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teresting group of trees. They are the Colchicum- 

 leaved maples, and you can tell them by their beautiful 

 bark striations or veinings, or by their somewhat 

 star-like leaves. The leaves are five to seven lobed, 

 smooth, and just a trifle heart-shaped at the base. 

 They are smooth and green on either side, and are of 

 a thin and tender texture. These trees are indeed 

 handsome, and the markings on their branches remind 

 me of the beautiful stems of the shadbush. The bloom 

 of these maples is in the spring in erect corymbs, some- 

 what like the flowers of the Norway maple. Hand- 

 some trees they are, surely, and seem to be all thriving 

 here. May you have the good fortune to get near to 

 them and let your eyes revel over their beautifully 

 marked boughs. 



Northwest of the Colchicum maples, you will find 

 close by the Drive, a splendid example of the European 

 beech. It is broad boughed and in excellent condition. 

 This handsome tree is almost opposite the pretty little 

 rustic Arbor which arches the Walk that bends to 

 the south just after entering the West Seventy-Second 

 Street Gate. As you drive in from the Gate it is sure 

 to catch your eye, for it stands well out alone on the 

 lawn and has had plenty of room to grow to its full 

 perfection. As I have said before, notice its leaves, 

 which are not toothed but have their margins fringed 

 with delicate hairs. This fringing of the margin with 

 hairs is termed botanically, ciliate. The American 

 beech differs from the European in having very de- 

 cidedly toothed leaves, the teeth terminating the ends of 



