27 October 1856 – 2 November 1856

Monday. Began to survey along the shore and through the woods. One of the largest and com- monest trees, the tulip, in the moist ravines; its dried tulip-shaped relic of a flower, the broad flat stamens still remaining. Noticed a medicinal odor, somewhat like fever-bush, in the bark of twigs. It is said to be a valuable tonic. The liquidambar or sweet-gum trees, very common and large, oak-like. The corky bark on young trees and twigs was raised into two ears, so as to form a channel, which would conduct the rain down the branches to the main stem, I should say. The fruit was a coarse, rigid, spherical bur, an inch or more in diameter, which opened and dropped much fine seed in my trunk. Black walnut and bayberry were pretty common, though I noticed no berries on the last.

Sunday. Took a walk two miles west of Eagleswood. The Quercus palustris, or pin oak, very common there, much like the scarlet oak. Name said to be derived from the dead stub ends of branches on the trunk beneath, like pins or treenails. Its acorns subglobose, and marked with meridional lines. A mile and a half west of Spring’s, a new oak, with narrow and entire willow-like leaves, apparently Q. wmbri- earia, laurel or shingle oak, or perhaps Michaux’s Q. cinerea, which may be a variety of it. According to Michaux’s plates, I see that the leaves of the Q. Phel- los, or willow oak, are about two and three quarters by one third plus inches, of the laurel oak three and a half by seven eighths. Hts upland willow oak (Q. cinerea) leaf is about three by three quarters and less tapering at base. The Cornus florida was exceedingly common and large there. Conspicuous with its scarlet berries, fed on by robins. The leaves were turned a brown scarlet or orange red.