194 TREES 



The Sugar Maple 



Acer saccharum, Marsh. 



The sugar maple (see illustration, 'page 198-199) is eco- 

 nomically the most important member of its family in this 

 country. As an avenue and shade tree it is unsurpassed. 

 It is the great timber maple, whose curly and birds-eye 

 wood is loved by the cabinet-maker; and whose sap boiled 

 down, yields maple sugar — a delicious sweet, with the 

 distinctive flavor beloved by all good Americans. In 

 October the sugar maple paints the landscape with yellow 

 and orange and red. Its firm broad leaves, shallowly cleft 

 into five lobes, are variously toothed besides. The flowers 

 open late, hanging on the season's shoots in hairy yellow 

 clusters. The key fruits are smooth and plump, with 

 wings only slightly diverging. They are shed in midsummer. 



Hard maple wood outranks all other maple lumber, 

 though the curly grain and the bird's-eye are accidental 

 forms rarely found. Flooring makes special demands 

 upon this wood. Much is used in furniture factories; and 

 small wares — shoe lasts, shoe pegs and the like — consume a 

 great deal. As fuel, hard maple is outranked only by 

 hickory. Its ashes are rich in potash and are in great de- 

 mand as fertilizer in orchards and gardens. 



The living tree, in the park, on the street, casting its 

 shade about the home, or glowing red among the trees of 

 the woods, is more valuable than its lumber. Slow-grow- 

 ing, strong to resist damage by storm, clean in habit and 

 beautiful the year round — this is our splendid rock maple. 

 Rich, indeed, is the city whose early inhabitants chose it as 

 the permanent street tree. 



