558. The Sycamore, or Great Maple, generally called the "Plane-tree" in the north of England, is a native of the mountains of Germany, and is very common in Britain.

It is a large tree, and of quick growth; it thrives well near the sea. According to Hassenfratz, the mean size of its trunk is about 32 feet in length, and 29 inches in diameter. Evelyn says, that in Germany they have a better variety than the one which grows in Britain.

The wood is durable in a dry state when it can be protected from worms, but it is equally as liable to be destroyed by them as beech. It is used chiefly for furniture, and the white wood of this tree is valuable for many ornamental articles.

The colour of sycamore is generally of a brownish white; sometimes of a yellowish white, or nearly white in young wool, with a silky lustre. Its texture is nearly uniform, and the annual rings not very distinct. Its larger ravs are small and close, and perhaps it might be more correctly described as having distinct smaller medullary rays, and no larger rays, the flowers presented by the grain are small, with a minute dappled appearance. The wood is sometimes beautifully curled. In large trees the wood is usually tainted and brittle. It is in general easy to work, being less hard than beech.

The cohesive force of a square inch varies from 5000 to 10,000 lbs.; its modulus of elasticity is 1,036,000 lbs. for a square inch. A cubic foot of sycamore weighs from 34 to 42 lbs. when dry.