THE COMMON, OR FIELD MAPLE. 123 



Loudon, " The young shoots, being tough and 

 flexible, are employed by the coachmen in some 

 parts of France instead of whips. The tree is 

 much used in the same country for forming 

 hedges, and for filling up gaps in old fences. It 

 is also employed in topiary works, in geometrical 

 gardens, its branches being found to bear the 

 shears better than those of most other trees. The 

 leaves and young shoots are gathered green, and 

 dried for winter provender for cattle. The sap 

 yields more sugar, in proportion to the quantity 

 taken, than that of the Sycamore ; but the tree 

 does not bleed freely. In Britain, the tree is 

 seldom planted for any other purpose than that of 

 ornament, in which it is effective, by adding to 

 the variety of a collection, rather than by its 

 positive beauty." The wood makes excellent fuel, 

 and the very best charcoal. Evelyn says of it, 



By shredding up the boughs to a head, I have 

 caused it to shoot to a considerable height in a 

 little time ; but if you will lop it for the fire, let 

 it be done in January; and indeed it is observed 

 to be of noxious infiuence to subnascent plants of 

 other kinds, by reason of a clammy dew, which it 

 sheds upon them, and therefore they should not 

 be indulged in pollards, or spreading trees, but 

 to thicken underwoods and copses. The timber 

 is far superior to Beech for all purposes of the 

 turner, who seeks it for dishes, cups, trays, 

 trenchers, &c., as the joiner for tables, inlayings, 

 and for the delicateness of the grain, when the 

 knurs and nodosities are rarely diapered, which 

 does but advance its price : our turners will work 

 it so thin, that it is almost transparent." 



As an ornament to the landscape, the Maple 



