DECIDUOUS TBEES. 
385 
to the attacks of a borer, and the leaves are favorite food for worms 
to such an extent that few sycamores are seen which are not every 
summer denuded of half their foliage by these pests. The leaves 
also expand late, drop early, and are apt to rot where they drop. 
For these reasons it is less desirable than many other trees for 
streets or pleasure grounds. 
The Oriental Plane Tree. P. orientalis.— This species re- 
sembles our maples almost as much as it does its brother the 
sycamore. It is hardy, and in many respects more valuable for 
decorative planting than the American species. Whether the fol- 
lowing analysis of its character, which we quote from Loudon, is 
verified by its growth in this country, we have not had the means 
of judging, but it seems likely to form a connecting link between 
our compact and slower-growing maples and the loose rank growth 
of the sycamore. The passage quoted, however, is given quite as 
much for the purpose of presenting a fine analysis of the character- 
istics of trees as to call attention to the particular merits of the 
tree under consideration ; 
“ Pliny affirms that there is no tree whatsoever that defends us 
so well from the heat of the sun in summer, or that admits it more 
kindly in winter. Both properties result from the large size of its 
leaves. In summer these present horizontal imbricated masses, 
which, while they are favorable to the passage of the breeze, yet 
exclude both the sun and rain ; while, as the distance at which the 
branches and twigs of trees are from one another, is always propor- 
tionate to the size of the leaves, hence the tree in winter is more 
than usually open to the sun’s rays. As an ornamental tree, no 
one which attains so large a size has a finer appearance, standing 
singly, or in small groups, upon a lawn, where there is room to 
allow its lower branches, which stretch themselves horizontally to 
a considerable distance, to bend gracefully toward the ground, and 
turn up at their extremities. The peculiar characteristic of the 
tree, indeed, is the combination which it presents of majesty and 
gracefulness ; an expression which is produced by the massive and 
yet open and varied character of its head, the bending of its 
branches, and their feathering to the ground. In this respect it 
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