THE MAPLES 



By J. S. Illick 



THE Maples are among the best known trees found in 

 the Northern Hemisphere. They are abundant in 

 China and Japan, common in Europe, and widely distrib- 

 uted in North America. There are seventy distinct spe- 

 cies of Maples known in the world, of which number 

 thirty-five are native to China and Japan, and thirteen 

 occur in North America. 



That Japan is the ancestral home of the Maples is now 

 an accepted belief among botanists. In the Island Em- 

 pire of the Orient one may 

 find traces of the original 

 maple stock, and some of 

 the most attractive and best 

 bred maple trees now grow- 

 ing upon the face of the 

 earth. To the Maples, the 

 forests of Japan owe much 

 of their variety, beauty and 

 interest. The people of Ja- 

 pan are proud of their 

 Maple trees. For centuries 

 they have been breeding 

 them in order to develop 

 varieties with striking and 

 unique characteristics. 

 Their efforts along this line 

 have been successful, for 

 now the Japanese Maples 

 are famed all over the 

 world for their attractive 

 form, gorgeously colored 

 foliage and delicate lea' 

 textures. 



Among the most striking 

 accomplishments of the 

 Japanese in the breeding of 

 the Maple is the develop- 

 ment of miniature Maples. 

 These tiny trees are grown 

 in pots and exemplify the 

 highest degree of tree 

 breeding that has yet been 

 attained by man. These 

 miniature trees have been 

 bred and cultivated for 

 centuries. Their leaves 

 show a wide variation in 

 form, color and texture. At 



a certain season of the year it is a fashion for the Japa- 

 nese to hold Maple Shows. Many different varieties are 

 exhibited, and the people turn out and view them with 

 interest and award prizes for the best exhibits. The prac- 

 tice is similar to the rose shows in America. 



While the Japanese Maples excel in variety and unique- 



A BIG SUGAR MAPLE 



The best known of our native hardwoods and a tree entirely de- 

 voted to the service of man. 



ness, the American Maples are unrivaled in size and 

 beauty by the Maples of any other part of the world. Of 

 the thirteen Maples native to the United States, nine oc- 

 cur east of the Rocky Mountains, and four are native to 

 the western part of our country. 



No other group of native trees show a wider varia- 

 tion in their form and structure than do the Maples. 

 Their leaves may be simple or compound, range in size 

 from large to small, and have a smooth or hairy surface. 



Their twigs range from 

 slender to stout, and may 

 be green, gray, brown or 

 red in color. Their flow- 

 ers may occur in small lat- 

 eral clusters, in long droop- 

 ing tassels, or in erect 

 spikes, and appear before, 

 with, or after the leaves. 

 The fruit of all the Maples 

 consists of a pair of winged 

 seeds known as a maple 

 key. Each kind of Maple 

 bears a distinctive key 

 which can readily be dis- 

 tinguished from that of all 

 other closely related spe- 

 cies. 



The Maples occur on a 

 wide range of habitats. 

 The Ash-leaved Maple 

 grows at its best along the 

 banks of streams and ponds 

 or lakes. The Sugar Maple 

 prefers well drained, rich 

 soil, and the Striped Maple 

 is well satisfied in shaded 

 situations and moist places, 

 while the Mountain Maple 

 thrives on dry, rocky hill- 

 sides and mountain tops. 



The Maples have so 

 many and such striking 

 distinguishing characteris- 

 tics that it is not difficult 

 to recognize them. There 

 is little chance of confusing 

 them with each other or 

 with other forest trees. 

 The best way to get acquainted with them is to learn 

 their names. It may be helpful to know not only their 

 common names but also their scientific names, for some 

 of them are very appropriate and may be helpful in fix- 

 ing their distinguishing characteristics. The common 

 and scientific names of six of our common Maples follow : 



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