Elm. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Beech. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The birches. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The poplars. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The conifers. 
     
    
   
   
    
     ULMACEAE. — Elms. 
     
    

    
     Though not abundant, some magnificent Elms (U/mas Americana) grow on the damp, 
     
     rich soils of the eastern and western counties. The Elm is a large tree, towering its 
     
     symmetrical corona of double-serrate, unequal leaves above the rest of the forest 
     
     where it grows. Its timber is less liable to split than other wood, and is used for hubs 
     
     of wheels, mill-work, and keels of ships. Elms make ornamental shade—trees about 
     
     dwellings. Ip. 59] 
     
    
   
   
    
     CUPULIFERAE. — Mast-Bearers. 
     
    

    
     The Beech is one of the noble trees of the forest. Its leaves are ovate-oblong, ribbed 
     
     and dentate. Its well-known triangular nuts are food for forest animals, and hogs are 
     
     sometimes turned to the woods to fatten on them. Beech is the most valuable wood 
     
     for fuel. It is used by turners and cabinet—makers. This tree grows on dry sandstone 
     
     soils. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Red Oak grows in many parts of the Island. There was once a large oak forest at 
     
     Tracadie. Oak is the most durable of our hard—woods. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The hazel grows abundantly in rich woods. It is a much-branched shrub, three to four 
     
     feet high, with oblong-ovate leaves, and long rostrums to the involucre of its nuts. 
     
     Of our two species, Cory/us Americana bears the best nuts. Hazel-nuts yield about 
     
     half their weight of oil, called nut—oil, and used by painters. [p. 60] 
     
    
   
   
    
     BETULACEAE. — The Birches. 
     
    

    
     We have three Birches, all large trees of the forest. Betu/a papyracea is the tall White 
     
     Birch with ovate, double-serrate leaves, and nodding strobiles. The twigs of this tree 
     
     are slender and drooping, and its silver-white stem and graceful, bowing head of 
     
     foliage make it the virgin beauty of the forest. The Micmac Indians made their tents 
     
     and canoes of its bark, and it was formerly used in place of tar-paper in building. The 
     
     timber is useful for fuel. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Poplar Birch is a smaller tree with white bark and shining, deltoid leaves, growing in 
     
     swamps. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The Yellow Birch (B. exce/sal is one of the most majestic and useful trees growing on 
     
     the Island. It is abundant everywhere on dry, rich soils. Its trunk, sometimes six feet 
     
     in diameter, is straight and majestic; and its broad-spreading arms bear its great 
     
     corona of foliage sixty feet aloft. It has yellow bark, ovate, serrate leaves, and erect 
     
     strobiles. Its timber is the most useful hard-wood we possess. In ship-building, 
     
     carriage-building, mill-work, machinery, the construction of bridges and houses where 
     
     strength is required, in cabinet and many other trades, it is the timber most valued 
     
     and used. Large quantities are exported as ton—timber. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Alder is a much-branched shrub growing on river-banks and wet grounds. Its rigid, 
     
     oval cones have narrow scales. [pp. 60-61] 
     
    
   
   
    
     SALICACEAE. — Willows. 
     
    

    
     All our native Willows are shrubby bushes bearing yellow catkins in early spring. 
     
     They are generally called Sallow bushes. We have four native Poplar trees. The 
     
     Aspen Poplar, with roundish leaves, is the most common. Balsam Poplar is fragrant 
     
     and common as a shade tree about dwellings. In Willows and Poplars the male and 
     
     female blossoms are on separate trees. 
     
    
   
   
    
     CONIFERAE. — Cone-Bearers. 
     
    

    
     This family contains our most important forest trees, useful alike to the farmer and 
     
     the artisan. Their perennial foliage spreads heavy shadows all over our land, green 
     
     amid the snows of winter as in the sunshine of summer. The White Pine (Pinus 
     
    
   
   
    
     215