340 TREES OF MINNESOTA. 



Properties of wood. Heavy, hard and durable under cover. 

 Specific gravity, air dried, 0.68. 



Uses. The Norway Maple has been much used as an orna- 

 mental tree in the Northeastern States, where it is long lived 

 and often planted in preference to the Sugar Maple near the 

 sea coast. In this section it has not been widely tried, but at 

 the Minnesota Experiment Station it has never been seriously 

 injured by the cold during the past twelve years, and has with- 

 stood drouth extremely well. In the very dry summer of 1894, 

 Birch, Black Cherry and European Larch died out in large 

 numbers in the forest plantation, while on similar land near by 

 the Norway Maple grew vigorously, its leaves retaining their 

 dark green color throughout the season. The wood of the 

 Norway Maple is used by the joiner, wheelwright and carver 

 for a variety of purposes. 



Varieties. There are many varieties of the Norway Maple, 

 the most durable of which are the two following: 



Acer platanoides schwedlerii. Schwedler Maple. 



A beautiful variety with new growth, bark and leaves of a 

 bright purplish or crimson color which later changes to a 

 purplish green. A valuable tree which has stood at the Minne- 

 sota Experiment Station for six years. 



Acer platanoides reitenbachi. Reitenbach Maple. 



An excellent and striking variety with dark purple leaves, 

 which hold their color throughout the season. 



Acer saccharinum. (A. dasycarpum.} Silver Maple. 



Soft Maple. White Maple. Silverleaf Maple. 



Leaves deeply palmately five-lobed, silvery white and smooth 

 beneath but downy while young. Flowers greenish, apetalous, 

 on short pedicles, in axillary clusters, appearing before the 

 leaves; ovary and young fruit downy. Fruit with large di- 

 vergent wings, smooth at maturity though downy when young, 

 ripens in early summer about the time the leaves are of full 

 size. A large, quick growing tree, often ninety feet high, with 

 more or less pendulous branches and light airy foliage, which 

 gives it a graceful appearance. 



