JUNE. 187 



is very abundant, and burns well, and with a strong heat. 

 Perhaps we use as much maple as beech, but these two form 

 nearly the whole of what is consumed. The wood of the 

 beech somewhat resembles that of the maple, but may be 

 distinguished from it, by being redder, and by the medullary 

 rays being broader and coarser in appearance ; the ends of 

 these form innumerable short dashes on the outer part of 

 any section of the wood, which distinguish it from that of 

 any other tree. It wants too the bright play of light that 

 makes maple wood so beautiful. It is heavy in proportion 

 to its bulk. When young, the sugar maple often bears great 

 resemblance to the beech, before its bark has become fur- 

 rowed, but the leaves in summer, and in winter the taper 

 twigs and pointed buds, and an appearance of superior 

 hardness in the bark of the beech, (which can be seen, but 

 not described,) are a sufficient distinction. This tree grows 

 to a majestic size and height, and its fruit affords sustenance 

 to squirrels, and other wild animals. 



We have now observed the gradual unfolding of the buds 

 of all our forest trees : some, forward and fearless of late 

 frosts, expand their incipient leaves or tender blossoms to 

 the fickle sun of April; others, more sober and cautious, 

 have suffered day after day to pass over, apparently unin- 

 fluenced by the increasing warmth of the solar rays ; but all 

 have at length yielded to the resistless influence of the genial 

 spring ; and greenness, the cheerful livery of the summer, 

 will speedily envelope all the vegetable progeny of nature. 

 Why one plant unfolds its leaves so many weeks before 

 another, exposed to the same influences of light and heat, 

 we cannot tell : we observe facts ; but when we presume to 

 inquire why these things are so, we are baffled and repulsed : 

 in some cases we can penetrate to second causes, but the 

 primary cause must be referred to the will of the Father of 

 all ; who, we may be assured, appoints the seasons, and 



