MAPLE FAMILY 



Kev of Red Maple. -. 7cV 

 ruhnim. 



side by side, one ma}' have large, thin, five-lobed leaves, and 

 the other small, thick, tbree-lobed leaves, or both forms may 

 be found on different parts of the same 

 tree, and sometimes even on the same 

 branch. 



The llowers appear ver}' earl)', onlv 

 chose of the silver maple precede thcni. 

 Perfect flowers occasionalh' occur, but 

 generally the slaminate and pistillate 

 flowers are produced on separate trees, 

 although a bi'anch with staminate flow- 

 ers can be found on a tree (jii which the 

 flowers are pistillate, and individual ]iistil- 

 late clusters on a staminate branch. If 

 the tiee is very red, one may be certain 

 that the flowers are pistillate, but if yel- 

 lowish they are staminate. 

 All the maples show what is called the curled and bird's-eye 

 varieties. 'I'hese are an accidental and fortuitous arrange- 

 ment of the woody fibre, and as there is no marked outward 

 indication of these varieties, only exiierienced woodsmen can 

 detect them in the living tree, which they do from some slight 

 peculiarities of the bark. It is said that these forms are 

 found only in old trees. Such lumber is now very valuable 

 for the interior furnishings of rooms, railway-cars, and steam- 

 ship saloons. How many such trees were destroyed in the early 

 days through ignorance or indifference no one knows. I re- 

 call a countrv home where the kitchen-stove was fed one 

 entire winter with the most beautiful curled and bird's-eye ma- 

 ple, carefully cut into cordwood eighteen inches in length. 

 Of course the owner knew nothing of the existence of these 

 trees until thev confronted him in his woodpile, and his anger 

 and disnia}' may be imagined as he bewailed the stupidity of 

 his workmen. 



