456 LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 



of its growth is so regular and formal (in shape of a bee-hive), 

 that it does not harmonize with wild or picturesque plantations, 

 but is peculiarly adapted to the neighborhood of the house or 

 to the more formal trees, like the horse-chestnut and linden* 

 The finest specimen we recollect to have seen, is at the late 

 Mr. Downing's, which is nearly fully grown ; a specimen at 

 Wodenethe, about fifteen feet high, and nearly as wide, is ex- 

 tremely beautiful. The largest specimens in England are at 

 Kew, fifty years planted, twenty-six feet high ; at Milbury 

 Park, one hundred years planted, thirty-eight feet high. It 

 should never be trimmed up ; on the contrary, if by accident 

 the lower limbs are injured or lost, the tree should be severely 

 headed back to encourage new growth from the ground. 



A. c.foliis variegatis (the Variegated maple). A variety of 

 A. campestre very much of its character and habit, though 

 perhaps a little looser. This tree is extremely pretty and ef- 

 fective up to mid-summer, especially when placed on the bounda- 

 ries of plantations, as it catches the light well ; after July, it is 

 apt to burn and get shabby during the dry weather. There is 

 another Striped or Blotched-leaved maple, which is a variety 

 of the A. pseudo-platanus, which is still larger and less compact 

 than the preceding, and equally worthy of being planted by 

 those who fancy variegated-leaved trees. 



A. macrophyllum (the Large-leaved maple). This superb 

 tree, a mere mention of which appears in a note to the previous 

 edition of this work, was introduced into England in 1812, and 

 has only within a very few years made its appearance in this 

 country, and we have, of course, no specimens of any size. It 

 is described in its native state as varying in height from forty to 

 ninety feet, very graceful in form, with branches widely spread- 

 ing, the wood soft, but beautifully veined; specimens sent home 

 by Mr. Douglas, exhibit a grain scarcely inferior to the finest 

 satin wood, Though the leaves vary much in size, yet they 

 are by far the largest of the maples ; this, with its hardihood 

 and great size and loftiness, renders it one of the noblest of its 

 kind, and it should invariably be planted where there is suffi- 

 cient space for its development. 



A. Monspessulanum (the Montpelier maple). This is another 

 of the newer maples but lately introduced here ; though of 



