25 



hangs out tassels all over the tree. This year, doubt- 

 less owing to the absence of rain at the flowering sea- 

 son, these tassels were very beautiful and remained on 

 the trees a long time. One of the finest sugar maples 

 in the city is in the garden of Mr. Nath'l Ropes, 318 

 Essex street, overhanging the street just at the west of 

 the house, and there is another of great beauty in the 

 lot at the corner of Fairfield and Lafayette streets, 

 nearest the latter. The largest tree, probably, is at 

 Mr. S. E. Peabody's, " Kern wood," on the eastern 

 portion of the estate. It is a dense well proportioned 

 tree, nine and one half feet in circumference. But the 

 largest natural tree in the county is that on the Hooper 

 farm in Boxford, which measures twelve feet in cir- 

 cumference and is nearly sixty feet in height. This old 

 tree resembles those at the New Hampshire sugar groves, 

 but is evidently past its prime. The fine row of sugar 

 maples on Bridge street, before the residence of Mr. 

 Jas. P. Cook, have shown signs of failing within a few 

 years and it is quite probable that the sealing up of the 

 roadway with block pavement and the broad brick side 

 walk prevent any considerable amount of moisture 

 from reaching their roots. From this cause many fine 

 trees are lost in cities. 



The striped maple (Acer pennsylvanicum) is found 

 growing as a small tree in Swampscott and Chebacco 

 woods, and there was once a large specimen at Harmony 

 Grove Cemetery. I do not know of one in Salem now. 

 Norway maples are found in St. Peter street, the Essex 

 House yard on the western side, and there is one that 

 has been, by careful pruning, made to retain a dense 

 round head, at Mrs. Wm. McMuUan's, No. 6 North 

 street. There is a very fine Norway maple on the eastern 



