16 Select Plants for Industrial Culture and 



Acer nigrum, Michaux. * (A. saccharinum, Wangenheim. ) 



The Sugar- or Rock-Maple. Eastern North- America, extending 

 to Arizona. One of the largest of the genus. It is the national 

 emblem of Canada. In the cooler latitudes often 80 or rarely 120 

 feet high, with a stem 3 or 4 feet in diameter. Hardy to 59 55' N. 

 in Norway [Schuebeler]. Likes a deeply friable soil and cool moist 

 positions. The wood is strong, tough, hard, close-grained, of rosy 

 tinge, and when well seasoned is used for axle-trees, spokes, shafts, 

 poles, furniture, exterior of pianos, saddle-trees, wheelwrights' work, 

 wooden dishes, founders' patterns and flooring ; not apt to warp ; 

 preferred for shoe-lasts ; when knotty or curly it furnishes the 

 Bird's-eye and Curly Maple-wood. From the end of February till the 

 early part of April the trees, when tapped, will yield the saccharine 

 fluid, which is so extensively converted into Maple-sugar, each tree 

 affording 12 to 24 gallons of sap in a season, 3 to 6 gallons giving 

 1 Ib. of sugar ; but exceptionally the yield may rise to 100 and more 

 gallons. The tapping process commences at the age of 20 years, 

 and may be continued for 40 years or more without destruction of the 

 tree [G-. Maw]. According to Poreher, instances are on record of 

 33 Ibs. of sugar having been obtained from a single tree in one 

 season. The Sugar-Maple is rich in potash, furnishing a large pro- 

 portion of this article in the United States. The bark is important 

 for the manufacture of several American dyes. The tree is particu- 

 larly recommendable in Australia for sub-alpine regions. It bears a 

 massive head of foliage on a slender stem. The autumnal colouring 

 is superb. In the Eastern States of North- America the Sugar-Maple 

 is regarded as the best tree for shade-avenues. Numerous other 

 maples exist, among which may be mentioned Acer Creticum (Linne) 

 of South-Europe, 40 feet ; A. laevigatum, A. sterculiaceum and A. 

 villosum (Wallich) of Nepal, 40 feet. 



Acer niveum, Blume. 



Continental and Insular India, up on the forest-ranges. This is 

 the tallest of the maples, attaining a height of 150 feet. Several 

 other large maples, worthy of cultivation particularly in parks occur 

 on the mountains of India, A. caesium (Wallich) being one of the 

 best. 



Acer palmatum, Thunberg. 



Japan. A beautiful tree, with deeply cleft leaves ; several varie- 

 ties, with red- and yellow-tinged leaves occur. Unhurt by frost at 

 F. [G-orlie]. Should it be an aim to bring together all the kinds 

 of maples, which could be easily grown in appropriate spots, then 

 Japan alone would furnish 22 species. 



Acer pictum, Thunberg. 



From Persia to Japan, ascending the Himalayas to 9,000 feet. 

 Foliage turning yellow and red in autumn. Wood close-grained and 



