species enumerated here are especially common in the eastern part of
the United states, growing either native in the forest or under
cultivation in the parks. The pines form a very important class of
timber trees, and produce beautiful effects when planted in groups
in the parks.
How to tell them from each other: The pine needles are arranged in
_clusters_; see Fig. 1. Each species has a certain characteristic
number of needles to the cluster and this fact generally provides
the simplest and most direct way of distinguishing the different
pines.
In the white pine there are _five_ needles to each cluster, in the
pitch pine _three_, and in the Scotch pine _two_. The Austrian pine
also has two needles to the cluster, but the difference in size and
character of the needles will distinguish this species from the
Scotch pine.
THE WHITE PINE (_Pinus strobus_)
Distinguishing characters: The tree can b