88 TREE-PLANTING. 



Europe and west of Asia, the area where it is found 

 extending southward as far as Cashmere, being found 

 on the margins of Grecian streams or rivulets, many of 

 which appear to be now fast drying up, and on the 

 coast of Asia Minor. Herodotus sings its praises in 

 Grecian history, and it was invariably planted near 

 the public buildings Plato delivering his discourses 

 in the groves of Academus, which were formed of the 

 plane tree. 



The tree blossoms in May, and in favourable 

 seasons its seed ripens in October. The branches of 

 the tree are wide-spreading, bearing leaves which are 

 five-lobed, palmate, with the divisions lanceolate. On 

 strong, young, vigorous shoots these are frequently 

 upwards of a foot broad and ten inches long, but in 

 old trees only attain about half these dimensions. 

 The round balls containing the seeds should be 

 broken, and the seeds sifted, in order to separate 

 them from the cottony substance with which they are 

 mixed, and sown in March. They require only the 

 very slightest covering of soil, but should be pressed 

 into the ground, so as to be kept firmly in their places, 

 and kept moist, the ground being covered with boughs 

 of trees. The surest and most speedy method of pro- 

 pagating is, however, by layers, in the same way which 

 has been recommended before. The young plants 

 grow very rapidly, being frequently four or five feet 

 high, when only one year old, transplanted from layers; 

 when they can be planted out ; or kept another year,, 

 and then removed as occasion demands. It must 

 have a deep rich soil, and in those cases where the 

 tree has attained to a very large size, it is found the 

 case that the roots r have access to water. It must n.ot 



