THE MAPLE. 



437 



wood is reddish, and tlie sap wliite. This tree 

 is found on the margins of rivers and swamps, 

 and is of quick growth. 



The Black Ash (f, samhucifolia), common 

 in the United States and Canada, rising to the 

 height of sixty to seventy feet; and having tlie 

 buds of a deep blue colour. 



The Red Ash (f. tomentosa), very common 

 in the northern and middle States. The lower 

 surface of the leaves and shoots are covered with 

 a reddish down; the bark of a deep brown. 



The Blue Ash (f. quadrangulata), coniined 

 chieily to Kentucky and West Tennessee; a large 

 tree, and furnishes a usefiil wood. Its bark is 

 said to aflford a blue dye. 



The Carolinian Ash (f. platicarpaj, a native 

 of the more southern States; is characterised by 

 its nearly round acuminated leaflets, of which 

 there are commonly only two pairs, with an odd 

 one. It is of much inferior size to the others. 



The Maple (acer) . Natural family acerineoes 

 polygamia, monoscia, of Linnseus. Of the maple 

 there are a considerable number of species, of 

 which eight are indigenous to Eiu-ope, about a 

 dozen to America, and several more to various 

 parts of Asia. Two species are common in Bri- 

 tain, the sycamore and the common maple. 



The Great Maple, or Sycamore (acer pseudo- 

 platanus). This is a large growing tree, with a 



Sycamore. 



large broad leaf divided into five lobes, glaucous, 

 and smooth beneath, the lobes unequally toothed. 

 The flowers hang in long pendulous racemes; the 

 fruit is smooth. This is a fast growing tree, and 

 is well adapted for situations near the sea, as the 

 salt spray seems to have no bad effect on its ve- 

 getation. The timber is very close and com- 

 pact, easily cut, and not liable either to splinter 

 or warp. Sometimes it is of a uniform colour 

 throughout, and in other cases beautifully curled 

 and mottled. In the latter state, as it takes a 

 fine polish, and bears varnishing well, it is much 

 used for certain parts of musical instruments. 

 This wood contains none of those hard particles 

 which are injurious to tools, and is therefore em- 

 ployed for cutting boards ; and not being apt to 

 warp, either with variations of heat or of mois- 



ture, it is a suitable material for saddle-ti-ees, 

 wooden dishes, founders' patterns, and many 

 other articles both of furniture and machinery. 

 Before the general introduction of pottery ware, 

 it was the common material for bowls and plat- 

 ters of all sorts, and many are still made of it. 

 As the juice of the maple, both in the leaves and 

 in the tree, is of a sweet taste, numerous insects 

 are attracted to it. At certain seasons the wild 

 bees and wasps may be seen about it in crowds ; 

 and if the timber be placed so that insects are 

 allowed to settle upon it, it is speedily attacked 

 by the worm. When kept dry and free from 

 this attack, it will last a considerable time ; but 

 exposed to humidity, it is one of the most per- 

 ishable of trees. From the largeness of its leaves, 

 the maple forms a cool and pleasing shade. It 

 is also a picturesque tree, as the constant exco- 

 riation of its bark produces a variety of hues, , 

 which serve to diversify the landscape. If 

 pierced in the spring or autumn, a juice flows 

 out which is of a saccharine nature, and may be 

 fermented into wine, or sugar may be obtained 

 from it by evaporation. 



The sjxamore is not only a large timber tree, 

 but it is long lived. St Hieron, who lived in 

 the fourth century of the Christian era, writes, 

 that he saw the same sycamore tree on which 

 Zaccheus climbed up to see our Saviour ride in 

 triumph into Jerusalem. The propagation of 

 all the maples is very easy. In the autumn, 

 when the seeds are ripe, they are gathered from 

 the tree, dried for a few days, and then sown in 

 any good mould. In the spring tha plants will 

 appear, and make a shoot of about a foot by the 

 following autumn. 



The Common Maple (acer campestris). This 

 is a smaller tree than the sycamore, with rather 

 smaller leaves. These are cordate, five-lobed, 

 with nearly entire obtuse margins, smooth and 

 shining beneath. The corymbs of the flowers 

 are erect, and the wings of the seeds devarieated. 

 The flower buds begin to open about the 6th of 

 April, and the leaves come out about the 18th of 

 the same month. About the 10th of May the 

 flowers are in fuU blow, and the seeds ripen in 

 autumn. The timber of this tree is superior to 

 that of the great maple. We meet with high 

 encomiums of its excellence among the ancients. 

 Pliny highly commends the maples, growing in 

 diff^erent parts of the world, for the remarkable 

 fineness of their grain; and Virgil introduces 

 Evander sitting on a maple throne. In former 

 times, so eager was the demand for the curious 

 portions of this wood, which, in its veined aspect, 

 often formed representations of birds and various 

 animals, that no pains or expense were spared in 

 procuring them. When boards, large enough 

 for tables, were formed of this curious part of 

 the wood, the extravagant prices paid for them 

 is almost incredible. We read of a table formed 



