36 DDSCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE PRINCIPAL 
beech. Flowers in April and May, and fruit full grown in August, presenting a 
similar appearance to the hop. Wood very hard and heavy, used for making 
handspikes and levers, hence the name lever wood, sometimes applied to it. 
The bark is remarkable for its fine narrow longitudinal divisions. 
The heartwood contains not less than 14.55 per cent. of potash. 
Specific gravity 0.76 ; weight of cubic foot 47.5 lbs. 
22. Marte. Acer saccharinum. 
Nat, Ord. Sapindacee. Sub. Ord. Aceracee. 
A large handsome tree ; from its elegance, and from its abundance in Canada, 
the leaf of the maple has been adopted as the national emblem. Occurs 
abundantly in all rich woods ; flowers in April and May, and attains a great size. 
The timber is very beautiful, and is distinguished as bird’s-eye maple, and mottled 
or curly maple. The latter is principally used for picture frames, the former is 
full of small knots, that give rise to the name; the grain varies according as 
the saw has divided the eyes transversely or longitudinally; thus pieces cut out 
in cireular sweeps, as chair backs, sometimes exhibit both the bird’s-eye and 
mottled figures at different parts. Much sugar is made from this variety of 
maple. The less ornamental portions of the timber are much used for house 
carpentry and furniture, while as fuel its quality is unsurpassed. 
Potash in outer layers 8.77; in inner 4.21 per cent. 
Specific gravity 0.6; weight of cubic foot 38 Ibs. 
The Curly Maple is properly Acer rubrum. 
The Soft Maple, Acer dasycarpum, is a fine ornamental tree. 
Value for heating purposes—hard maple 60; soft 54. 
23. Waite Oak. Quercus alba. 
Nat. Ord. Cupulifere. 
A well known and invaluable large tree, widely distributed in all rich woods; 
flowers in spring and sheds uutsin October. There are not fewer than eighteen 
species of oak found in North America, but of all these the timber derived from 
this species approaches nearest to the English oak, which is probably more durable 
than any other wood which attains the same size. This timber is largely ex- 
ported to England and the West Indies. 
It is a most valuable wood for ship-building, carpentry, frames to machines, and 
works requiring great strength or exposure to the weather; also for staves of casks, 
spokes of wheels generally, and nayes of waggon wheels, trenails, and numerous 
small works. On account of its capability of resistance to atmospheric influences 
it is much used in Canada and the Northern States of the Union for railway ties. 
Bark useful in tanning and in medicine. This timber is very tough and pliable, 
but is difficult to work, and is very liable to warp and split in seasoning. It is 
less durable than British oak, but it is of much quicker growth, 
Specific gravity 0.84; weight of a cubic foot 50 lbs., fully seasoned. 
Potash obtained from outer wood, 13.41; from heartwood, 9.68 per cent. 
Value for heating purposes 81. 
24. Rep Oak. Quercus rubra. 
Nat. Ord. Cupulifere. 
A good sized tree, with reddish, very porous and coarse grained wood, of little 
value as timber. Flowers and sheds acorns at same seasons as the white oak ; 
