the maple-tree; a genus of plants, of the monoeia order, belonging to the polygamia class. Of this genus there are ten

Species. 1. The pseudo platanus, improperly called the sycamore, is a very large and beautiful tree, with broad leaves divided into five lobes, serrated in their edges; of a dark-green colour on the upper side, but paler and somewhat hoary underneath; the flowers are very small, and of a greenish white colour. The fruit is large, and beautifully variegated with green and purple. This species is a native of Germany; but thrives very well in Britain, where it is frequent in plantations. It is very proper for making plantations near the sea, or sheltering such as are already too near it, because the sycamore-tree relishes the spray of the ocean much better than most other trees. It has however this inconvenience, that its leaves are devoured by insects, so as to become full of holes and very unsightly, which has caused the planting of it to be much neglected of late. 2. The campetre, or common maple, is too well known to need any particular account; it growing very frequently, in hedge-rows, in most parts of Britain. The timber of the common maple is far superior to beech for all uses of the turner; particularly for dishes, cups, trenchers, &c. When it abounds with knots, as it frequently does, it is highly esteemed by joiners for inlayings. It is also often employed in making musical instruments, on account of its lightness; and for the whiteness of its wood was formerly esteemed for making tables, &c. 3. The regundo, or Virginian ash-leaved maple, is a very strong shooting tree; and in Virginia, where it is a native, is one of the largest trees of this kind. It must be planted in places not too much exposed to violent winds, being subject to split thereby. 4. The platanoides, or Norway maple, grows naturally in Norway, Sweden, and other Northern countries in Europe; it rises to a good height; and is well furnished with branches, with smooth leaves, of a shining green colour, divided in the form of an hand. These have an acid milky juice, which prevents them from being preyed upon by insects as the sycamore is; and as this species relishes the spray of the sea equally with the first, it is preferred in plantations situated near the sea. 5. The rubrum, or Virginian scarlet flowering maple, is a native of that country, and never grows to a large size in Britain. It is, however, cultivated in gardens for the beauty of its flowers, which appear in the beginning of April, in roundish bunches, at the bottom of the footstalks of the leaves. The seeds are ripe in five or six weeks after; and ought to be immediately sown, being otherwise very apt to perish. The tree ought to be sheltered, especially whilst young, from the north-east winds; it delights in a moist light soil, where it will thrive much better, as well as produce many more flowers and much better seeds, than in a dry ground. A variety of this tree is known in England by the name of Sir Charles Wager's Flowering Maple, from its being first sent from America to Sir Charles Wager. The flowers of this kind come out in larger clusters than the other, and surround the small branches, so that the tree appears entirely covered with them, and makes a much more beautiful appearance than the former, mer, which now is not so much esteemed. 6. The faccharinum, or American sugar-maple, so called from a coarse kind of sugar being obtained from its juice by the inhabitants of North America*, grows to a large size. When young, it very much resembles the Norway maple; but as it grows up, the leaves become more deeply divided, and their surfaces less smooth; they are, besides, preyed upon by insects, like the sycamore; by which circumstances the two species are easily distinguished. 7. The Pennsylvanicum, or American mountain-maple, very much resembles the sugar-maple, only its leaves are more pointed. 8. The opalus, or Italian maple, is very common in most parts of Italy, particularly about Rome; but in Britain is very rarely to be met with, though hardy enough to bear the open air. It is one of the largest species of trees in Italy, and affords a great shade by its numerous and large leaves. On this account it is planted on the road-sides, and near habitations. 9. The montefulcanum, or Montpellier maple, is common in the south of France, and in Italy; but is hardly met with in Britain. The leaves resemble those of the common maple; but are of a much thicker substance, a shining green colour, and not so large. They continue in verdure very late in the autumn, which renders the trees more valuable. 10. The creticum, or Cretan maple, grows naturally in the Levant; it somewhat resembles the last species; but its leaves are of a much thinner texture, and their footstalks covered with a soft hairy down; whereas those of the other are smooth and soft.

Culture. All these species are propagated either by seeds or cuttings. If the first method is chosen, the seeds should be sown in autumn, soon after they are ripe, in a bed of common earth, covering them about half an inch thick with light mould. If they cannot be sown in autumn, they must be put into sand to preserve their growing quality; for if kept dry till the spring, the seeds often fail, or at least lie a whole year in the ground before they vegetate. The seeds ought also to be sown in a sheltered situation; because most sorts of maple, especially those which come from America, are very impatient of heat while young; and if the young plants are exposed to the sun but one day, few of them will survive; being instantly attacked by insects, which in that short time devour their seed-leaves, after which the plants drop to the ground. This is most especially remarkable in the American sugar-maple. When the plants come up, they must be kept free from weeds, and in the following autumn transplanted into the nursery, where they may grow two or three years, and then be planted where they are to remain. If maple-trees are to be propagated by cuttings, they should be planted in autumn, if the ground is dry; but where the soil is cold and moist, the spring season is preferable. If cut from the trees before the buds begin to swell, and the ground is not then fit to receive them, they may be wrapped in moss, and put in a cool place, where they will keep a month or five weeks without injury; but the trees propagated from cuttings are not so valuable as those from seeds, because they seldom grow so large or so upright. Most, if not all the species of maples, take well by inoculation, or ingrafting on each other. Some of them are plain, and others variegated or striped with different colours, which by the means just now mentioned may be easily intermixed.