438 



HISTORY OF THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM, 



of this wood which cost ten hundred thousand 

 sesterces, and of another that cost upwards of 

 fifteen hundred thousand. 



This tree is seldom planted so as to form woods 

 or large plantations. It is more commonly cut 

 down so as to form underwood; for this purpose 

 it is very suitable, as the shoots spring up very 

 fast from the old stools, and they make useful 

 fuel. The largest trees are generally found in 

 hedge-rows. 



The Norway Maple (acer platanoides). This 

 species grows to a great size. The leaves are 

 large, like the sycamore, of a shining green co- 

 lour, five-lobed, acuminate, cuspidate, and some- 

 what toothed. The corymbs are nearly erect. 

 It grows on the mountains of the northern coun- 

 tries of Europe, descending, in some places of 

 Norway, to the sea shore. It abounds in the 

 • north of Poland and Lithuania, and is common 

 throughout Gei-many, Switzerland, and Savoy. 

 The leaves are not liable to be preyed on by in- 

 sects, as they contain a milky bitter juice, re- 

 pulsive to these animals. This circumstance 

 heightens the beauty of the tree ; and in spring, 

 when it is full of its yellow blossoms, it has a 

 very fine appearance. In autumn the leaves as- 

 sume a golden yellow, which adds to the diver- 

 sified beauty of the surrounding foliage. It 

 thrives well in this country, where its seeds 

 come to maturity, and where it may be propa- 

 gated in the same way as the other maples. On 

 the continent it is reckoned among the best trees 

 for giving shelter to dwelling-houses. It is of 

 quick growHh, and attains a very 'considerable 

 size. Its wood is also held in great estimation, 

 and its juice yields sugar by evaporation. 



The Sugar Maple (acer saccharinum ) , is also 

 knoAvn in America under the name of rock 



Sufrar Maple. 



maple and hard maple. It is a native of North 

 America, and grows in great abundance in Ca- 

 nada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, the 

 States of Vermont and New Hampshire, the dis- 

 trict of Maine, Genesee, New York, and the up- 

 per parts of Pennsylvania. According to Dr 

 Rush, in the northern parts of these two latter 

 states, there are ten millions of acres which pro- 



duce this tree, in the proportion of thirty to the 

 acre. In the middle and southern states it 

 is rare, and almost unknown. It flourishes 

 best in mountainous districts, where the soil, 

 though fertile, is cold and moist ; and, in addi- 

 tion to the localities just mentioned, it grows 

 along the whole chain of the AUeghany moun- 

 tains to their termination in Georgia. 



The sugar maple attains the height of seventy 

 to eighty feet, with a diameter in proportion ; 

 but its average height is fifty to sixty feet, with 

 a diameter of twelve to eighteen inches. Well 

 grown thriving trees have a beautiful appear- 

 ance, and are early distinguishable by the white- 

 ness of their bark. The leaves are about five 

 inches broad, and vary in length according to the 

 age of the tree ; they are opposite, attached by 

 long petioles, palmated, or unequally divided 

 into five lobes, entire at the edges, of a bright 

 green above, and glaucous or whitish underneath. 

 In autumn the first frosts change them to a red 

 colour. Except in the colour of the lower sur- 

 face, they nearly resemble the leaves of the Nor- 

 way maple. The flowers are small, yellowish, 

 and suspended by slender drooping peduncles. 

 The seed is contained in two capsules, united at 

 the base, and terminated in a membranous wing. 

 The wood when cut is white ; but after being 

 wrought, and exposed for some time to the light, 

 it assumes a rosy tinge. It is fine and close 

 grained, and, when polished, has a silky lustre. 

 It is very strong and sufficiently heavy, but 

 wants the property of durability, for which the 

 chestnut and the oak are so highly esteemed. 

 When exposed to moisture it soon decays. After 

 a seasoning of two or three years, it is employed 

 by wheelwrights for axle-trees and spokes, and 

 for chairs and other domestic furniture. In the 

 neighbourhood of towns it is much used as fuel. 

 The ashes are rich in alkaline salts ; and four- 

 fifths of the potass exported fi-oni Boston and 

 New York are the produce of this tree. 



But it is chiefly prized for its juice, which af- 

 fords an excellent sugar, little inferior to that of 

 the sugar cane. The process of obtaining this 

 juice and sugar is very simple. The work gene- 

 rally commences in Februarj' or the beginning of 

 March, while the cold continues intense, and the 

 ground is still covered with snow. The sap be- 

 gins to be in motion at this season, two months 

 before the general revival of vegetation. In a 

 central situation, lying convenient to the trees 

 from which the sap is to be drawn, a shed is 

 erected, called a sugar camp, which is intended 

 to shelter the boilers, and the persons who tend 

 them, from the weather. An auger, tliree- 

 fourths of an inch in diameter — small troughs 

 to receive the sap — tubes of elder or sumach, 

 eight or ten inches long, corresponding in size to 

 the auger, and laid open for a part of their length 

 — buckets for emptying the troughs, and con- 



