Chap. 7. 



BOTANY OF VERMONT. 



209 



BASSWOOD. 



BLACK CHERRY. 



SUGAR MAPLE. 



Section II. 

 Trees and Fruits. 

 To the preceding full, and very perfect 

 catalogue of Vermont Plants, kindly fur- 

 nished for this work by Wni. Oakes, Esq., 

 of Ipswich, Massachusetts, we here sub- 

 join a brief account of our most important 

 Forest Trees, a list of which has already 

 been given on page 173, and also a few 

 words respecting our Shade Trees, Fruits, 

 &c., which is all our limits will admit. 



BASSWOOD, OR LIME TREE. 



TlUa Americana. 

 This tree is found in all parts of the 

 state, and under favorable circumstances 

 grows to the height of 70 or 80 feet with 

 a proportional diameter. In newly clear- 

 ed lands tiie stumps and large roots of the 

 basswood are apt to send forth shoots 

 which grow with great rapidity. To pre- 

 vent the growth of these the bark is some- 

 times stripped from the stumps, or they 

 are seared by building a fire around them. 

 The inner bark of this tree is sometimes 

 macerated in water and formed into ropes. 

 Tiie wood is white and tender, but is val- 

 uable for very many purposes. It is 

 sawed into planks and boards, and is used 

 for chair seats, trunks, and in the manu- 

 facture of a variety of other articles. 



BLACK CHERRY. 



Ccrasus scrotina. 



This is our largest species of cherry 

 tree, and sometimes, though rarely, ex- 

 cfeds .50 feet in height and ].'> inches in 

 diameter. It is scattered, but very spar- 

 ingly, over the greater part of the state. 

 It is sometimes called Wild Clicrnj ; and 

 also Cahi.iiel Cherri/, from the use made of 

 it by cabinet makers. But it is more gen- 

 erally called Bind,- C/icrn/, and this name 

 may be derived either from tlie color of 

 the bark or the ripe fruit. The perfect 

 wood is of a dull light red color, which 

 deepens with age. It is compact, fine 

 grained, brilliant, and not liable to warp 

 when perfectly seasoned. It is extensive- 

 ly used for almost all species of furniture, 



Pt. I. 27 



and sometimes rivals mahogany in beau- 

 t}', but it has been sought for with so 

 much eagerness, that there is very little 

 now remaining in our forests large enough 

 to be sawn into boards. The bark of this 

 tree is aromatic, has an agreeable bictes? 

 taste, and is often used as a tonic. 



THE SUGAR MAPLE. 



jlcer saccharinum. 



The Sugar Maple is one of our most 

 common and valuable forest trees. It 

 grows to a larger size than any other spe- 

 cies of maple, and its wood, when season- 

 ed, is much heavier and Jiarder. Hence 

 it is often called Rock Maple or Hard Ma- 

 ple. Its ordinarj' height is about 60 feet, 

 with a diameter of from 2 to 3 feet. The 

 wood, when first cut, is white, but by ex- 

 posure assumes a rosy tinge. Its orain is 

 fine and close, and when polished has a 

 silky lustre. It is strong and heavy, but 

 when exposed to moisture soon decays, 

 on which account it is little used either in 

 civil or naval architecture. When thor- 

 oughly seasoned it is used by wheel- 

 wrights for axletrees and by sleigh makera 

 for the runners of common sleds. It is also 

 used by chair makers and cabinet makers 

 in many kinds of their work. The wood 

 of this tree exhibits two accidental forms 

 of arrangement of the fibre, "of which cab- 

 inet makers take advantage for manufac- 

 turing beautiful articles of furniture. The 

 first consists of undulations, forming what 

 is called Curled Maple. The second, which 

 occurs only in old trees, appears to arise 

 from an inflection of the fibre from the 

 circumference towards the centre, produ- 

 cing spots, which are sometimes con- 

 tiguous, and at others a little di.stance 

 apart. This is what is called Birds-Eye 

 Maple, and the more numerous the spots, 

 the more beautiful and more esteemed is 

 the wood. Like the curled and striped 

 maple, it is used for inla^'injj mahogany. 

 It is also made into bedsteads, jiortable 

 writing desks, and a variety of otiier arti- 

 cles, for which purposes it is higiily val- 

 ued. The sugar maple is the most valu- 

 able wood for fufl found in the state. Its 

 ashes are very abundant and rich in alka- 

 li. Its charcoal is of the most valuable 

 kind. Its wood may easily be distinguish- 



