PLATANUS. 
find great difficulty in applying with certainty theEnglifh 
names of this genus, which are in ufe amongft nurfery- 
men. 
2. Platanus occidentalis, the American plane-tree: leaves 
lobed-angular, nerves tomentofe underneath. This tree 
alfo attains to a large fize, and grows naturally in molt 
parts of North America. The Item is very ftraight, and 
of equal girt molt part of the length ; the bark is fmooth, 
and annually falls off like thatof the other. The branches 
extend wide on every fide; the young ones have a 
brownifli bark, but in the old ones the bark is grey. 
The foot-ftalks of the leaves are three inches long; the 
leaves (even inches long, and ten broad ; cut into three 
lobes or angles, and have feveral acute indentures on 
their borders, with three longitudinal midribs, and many 
llrong lateral veins ; they are of a light-green on 
their upper fide, and paler on their under. The flowers 
grow in round balls like the former, but are fmaller. 
The leaves and flowers come out at the fame time with 
the former, and the feeds ripen in autumn. 
Kalin, who calls it the Virginian maple, fays that it 
grows in plenty on the fliores of the Delaware. The 
Englifh-Americans call it button-wood, (from the catkins 
or aments,) or water-beech, which is more common. It 
grows moltly in low places, but efpecially on the edge of 
rivers and brooks. It is eafily tranfplanted to drier 
places, if the foil be good; and, as the leaves are large 
and the foliage thick, it is planted about houfes and in 
gardens, to afford a pleafant fnade in the hot feafon. It 
likewife grows in marfhes and in fwampy fields, with the 
afh and red maple. It is remarkable for its quick growth; 
and is frequently as tall and thick as the beft fir-trees. 
There are fuch numbers of them on the low meadows 
between Philadelphia and the ferry at Gloucefter, on 
both fides of the road, that in fummer it is a fnady walk 
all the way. In Philadelphia near the Swedifh church, 
fome great plane-trees ftand on the fliore of the river. 
It appears from Parkinfon, that the American plane 
was introduced here before 164.0, by Mr. John Tradefcant, 
jun. Johnfon, in his Additions to Gerard’s Herbal, 
printed in 1633, mentions that there were two young 
ones at that time growing with Mr. Tradefcant. He 
does not feem indeed to have known that thefe were of a 
different fpecies from thofe which Gerard fays his 
fervar.t William Marfhall (whom he fent into the Medi¬ 
terranean Sea as a furgeon unto the Hercules of London) 
found growing in Lepanto, hard by the fea-fide, at the 
entrance into the town, a port of Morea; and from 
thence brought one of the rough buttons, being the fruit 
thereof. Thefe were oriental planes; but there is no 
doubt that the young trees growing with Mr. Tradefcant 
were occidental planes. In more than a century and 
half it is not become very common, although, as Mr. 
Marfhall fays, it is particularly refrefhing to the eye, and 
truly ornamental; the bright colour giving variety to 
groves and mafi'es of wood, and in fingle trees or groups 
being Angularly elegant. The ftein of the occidental 
plane, fays Mr. Gilpin, it very pidf urefque : it is fmooth, 
of a light afh-colour, and has the property of throwing 
off its bark in fcales; thus naturally cleanfmg itfelf, at 
leaf! its larger boughs, from mofs and other parafitical 
incumbrances. No tree forms a more pleafing (hade. It 
is full-leaved, and its leaf is large, fmooth, of a fine 
texture, and feldom injured by infeCts. Its lower 
branches, (hooting horizontally, foon take a diredfion to 
the ground ; and the fpray, by twilling about in various 
forms, fills up every little vacuity with (hade. At the fame 
time it mull be owned, the twilling of its branches is a 
difadvantage, when the tree is llripped of its leaves, and 
reduced to a fkeleton. Nor indeed does its foliage, from 
the largenefs of the leaf, and the mode of its growth, 
make the molt piclurefque appearance in fummer. The 
furnmer-leaf alfo both of this and the oriental plane, 
wears fo light a hue, as to mix ill with the foliage of the 
oak, the elm, and other trees. On the fkirts of a plan- 
Vol. XX. No. 1396. 
621 
tation they fometimes form, during the fummer, a dif- 
agreeable fpot. In autumn their leaves receive a mellow 
tint, which harmonizes very well with the waning colour 
of the wood. One of the fineft occidental planes, adds 
Mr. Gilpin, Hands in my own garden at Vicar’s-hill, 
where its boughs, feathering to the ground, form a 
canopy of above fifty feet in diameter. 
At Shad well Lodge in Norfolk, the feat of John Buxton, 
efq. a plane-tree was planted in April 1744.; it was then 
eight feet high. In April 1775, the height was 65 feet 
9.inches; the girt, at half a foot from the ground, was 
7 feet inches 9 inches; at 20 feet, 4 feet 6 inches. 
Propagation and Culture. The eallern plane-tree is 
propagated either from feeds or by layers, the latter of 
which is generally pradlifed in England; though the 
plants thus raifed feldom make fo large ftraight trees as 
thofe which are produced from feeds; but it has been 
generally thought that the feeds of this tree were not 
productive, becaufe they have not been fown at a 
proper feafon, nor managed in a right manner. If thefe 
feeds are fown foon after they are ripe, in a moift ftiady 
fituation, they will rife extremely well; and the plants 
thus obtained, will make a confiderable progrefs after the 
fecond year, being much hardier and lefs liable to lofe 
their tops in winter, than thofe which are propagated by 
layers. And, fince the feeds of this tree frequently ripen 
well in England, they may be propagated in as great 
plenty as any other foreft-tree. 
The Virginian plane-tree will grow extremely well 
from cuttings, if they are planted the beginning of 
Odlober upon a moift foil; and, if they are watered in 
dry weather, will make a prodigious progrefs; fo that, in 
a few years from the planting, they will afford noble 
trees for planting avenues, and other (hady walks; and 
their trunks are perfedlly ftraight, growing nearly of the 
fame fize to a confiderable height, there being the lead 
difference in the girt of this tree, for feveral yards 
upwards, of any fort of tree whatfoever. Paul Dudley, 
efq. in a letter to the Royal Society, mentions one of thefe 
trees, which he obferved in New England, whofegirt was 
nine yards, and held its bignefs a great way up, which 
tree, when cut down, made twenty-two cords of wood. 
He alfo fays, in the fame letter, that he had propagated 
many of thefe trees by cutting 01T fticks of five or fix feet 
long, and fetting them a foot deep into the ground in the 
fpring of the year, when the feafon was wet; and that 
they always thrive beft in a moift foil. 
Both forts are propagated very eafily by layers. In 
March every twig of them will take root, if they are 
but pegged down and covered with earth ; thefe layers 
will be well rooted in one year, when they ftiould be cut 
off from the old trees or ftools, and planted in a nurfery, 
where they may remain two or three years to get ftrength, 
after which they may be tranfplanted where they are to 
remain, for the younger thefe trees are planted the better 
they will thrive. In the winter fcreen the feed-beds 
with pea-llraw, rotten tanner’s bark, or fome other light 
covering, that can eafily be removed in mild weather. 
In the fpring, before the feeds vegetate, rake the beds 
gently over with a (hort-toothed rake, lifting a little 
frefli rich mould on them, and in dry weather during 
fummer let them be watered. The following autumn, 
the beds having been made quite clean, put a little more 
good mould about the plants ; after which they will re¬ 
quire no farther trouble, but keeping them clean, till they 
have had another fealon’s growth, when they may be re¬ 
moved into the nurfery in fpring, in rows one yard 
afunder, and eighteen inches dillance in the rows. 
Though many ot the feeds will come up the firft fpring, 
yet the general crop mull not be expedled till the 
fecond. 
Dr. Hunter recommends the cuttings to be taken 
from ftrong young wood, and planted early in autumn, 
in a moift good mould. They are generally planted 
thick, and then removed into the nurfery: but, if a 
7 T large 
