be excellent for shingles and for other
purposes. It generally has a dark reddish or brownish hue. It is a large
tree, growing to the height of 140 feet. The trunk is sometimes 12 feet
through near the ground. The flowers of the tree are in small catkins,
blooming before the leaves expand in the early spring; in February, in
South Carolina.

PART III.

KEY, CLASSIFICATION AND DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIES.

_Method of Using the Key._

First read _all_ the statements following the stars (*) at the beginning
of the Key; decide which one of the statements best suits the specimen
you have. At the end of the chosen one there is a letter in parenthesis
( ). Somewhere below, this letter is used two or more times. Read
carefully _all_ the statements following this letter; at the end of the
one which most nearly states the facts about your specimen, you will
again be directed by a letter to another part of the Key. Continue this
process till, instead of a letter, there is a number and name. The name
is that of the genus, and forms the first part of the scientific name of
the plant. Turn to the descriptive part of the book, where this number,
in regular order, is found. Here descriptions of the species of the
genus are given. If there are many species, another Key will lead to the
species. While the illustrations are intended to represent
characteristic specimens, too much dependence must not be placed upon
them; the leaves even of the same plant vary considerably, and the
different varieties, especially of a cultivated plant, vary widely. Read
the whole description before deciding.

The fractions beside the figures indicate the scale of the drawing as
compared with the natural size of the part: 1/1 indicates natural size;
2/1, that the drawing is twice the length of the object; 1/4, that the
drawing is one fourth the length of the object, etc.

In the description of leaves the dimensions given refer to the blade.

=KEY TO THE GENERA OF TREES.=

* Leaves narrow linear, needle, scale or awl shaped,
usually but not always evergreen. (=GG.=) page 60.

* Leaves broad, flat, usually deciduous, occasionally
evergreen, rarely over 5 times as long as wide.
(=A.=)

=A.= Leaves alternate,[1] simple. (=B.=)

=A.= Leaves alternate, compound. (=m.=) page 57.

=A.= Leaves opposite or whorled on the stem. (=u.=) page 58.

=B.= Leaves with a midrib, netted-veined. (=C.=)

=B.= Lea