OF FOREST-TREES. 



183 



CHAPTER XII. 



The MAVLE\ 



.CER MINUS, the MAPLE, (of which authors reckon many kinds,) cHAP.XIl. 

 was of old held almost in equal estimation with the Citron, especially 

 the Pavonaceous, or Peacock's-tail Maple ; which is that sort so elegantly 

 undulated, and crisped into variety of curls. It were a most laudable 



1 Of the Maple there are various species : 



1. ACER ( psEUDO'PLATANus ) foHis quinquelobis insequaliter serratis, floribus racemosis. 

 Lin. Sp. PI. I4i95. The greater maple, or sycamore tree. 



This is a large growing tree, and adapted to increase the variety in our woods and fields. — 

 It is very proper, if kept down, for underwood, because it shoots very fast from the stool, 

 and makes excellent fuel. There is no tree more proper than this to form large plantations 

 near the sea ; for the spray, which is prejudicial to most trees, seems to have no bad effect 

 upon it. The Sycamore is not only a large timber-tree, but will stand long on the soil 

 before it decays. This may be seen from what St. Hierom says, who lived in the fourth 

 century after Christ, namely. That he saw the Sycamore-tree which Zaccheus climbed 

 up, to see our Saviour ride in triumph to Jerusalem. The propagation of the Sycamore 

 is very easy. In the autumn, when the keys are ripe, they may be gathered, and, in a few 

 days after, sown, as has been directed for the Ash. In the spring the plants will appear, and 

 make a shoot of about a foot by the autumn following, if the ground of the seminary 

 be tolerably good, and they are kept clean from weeds. The spring after they come up, 

 they should be planted in the nursery, in rows two feet and a half asunder, and their 

 distance in the rows must be one foot and a half. Here they may remain till they are big 

 enough to plant out for good, with no farther trouble than taking off unsightly side-branches, 

 and such as have a tendency to make the tree forked, except digging between the rows, 

 which must be done every winter, 



2. ACER CcampestreJ foliis lobatis obtusis eraarginatis. Lin. Sp. PI. 1497. Acer 

 Campestre et minus. C. B. P. 431. The common maple. 



This does not grow to such a large size as the Sycamore, though its timber is of greater value. 

 We meet with high encomiums on this wood among the ancients : Pliny gives us many ; 

 and Virgil introduces Evander sitting on a Maple throne. The first-mentioned author highly 

 commends the Maples growing in different parts of the world, and extols many of them for 

 the remarkable fineness of their grain: Indeed the fineness of the grain ever governs the 

 value of the wood. In former times, so mad were people in searching for the Bruscum 

 of this tree, which often formed the exact representation of birds, beasts, &c. that they 

 spared no expense in procuring it. When boards, big enough for tables, were found of this 



