"No, about twenty—I should say."
"The red maple on our lawn is at least thirty feet high, Miss Miller, and Dad says it is an old tree," said Zan.
"About thirty feet is the average height. Now, tell me, do you think this tree will thrive best on this hill-side or down in the glade beyond the bridge—where the ground is low and moist?" continued the Guide.
"I don't know—do you?" said Jane, looking at the other girls.
"Give up! There's another item we failed to know," replied Zan.
"The red maple thrives best in low woodsie land. It needs rich soil and plenty of moisture. Now examine the bark of this one carefully. It is smooth and spotted, but this is an old tree in spite of its height, for the spots grow dark on old trees and are always lighter on younger ones—in fact, quite young trees have white spots. Its timber is valuable for house trim and some kinds of cabinet work. The red maple is highly ornamental and of late years has been selected for landscape gardening and shade trees."
Miss Miller looked at the tree a moment, then said, "We will review this lesson on the house-lawn where Zan says a large maple grows. Now, pass on to the next tree."
"I see a great big oak!" cried Elena.
"How many kinds of oak do you suppose there are in the world?" asked Miss Miller.