This section is from the book "Plants And Their Uses - An Introduction To Botany", by Frederick Leroy Sargent. Also available from Amazon: Plants And Their Uses; An Introduction To Botany.
Maple, especially sugar-maple (Fig. 248) has all the qualities necessary for flooring, paneling, and other interior finishing. It is highly valued also for the keels of vessels. As a material for furniture "curly" grained or "bird's eye" varieties are in great demand. Its fine texture and uniform hardness adapt it also for shoe-lasts and other form blocks, for shoe-pegs, showbill type, parts of pianos and other musical instruments, and for use in carving and turnery.
Fig. 248.-Sugar-maple (Acer Saccharum, Maple Family, Aceraceoe). A, leaf. B, flower-cluster. C, staminate flower. D, same, cut vertically. E, perfect flower, with part of calyx removed. F, same, cut vertically. G, fruit. (Pax.)-Tree growing about 36 m. tall; bark grayish; leaves dark green above; flowers greenish yellow; fruit greenish. Native home, Eastern North America.
 
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