OF FOREST-TREES. 



59 



thousand soldiers, which even covered the sea, exhausted rivers, and CHAP. III. 

 thrust mount Athos from the continent, to admire the pulchritude and '"-'"^s?'"'^ 

 procerity of one of them ; and became so fond of it, that, spoiling both 

 himself, his concubines, and great persons of all their jewels, he covered 

 it with gold, gems, necklaces, scarfs, and bracelets, and infinite riches : 

 in sum, was so enamoured of it, that for some days neither the concern- 

 ment of his grand expedition, nor interest of honour, nor the necessary 

 motion of his portentous army, could persuade him from it : he styled 

 it his mistress, his minion, his goddess ; and when he was forced to part 



Reaves and flowers come out at the same time with the former, and the seeds ripen ii\ 

 autumn. 



The PLATANUS is of the class and order Monoecia Poli/andria. 



The flowers come out late in the spring, and are so small as scarcely to be visible to 

 the naked eye. The buds of the leaves of the oriental sort, begin to swell about the 

 fourteenth of April, an^ the leaves axe generally out by the latter end of the same 

 month. 



Besides the two species already described, there are two varieties: 1. The Spanish Plane- 

 tree ; 2. The Maple-leaved Plane-tree. 



1. The Spanish Plane-tree has larger leaves than either of the other sorts; they are 

 more divided than those of the Occidental, but not so much as the eastern. Some of the 

 leaves are cut into, five, and others into three lobes ; these are sharply indented on the 

 edges, and are of a light green ; the foot-stalks are short, and covered with a short down. 

 This is by sopie called the Middle Plane-tree, from its leaves being shaped between those 

 qf the two other sorts. It grows rather faster than either of the other kinds. 



2. The Maple-leaved Plane-tree differs from the two genuine species, in having its 

 leaves not so deeply cut as the eastern, nor lobed as the western kind. The foot-stalks 

 of the leaves are much longer than those of the above sorts, and the upper surface of the 

 leaves is rougher. 



The Oriental and Spanish Plane-trees are propagated from seeds, when they can. 

 be procured. The ground proper for the seminary, should be moist and shady, well dug, 

 and raked till the mould is fine; then, in autumn, soon after the seeds are ripe, let 

 them be scattered over this ground, and the seeds raked in, in the same manner as turnip- 

 seed. In the spring, many of the young plants will come up, though you must not expect 

 the general crop till the second year ; the succeeding spring, they may be taken out of the 

 seminary, and planted in the nursery in rows one yard asunder, and at one foot and a half 

 distance in the rows. Here they may remain with the usual care of digging between the 

 rows, and keeping them clean, till they are of sufficient size to plant out for good. 



Where the seeds of these trees cannot be procured, layering must be the method of 

 propagation. For this purpose a sufficient number must be planted out for stools on a spot 

 of earth double dug : after they have stood one year, they should be cut down, in order 



