470 
Species 2. Wild Service . Maple-leaved Service . (Cratasgus Torminalis.) 
This rises to the height of forty or fifty feet, with a large trunk, spreading at the top into many 
branches, so as to form a large head. The young branches are covered with a purplish bark, 
marked with white spots. Leaves alternate, on pretty long foot-stalks, cut into many acute angles, 
like those of the Maple-tree; they are near four inches long, and three broad in the middle, having 
several smaller indentures towards the lop; they are of a bright green on their upper side, but a 
little woolly on their under. The flowers are produced in large bunches towards the end of the 
branches; they are white, and shaped like those of the Pear-tree, but smaller, and on longer 
peduncles: they appear in May, and are succeeded by roundish compressed fruit, shaped like com¬ 
mon Haws, but larger; ripening in autumn, when they are of a brown colour, and if kept till they 
are soft, in the same way as Medlars, have an agreeable acid flavour. 
The wood of this tree is hard and very white; it is useful for many purposes, particularly in 
mill-work. The fruit is sold in the London markets in autumn. 
Native of Denmark, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Burgundy, Piedmont, England, in many 
parts, chiefly upon strong soils. In Caen-wood, and Bishop’s-wood near Hampstead, in Hertford¬ 
shire, &c. 
The alpine variety, which Miller makes a distinct species, is about twenty feet high. Leaves 
oblong-ovate, slightly serrate, on very short foot-stalks, about three inches long, and one inch and a 
half broad, lessening towards both ends, deep green on both sides. Flowers in small bunches, rarely 
more than four or five flowers in each. Fruit the size of the common Haw, but dark brown. 
Native of monte Baldo, and other mountains of Italy. 
The other species are shrubs. 
CULTURE. 
Species 1. The White Beam-tree may be propagated by seeds, which should be sown soon after 
they are ripe; for if they are kept out of the ground till spring, they remain at least one year in the 
ground before the plants appear; so that the fruit should be buried in the ground, as is practised 
with the common Haws, Holly-berries, and those other hard seeds which do not come up the same 
year; and when the plants come up, they may be treated in the same manner as the Haws, but 
they should by no means be headed or cut down. On a poor chalky soil they will make great pro¬ 
gress, and the wood is very white and hard. 
Species 2. The Maple-leaved Service is propagated in the same way, but requires a strong soil. 
Genus 14. Diospyros. Date Plum. Class XXIII. Polygamia. 
Order II. Dioecia. 
Species 1 . European Date Plum . (Diospyros Lotus.) 
Loureiro describes it, as a small tree, six feet high, with spreading branches. Leaves ovate- 
lanceolate, quite entire, large, alternate, smooth, with oblique prominent ribs. Flowers pale, ter¬ 
minating, solitary, with a very large leafy calyx, four or five-parted, flat, permanent. Berry round, 
half an inch in diameter, yellow, lanuginose, one-celled, containing eight oblong-compressed bony 
seeds, with very little pulp. 
