CANADIAN MAPLES 



TEN VARIETIES IN CANADA— CAREFUL DE- 

 SCRIPTION WRITTEN FOR THE JOURNAL 



BY 



VV. T. MACOUN 



HORTICULTURIST CENTRAL EXPERIMENTAL FAFM, OTTAWA, O T. 



IF THERE is one Canadian tree which 

 is known to young- and old it is the 

 maple. That patriotic song, *' The 

 Maple Leaf Forever," is one of the first 

 which the little children learn to sing at 

 school ; and often it is sung in the refreshing 

 shade of the maples on a hot June day, when 

 the value of the maple as an ornamental 

 shade tree is pointed out to the scholars by 

 the teacher. Then, the maple sugar and 

 syrup in the early spring- impress the maple 

 on the minds of Canadian youth more than 

 perhaps anything else. Those of maturer 

 years sing- the same song, enjoy the same 

 shade, and many also the sweets of the 

 sugar maple. The latter also admire the 

 form and foliage of the trees and the eco- 

 nomical value of the wood for furniture and 

 other purposes. The emblem of Canada is 

 thus well and favorably known to young and 

 old. 



While almost everyone, from the little 

 child upward, is familiar with the maple, 

 comparatively few, especially in our cities 

 and towns, can distinguish the common 

 species from each other, and still fewer know 

 all the species which are to be found in Can- 

 ada. It is in the hope of making the differ- 

 ent species better known that these notes 

 are written. 



There are ten native species of maples in 

 Canada, all of which are perfectly hardy at 

 Ottawa, with the exception of the Large- 

 Leaved Maple {Acer macrophyllum) which 

 kills outright, and the Vine Maple {Acer 

 circinatuni) which, although it becomes 



hardier from year to year, cannot be called 

 more than half-hardy. 



Six of the species grow to be large or 

 medium sized trees, while four are but small 

 trees or shrubs. 



The technical descriptions given in this 

 article are taken from the "Cyclopaedia of 

 American Horticulture," as they are simpler 

 and more concise than those found in botan- 

 ies ; but the nomenclature is principally that 

 used in the " Catalogue of Canadian Plants" 

 (Macoun), which is most familiar to readers 

 of the *' Canadian Horticulturist." These 

 changes have been made in the names, but 

 both old and new are given. The illustrations 

 are from photographs kindly furnished by 

 Mr. F. T. Shutt. 



I. Sugar or Rock Maple [Acer saccharinum, 

 Wang ; Acer saccharum, Marsh). — " Large 

 tree, 120 feet, with bark ; leaves 3-5 lobed, 

 cordate, 3-6 inches long, with narrow and 

 deep sinuses ; lobes acuminate, sparingly 

 dentate, usually glaucous and glabrous be- 

 neath ; fruit with little spreading wings." 

 It is found from Nova Scotia to the western 

 end of Lake Superior, and in scattered 

 places to the Lake of the Woods and north- 

 ward to Lake St, John, Lake Temiscamin- 

 g-ue, and to the Long Portage on the Michi- 

 picotin River, north of Lake Superior, It is 

 the most valuable and one of the most beau- 

 tiful of all Canadian maples. It is one of 

 our best timber trees, the wood being 

 highly esteemed for many purposes. Being 

 hard and tough, it is used where strength is 

 required, as for axles of wagons, handles of 



