of the Northern Forest 71 



of our country, where the soil is free and contains varied 

 mineral constituents, like much of Ireland, Wales, and 

 Scotland, the Sycamore increases rapidly ; but in nature 

 it does not often, like the Oak and other trees, form pure 

 woods, being often mixed with the mountain trees like 

 Beech and Hornbeam, with which it has more in common 

 as to area and soil. It loves diversified country more 

 than the heavy soils of the Weald, and withstands storms 

 and sea-winds very well, growing high in the Alps of 

 Europe and Asia, and proving the best of summer-leafing 

 trees for our storm-swept shores. 



The tree has long been valued for its many uses, and 

 had it been more widely planted, the woods on many 

 estates would have gained in value. 



It seeds so early and so abundantly, and the seedlings 

 come up so thickly in woods, that the French foresters 

 have come to regard it as the only tree likely to prove 

 dangerous as a weed in a forest. 



Numbers of large Sycamores are now used in York- 

 shire and Lancashire, and the finer butts are frequently 

 sold at high prices and carried hundreds of miles. 



The Sycamore does well close-planted, increases very 

 fast in trunk volume, equals the Oak, Ash, or Elm in 

 value up to middle age, and after that exceeds most 

 other trees in value. 



There are several distinct forms the common green- 

 leaved kind, the purple-leaved with dark-green leaves 

 and purplish-red veins and footstalks. The purple 

 variety is common in Scotland, and is, if anything, the 

 most vigorous grower of the four. All succeed in well- 

 nigh any soil or situation, north and south, but they 

 grow best in deep moist land if not water-logged, 

 moisture at the root being of more importance than 



