410. The fourth, or Black Sugar Maple, differs very 

 little from the Common Sugar Maple ; but, as a tree, it 

 has a more ample foliage than the other, and is very 

 proper for the forming of avenues and adorning parks 

 and gardens. 



411. The fifth sort is called the Moose Wood ; in some 

 parts of America it is called the Striped Maple, which is 

 descriptive of the bark of the tree ; but it was called 

 Moose Wood by the first settlers, because, the Moose (an 

 enormous Deer) was observed to subsist during the winter 

 and the spring upon the young twigs of this tree. It is a 

 tree that grows extremely fast, and is very beautiful 

 as a tree. The wood is white, and does not appear 

 to be very valuable. Its principal use in its native country 

 is furnishing the farmers, at the close of the winter, with 

 the means of sustaining their cattle. It is amongst the 

 very earliest trees in America, whose vegetation announces 

 the approacli of spring. As soon as the buds begin to 

 swell, the horses and cattle are turned into the woods to 

 browse the young shoots ; and, poor as this resource may 

 appear, it is a very great one, since the twigs are full of 

 saccharine matter. In England this tree can hardly be 

 planted except for ornament, but it is a very fast grower, 

 and very ornamental. 



412. The sixth sort, or Box Elder, or Ash -leaved Ma- 

 ple, does not mount to a great height ; Michaux does not 

 appear to attach any very great importance to it, but regards 

 it merely as an ornamental tree. It grows very fast, and is 

 very pretty. This is not saying much in its favour, and I 

 cannot very well see why Michaux recommends it to be 

 planted in coppices, to be cut every three or four years, 



