THE MAiPLES 



19 



BARK OF THE SILVER MAPLE 



Shallow furrows and scaliness constitute the main characteris- 

 tics of the Silver Maple bark. 



Perhaps the most attractive feature of the Ash-leaved 

 Maple is found in the rich color of its twigs. They are 

 a glorious olive green, usually covered with a white 

 bloom, and stand out boldly against the sky-line. 



This tree is one of the fastest growing and most hardy 

 of our native hardwoods. As a shade and ornamental 

 tree it has the advantages of rapid growth, dense foliage, 

 pleasing color, and comparative freedom from insect and 

 fungous attack. It holds a very prominent place among 

 the shade trees planted in the prairie states. In the older 

 settled portion of the United States it is gradually giving 

 place to other more desirable txees. The chief objection 

 to it is the fact that it is always shedding something, and 

 early in life defects frequently develop. The leaves fall 

 both in and out of season, blossoms litter the ground in 

 spring, and the seeds drop from early winter until spring. 



The Ash-leaved Maple is distributed over most of the 

 United States east of the Rocky Mountains. A closely 

 related species is native to California. Recently a num- 

 ber of special varieties with distinctive colored foliage 



have been developed. They are now ofifered by nursery- 

 men for ornamental planting. This tree is worthy of a 

 place in our forests, and deserves being used for orna- 

 mental planting, but great care should be taken in choos- 

 ing suitable sites upon which to plant it. It does not de- 

 velop satisfactorily upon unfavorable situations. 



The tvm "Tom Thumbs" of the Maples are the Striped 

 Maple and the Mountain Maple. Neither of these trees 

 attain a size sufficiently large to classify them as timber 

 trees, but both of them are so attractive and have such 

 striking distinguishing characteristics that they deserve 

 a place in our forests, and in our ornamental planting 

 program. 



The Striped Maple reaches the size of a small tree and 

 loves shaded situations and moist soil, while the Mountain 

 Maple is usually a shrub, and thrives well upon dry 

 rocky hillsides and mountain tops. Both of these small 

 forest trees are satisfied to take their places in the under- 

 story of the forest, while others of their kind reach up 

 high and struggle for a place in the upper-story of the 

 forest. The following table gives the striking distin- 

 guishing characteristics of these two beautiful Maples 

 which are common in the northwoods, and extend along 

 the Allegheny Mountains as far south as the Carolinas, 

 Tennesse and Georgia. 



RED. MAPLE FLOWERS AND FRUIT 



The flowers of the Red Maple appear in clusters before the leaves 

 are out. The fruit is a small winged key and the leaves are 3 to 

 5-lobed, wi'ih sharp based clefts. 



