MAPLES. 243 



Maple, California. See Maple, Oregon. 



Maple, Great or Sycamore. See Sycamore. 



Maple, Hard. See Maple, Rock. 



Maple, Himalayan. Several species of Acer are of some 

 importance in this region; viz. (i) A. CampUlli Hook. fil. and 

 Thbg., in the Eastern Himalayas, a greyish- white, hard and 

 dense wood, used for tea-boxes and planking ; (ii) A. obldngum 

 Wall., in Nepal and Kumaon, a reddish-brown, hard and dense 

 wood, used for agricultural implements ; (iii) A. Ldbeli Tenore, 

 growing from the Eastern Mediterranean to the Himalayas, a 

 brownish-white, hard, dense, elastic wood ; (iv) A. Icevigdtum 

 Wall, in Nepal, reaching 3040 ft. in height and 34 ft. in 

 diam., and used for beams, rafters, etc. 



Maple, Japanese (A. pictum Thunb., A. pofymtirphum, etc.). 

 " Itaya-Kayede." Several ornamental species in Japan yield 

 timber similar to that of the European species. 



Maple, Norway (A. platan6ides L.). Norway to Switzerland. 

 " Plane Maple." French "Erable plane." Germ. " Spitz Ahorn." 

 Height 6070 ft. ; diam. 23 ft. W 43. White, but inclining 

 to grey, when mature, easily worked and taking a fine polish, 

 with the satin-like lustre of the pith-rays characteristic of the 

 group, and slightly wavy annual rings, hard, heavy, tough, 

 cracking and warping, but durable if kept dry. Used in 

 turnery, for musical instruments, gun-stocks, etc., being prac- 

 tically identical with the wood of the Sycamore. 



Maple, Oregon (A. macrophyllum Pursh.). Pacific slope of 

 North America. Also known as " California " or " Broad-leaved 

 Maple." Height 90 ft. or more ; diam. 4 ft. or more. Rather 

 light, hard, and strong. Used in Oregon for axe and broom- 

 handles, snow-shoe frames and furniture, and on radial sections 

 exhibiting occasional curly figure, which is highly prized for 

 cabinet-work. This figure is produced by an unexplained 

 waviness or spiral twist in the elements of the wood, which is 

 rarely recognizable in the growing tree, but produces transverse 

 corrugations on the surface of the log when the bark is removed, 

 these curls or corrugations varying in number in different trees from 



