THE COMMON, OR FIELD MAPLE. 



127 



such colours too, fluttering through all its sum- 

 mer's day. When first the Maple begins to au- 

 tumnize the grove, the extremities of the boughs 

 alone change their colour, but all the internal and 

 more sheltered parts still retain their verdure, 

 which gives to the tree the effect of a great depth 

 of shade, and displays advantageously the light, 

 lively colouring of the sprays. We find the Ma- 

 ple useful in our hedges, not from the opposition 

 it aff'ords, but by reason of its very quick growth 

 from the stool after it has been cut, whence it 

 makes a fence in a shorter time than most of its 

 companions ; and when firewood is an object, it 

 soon becomes sufficiently large for this purpose. 

 The singular ruggedness of the branches and 

 shoots, Yvhen they have attained a year's growth, 

 and the depth of the furrows, give it a strongly 

 marked character among our shrubs. The under 

 side of the leaves in autumn, when they become 

 yellow, dashed here and there with a few specks 

 of red and brown, appear, when magnified, like a 

 very beautiful and perfect mosaic pavement, with 

 all its tessera arranged and fitted. If one of 

 these rugged young shoots be cut through hori- 

 zontally with a sharp knife, its cork -like bark 

 presents the figure of a star ^\dth five or more 

 rays, sometimes irregularly, but generally exactly 

 defined. A thin slice from this surface is a 

 beautiful and curious object in the microscope ; 

 exhibiting the diff'erent channels, and variously- 

 formed tubes, through which the sap flows, and 

 the air circulates for the supply of all the diver- 

 sified requirements of the plant. And it is good 

 and delightful to contemplate the wonderful me- 

 chanism that has been devised by the Ahnighty 



