(1*5) 



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 

 indigenous 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 



