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The Italian maple provides excellent wood for wheelwright's work; a cubic foot weighs 

 about eighty pounds. 



CULTIVATION. Maples are propagated via their seeds that are sown as soon as 

 they are mature. If one waits until spring to sow them, they won't come up until the 

 second year. Maple saplings can be left in the seed beds for two years. After that they're 

 placed in a nursery. In forests they most often will propagate on their own. All kinds of 

 soil suit them, as long as it's not clayey and too difficult to penetrate. 



KEY TO PLATES. 



719. Common maple. 1. Cluster of flowers. 2. Male flower (enlarged). 3. 

 Hermaphrodite flower, same. 4. Half of a capsule opened to reveal the seed. 



720. Sycamore maple, 1, Cluster of flowers. 2. Flower enlarged and seen from 

 below. 3. Stamens and pistil. 4. Half of capsule, natural size. 



721. Striped maple in fruit. 1. Cluster of flowers. 2. Complete flower. 3. Part of 

 I Ik ^ .ip-.uk .in.l -.cc.l 



722. 1. Leaves of the ash-leaved maple. 2. Cluster of male flowers. 3. Same, 

 female flowers. 4. Leaf of Montpelier maple. 5. Capsule. 6. Leaf of the Italian 

 maple. 7. Cluster of flowers. 



