from indigenout Plants, _ j3j; 



The procefs of boiling down of the juice is lilcewife fo very fimple, tliat any farmer is able 

 to perform it. The[foilowing inftance will prove this. Count PodevHls of Gufow intro- 

 duced an huntfman to me, far the purpofe of feeing and being inftrudled in the method of re- 

 ducing the juice of the maple-tree to raw fugar. This man afterwards inftru6ted the ma- 

 nager of Count Podevills's eftates, who foon afterwards fent me a confiderable quantity of 

 raw fugar from the maple. But as, according to my experiments, only the fugar and filver 

 maple-tree afford thefe advantages ; and as tlie afli-Ieaved (accr negundo)^ the common maple 

 {acer campejlre)^ the plane-tree {a cer plat amides), the fycamore- maple (acer pfeudo-platanus), 

 and all the other fpecies, not only yield lefs juice, but alfo lefs rich in faccharine matter, the 

 profi.s of making of fugar from the maple-tree are not to be expe£ted until the neceflary 

 plantations of the fugar and filver-maple have been made, and have fufEciently advanced in ' 

 growth, which muft require twenty or thirty years. 



In order, therefore, that Germany, and efpecially the Pruffian territories, may not be de- 

 prived for fo long a period of the home-manufaftory of fugar, it would undoubtedly be 

 highly beneficial to the community, if, among the numerous plants containing fugar, and 

 prefented to Germany by nature, fome fhould be difcovered, from which a proper fubflitute 

 for the Weft India fugar may be extrailed, though with lefs advantage than from maple- 

 trees, and of which a proportional profit may be obtained ; at leaft, until the maple planta- 

 tions fliall have acquired the proper degree of ftrength*. 



From 



\vith their refults. I fhall only remark, that, according to my experiments, a tree of the fugar and filver-ma- 

 ple from i5 to ^^ years age, and twelve or thirteen inches diameter, yields, upon an average, and without 

 particular management, 4flb. of raw-fugar. The fuperficial acre being capable of fupporting i8o trees, the 

 fugar obtained from an acre will amount to 7651b. In confequence of thefe experiments, I )iave made an 

 exaft computation. Taking it for .granted, that at a medium, one tree fhould only afford one pound of raw 

 fugar, the charge, including the expences of fuel, wages, and wear of veffels, would be only one grofch 

 7} penny (about nine farthings). And one fquare mile (German,fifteen in.lenglb to a degree of the equator) 

 would furnifli yearly ii,5io,ooolb. of raw fugar obtained from maple-trees. 



• I cannot avoid refuting, in this place, feveral opinions which havebeen vulgarly adopted againft the maple- 

 tree; namely, that it dies by freezing in hard winters ; that it dies after tapping ; and, laftly, that it is de- 

 ftroyed by noxious caterpillars. With regard to the firft, I refer the reader to the maple-plantations 

 polTtffed by Count Veltbeim at Harlke. Moft of the flocks of fugar and filver-maple are now above thirty 

 years old. They have, therefore, endured the cold winters of the years 1776, 1788, 1793, and will probably 

 not be deftroyed this year, fince there is not yet any trace of decay obfervable, even in the branches. Ought 

 not thefe trees to have been killed long fince by the froft, if they are fo eafily injured by it ? With regard 

 to the fecond cafe, we may alio apply to experisnce. The trees at Harbke have been ftrongly drained for 

 two fucceffive years, without any one having died ; on the contrary, they have even blolTomed and yielded 

 fertile feeds in the fubfequentyear. This winter, Count Veltbeim will caufe thtm to be tapped for the third 

 time,_ In the fame manner feveral trunks of acer pfeudo-plalanus, and acer flatanoides, in the forefts of bis 

 royal highnefs Prince. Henry of PruJJia, at Rbeinfiurg, have been tapped in the lafl winter of 1798, and not 

 a fingle one of them has fuffered any injury by it. For the purpnfe of learning how far it may be poffible 

 TO deftroy a maple-tree by draining, I had a couple of them pierced with twenty -four holes. When the 

 liquor had ceafcd to flow, the borings were left without being (topped, each of thefe trees was, befides, cut 



V X X 1 in 



