THE COMMON, or FIELD MAPLE. 



Acer Campestre. 



Natural order. — Acerine^. 

 Class — OcTANDRiA. Order> — Monogynia. 



Though the tree last described is much larger 

 and more generally kno\\TL than the present spe- 

 cies, it has so long universally borne the name of 

 Sycamore, that the generic name of Maple" is 

 now almost exclusively applied to the smaller 

 tree, the only species, in fact, which is indigenous 

 to this country. Many persons probably are not 

 aware, that the two trees belong to the same 

 family, for if we except the keys, or clusters of 

 winged seeds, they have to the casual observer 

 few points of resemblance. 



The Sycamore justly claims the right of being 

 considered a large tree : the circumference of its 

 trunk is considerable ; it frequently covers a wide 

 space of ground with its spreading limbs ; it casts 

 a dense shade, and its leaves exceed in size those 

 of most of our common trees. But the Maple 

 rarely attains a size which entitles it to be con- 

 sidered a tree at all ; its foliage is meagre and 

 unpretending, while its value in hedge-making 

 induces its owners to preserve as much as possible 

 its character of an overgro\\'n shrub. Such, ac- 

 cordingly, w^e generally find it when it growls in 

 hedges ; and when met with among other trees 

 it is mostly as underwood. Its leaves, like those 



