BROWNE'S TREES OF AMERICA. 



185 



vels, and wooden dishes, which are brought to 

 market by the country people, and purchased by 

 the dealers in wooden-ware. It sometimes happens 

 that in very old trees, the grain, instead of follow- 

 ing a perpendicular direction, is undulated ; and this 

 variety bears the name of the curled maple. This 

 singular arrangement is never found in young trees, 

 nor in the branches of even such as exhibit it in 

 the trunk; it is also less conspicuous in the centre 

 than near the circumference. Trees having this 

 character of wood are rare, and do not exist in the 

 proportion of one to a hundred. The serpentine 

 direction of the fibre, which renders them difficult 

 to split and to work, produces, in the hands of a 

 skilful mechanic, the most beautiful effects of light 

 and shade. These effects are rendered more strik- 

 ing, if, after smoothing the surface of the wood 

 with a double-ironed plane, it is rubbed with a lit- 

 tle sulphuric acid, and afterwards anointed with 

 linseed oil. On examining it attentively, the vary- 

 ing shades are found to be owing entirely to the in- 

 flection of the rays of light; which is more sensi- 

 bly perceived on viewing it in different directions 

 by candle-light. Before mahogany became gene- 

 rally fashionable in the United States, the best fur- 

 niture in use was made of the Red- flowering Maple, 

 and bedsteads are still made of it, which in rich- 

 ness ami lustre exceed the finest mahogany. At 

 Boston, some cabinet-makers saw it into thin plates 

 for inlaying mahogany; but the most constant use 

 of curled maple is in the stocks of fowling pieces 

 and rifles, which, to elegance and lightness, unite 

 toughness and strength, the result of the twisted 

 direction of the fibres. The cellular matter of the 

 inner bark is of a dusky red. By boiling it yields 

 a purplish color, which on the addition of sulphate 

 of iron, becomes dark blue, approaching to black. 

 It is used in the counti-y, with a certain portion of 

 alum in solution, for dyeing black. The wood of 

 the lied-flowermg Maple does not burn well, and is 

 so little esteemed for fuel, that it is rarely brought 

 for that purpose into the cities. It has but little 

 strength, is liable to injury from insects, and fer- 

 ments and speedily decays when exposed to the 

 alternations of dryness and moisture. For these 

 reasons, though it is now extensively used in Ame- 

 rica, its importance in the arts is not sufficient to 

 entitle it to preservation; and Michaux supposes 

 that, when artificial plantations become necessary 

 in the country, the Red Maple will be altogether 

 omitted. The French Canadians make sugar from 

 the sap of this maple, which they call jjlaine; but 

 as in the preceding species, the product of a given 

 measure is only half as great as that obtained from 

 the Sugar Maple. (Michaux.) In Britain and 

 throughout Europe, the sole use of the Red-flow- 

 ering Maple is as an ornamental tree; and whether 

 we regard the beauty of its flowers and opening 

 leaves in early spring; of its red fruits in the be- 

 ginning of summer, or its red foliage in autumn, it 

 deserves to be considered one of the most ornamen- 

 tal of hardy trees. 



From Browne's '''Trees of America.''^ 

 The wood of the Acer rubrum, when dry, weighs 

 forty-four pounds to a cubic foot, and when green, 

 it is softj full of aqueous matter, and loses in dry- 



24 



ing nearly one-half of its weight. In this tree, 

 as in others which grow in wet places, the sap- 

 wood bears a large proportion to the heart- 

 wood, the latter of which consists of an irregular 

 column, star-like in its transverse section, and oc- 

 cupies the central parts of large trunks, with its 

 points projecting into the sap-wood. This wood 

 has but little strength, is liable to injury from in- 

 sects, and ferments and speedily decays, when ex- 

 posed to the alternations of moisture and dryness. 

 Yet it is solid, and for many purposes, is preferred 

 by workmen to other kinds of wood. It is harder 

 than that of the White IMaple, and of a finer and 

 closer grain; hence it is easily wrought in the 

 lathe, and acquires, by polishing, a glossy and silky 

 surface. It is principally employed in the manu- 

 facture of chairs, saddle-trees, shoe-lasts, ox-yokes, 

 broom-handles, and various other articles of do- 

 mestic use. It sometimes happens, that in very old 

 trees, the grain of the wood, instead of following 

 a perpendicular direction, is undulated; and this 

 variety bears the name of curled maple. This sin- 

 gular arrangement is never found in young trees, 

 nor even in the branches of such as exhibit it in 

 the trunk; it is also less conspicuous in the centre 

 of the tree than near the bark. Trees offering this 

 disposition, however, are rare. The serpentine di- 

 rection of the fibres, which renders this wood dif- 

 ficult to split and to work, produces, in the hands 

 of a skilful mechanic, the most beautiful effects of 

 light and shade. These effects are rendered more 

 striking, if, after smoothing the surface of the 

 wood with a double-ironed plane, it is rubbed with 

 a little sulphuric acid, and afterwards with linseed 

 oil. On examining it attentively, the varying shades 

 are found to be owing entirely to the inflection of 

 the raj'S of light; which is more sensibly perceived 

 in viewing it indifferent directions by candle light. 

 Before mahogany became generally fashionable in 

 the United States, the best furniture in use was 

 made of the Red-flowered Maple, and bedsteads 

 are still made of it, which, in richness of lustre, 

 exceed those of the finest imjiorted woods. But 

 one of the most constant uses to which the curled ma- 

 ple is applied, is for the stocks of rifles and fowl- 

 ing pieces, which, to elegance and lightness, unite 

 toughness and strength, the result of the tortuous 

 direction of the fibres. The cellular matter of the 

 inner bark is of a dusky red. By boiling, it yields 

 a purplish colored liquor, which, with the addition 

 of sulphate of iron, (copjieras,) acquires an intense 

 dark blue, or black, and is sometimes employed as 

 ink by American youth in village schools. For 

 this purpose, however, it is very inappropriate, as 

 it never dries properl)', and in damp weather, the 

 writing becomes glutinous and blots. A fluid pre- 

 pared in a similar manner, by adding sulphate of 

 alumina (common alum,) instead of copperas, is 

 also used for dyeing black. The French Canadians 

 make sugar from the sap of this maple, which they 

 call plaine; but, as in the preceding species, the 

 product of a given measure is not more than one- 

 half as great as that of tiie Sugar IMaple. 



In Britain and throughout Europe, the sole uso 

 of the Acer rubr'jm is as an ornamental tree; and 

 whether it is viewed iu the beauty of its lluwci-saud 



