ngly, and some not at all.

THE BEECH

Some would consider the beech the most beautiful of all nut trees. Its
comparatively smooth, bluish-gray bark makes it a distinctive tree at
all seasons. Its branches, spreading straight out from the trunk, give
it an appearance of strength. Its fine branches form a specially
pleasing skyline, its sharp buds are trim and neat in appearance, its
leaves are beautiful in shape and texture. Their fall coloring, while
not as brilliant as that of the maples, is really beautiful, being
either yellow or a rich brown. The leaves are apt to hang on all winter,
especially on the younger growth, and then they often turn a straw
color. If a list of beautiful trees for February were to be made, I am
rather inclined to think that the beech would stand at the head of the
list. A young beech with its bluish-gray bark, its straw colored leaves,
and flecks of snow here and there, seems to me the most beautiful of all
deciduous trees in winter. The young leaves also are especially
attractive when they first appear and the blossoms are sometimes objects
of interest, although not showy in color.

HAZELNUTS

Often in old pastures one finds forlorn, scraggly looking bushes and is
told they are hazelnut bushes. One would not pick out bushes like these
to plant in his front yard, and yet, when given a chance, there is
scarcely a more attractive shrub than the hazel. It is one of the first
shrubs to blossom, the staminate flowers hanging in slender, graceful
yellowish-brown catkins, while the pistillate flowers are little points
of purplish-red protruding from the buds. These blossoms appear long
before the leaves. The latter, when fully developed, are beautiful in
outline and soft in texture and they have a rich coloring in the fall
including various shades of yellow and red. The hazel should certainly
be used extensively in landscape work. The nuts, with their leaflike
involucres, are attractive in appearance in August and September. In
connection with our own hazel one would naturally think of the filbert,
which is a European relative. The filbert is often planted for ornament.
There is a variety with purple leaves which some people admire.

THE OAKS

Of all our native trees, I think the oak excels in beauty of foliage. By
many oaks might not be considered nut trees, but nearly all of the
acorns are eaten by squirrels or other wild animals and so I think it
would be proper to mention oaks whe