MAPLE. 343 



severe wind storms. This is most apparent where it grows on 

 dry land, but if the trees are primed occasionally they make 

 very satisfactory shade trees, and are highly esteemed for this 

 purpose in many sections of Minnesota. The Silver Maple is 

 also successfully used for shelter belts. It sun scalds occa- 

 sionally, though not commonly. The wood makes very good 

 fuel, and is well adapted for interior finishing and flooring, and 

 a form of it having a curly figure is used as veneering for ele- 

 gant furniture and interior finishing. It is much used for shoe 

 pegs. Maple sugar is sometimes made from the sap of this 

 tree, but it is estimated that twice as much sap is necessary for a 

 given quantity of sugar from this tree as from the Sugar Maple. 

 Varieties. There are many varieties cultiA^ated for ornamnetal 

 planting, among the best of which is a form known as Wier's 

 Cutleaf Maple, which has finely divided leaves and a very grace- 

 ful pendent habit. It is about as hardy as the species, and is one 

 of the most satisfactory small ornamental trees. 



Acer rubrum. Red Maple. Scarlet Maple. Swamp Maple. 



Leaves palmately three to five-lobed, opposite. Flowers 

 crimson scarlet, or sometimes yellowish, generally dioecious; 

 appearing in sessile lateral clusters before the leaves very early 

 in the spring, often before the snow has disappeared. The fruit 

 on prolonged drooping pedicles ripens in early summer, about 

 the time the leaves are expanded, and then drops off. This is 

 a slender tree, somewhat resembling the Silver Maple, but of 

 much slower growth and more compact habit. It will finally 

 attain as large size as the Silver Maple. 



Distribution. It is found naturally distributed over about the 

 same area as the Silver Maple, but does not appear to be a com- 

 mon tree anywhere in Minnesota, and seems to be wholly absent 

 in the western half of this state. 



Propagation. The Red Maple is propagated in the same man- 

 ner as the Silver Maple. 



Properties of wood. Heavy, close grained, easily worked, and 

 not very strong. It is light brown often tinged with red, with 

 a smooth, satiny surface. The sapwood is thick, and lighter 

 colored than the heartwood. Specific gravity 0.6178; weight 

 of a cubic foot 38.5 pounds. 



