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The sycamore maple is a valuable timber tree in Europe; 
its wood is used in the manufacture of musical instruments, 
spoons and other household utensils. Other maples are at 
the fruticetum. Farther north on this ridge may be seen 
young trees of Koelreuteria, the varnish tree, native of 
China, Korea, and Japan. 
In the buckeye family, planted north of conservatory 
range 2, is the common horse-chestnut (Aesculus); for a 
long time the native country of this tree was unknown, 
and its home was ascribed by different authors to various 
lands; it has been pretty well established now that it is 
iadiccnou: to the mountains of northern Greece and 
Bulgaria. Another tree here is the fetid or Ohio buckeye, 
of the south central United States; its wood, as well as 
that of some of the other kinds of buckeye, is manufactured 
into artificial limbs, for which purpose it is highly esteemed; 
it is also used for wooden-ware and paper pulp. To the 
north of the buckeye family is the linden family. The 
American linden or basswood, found over the eastern 
parts of North America, is here; it produces a large amount 
of lumber under the name of whitewood, which is used in 
the manufacture of wooden-ware, furniture, and carriage 
bodies; it is also largely used in the manufacture of paper 
pulp. Other species are the white or silver linden, of 
eastern Europe and Asia Minor, and the common European 
lindens. 
Next in the sequence comes the oleaster family, repre- 
sented by the oleaster, a native of southeastern Europe 
and western Asia. ‘Then follows the ginseng family, repre- 
sented by several species of aralia, while others will be 
found at the fruticetum; many other species of this family 
may be found at the conservatories. West of these is the 
ebony family, represented by the persimmon or date-plum 
(Diospyros), a native of the southeastern United States; 
its wood is preferred for the manufacture of shuttles; 
its fruit contains tannin, which gives it its astringent 
properties; this fruit, when fully ripe, is eaten in large 
