Section III, 1887. [ 39 ] Trans. Eoy. Soc. Canada. 



VI. — On the Sop of the Ash-leaved Maple (Negundo aceroides). 

 By B. J. Harrington, B.A., Ph. D. 



(Eead May 22, 1887.) 



The ash-leaved maple, or box-elder {Negundo aceroides, Mœueh) is a tree closely allied 

 to the true maples, differing from them, however, in having diœcious flowers and in the 

 form of its leaves. Though a native of this continent, ' it was long ago introduced into 

 Europe, where it sometimes attains to dimensions apparently unknown in America. It is 

 widely distributed in the United States, particularly west of the Alleghauies ; and in our 

 own Northwest is an abundant tree in all the valleys of the tributaries of the Eed River 

 and of the Saskatchewan coming from the south, as vpell as on all the streams flowing 

 into Lake Winnipegosis. It grows very rapidly, and is destined to become the shade tree of 

 all our prairie cities (Macoun). The fact of its sap yielding a considerable quantity of 

 sugar has long been known. Nuttall, for example, in his " North American Sylva " says : 

 " According to Douglas, the Crow Indians manufacture sugar from its sap, biit it is not 

 near as saccharine as that of the sugar maple." In his work on the " Trees and Shrubs of 

 Massachusetts." Mr. G. B. Emerson says: "Very nearly allied to the maples is the 

 Negundo, Box Elder, which grows very readily and rapidly, and is perfectly sviited to our 

 climate. lu its saccharine properties it is almost equal to the sugar-maple ; and excellent 

 sugar has been made from its sap. It also furnishes good fuel." Mr. Franklin B. Hough, 

 again, in his admirable " Report on the Production of Maple Sugar in the United States 

 and Canada," says : " In Iowa and other States west of the Mississippi, the Negundo aceroi- 

 des, nearly allied to the maples, is sometimes tapped, and a small portion of the maple 

 sugar reported in the census from these states may be from this tree." Oddly enough, 

 Michaux, speaking of the same tree, says : " It has been erroneously asserted that sugar is 

 made from the sap of this species." - 



Other general statements with regard to the saccharine character of negundo sap 

 might be cited ; but the only figures which I have seen are those of Weiss, who gives 1.12 

 as the percentage of sugar in the sap. ' 



Not far from McGill College, Montreal, there are two fine examples of the ash-leaved 

 maple, grown from the seed in thirteen years. The trees stand within a few yards of one 

 another, and one yields staminate, the other pistillate flowers. The former, or male tree, 



' The ash-leaved maple is said to liave been first introduced into England in 1088, by Bishop Compton, at 

 Fulham. In 18.57, a tree of this species at Briick, on the Leytlia, in Au.stria, had attained to a height of eighty feet 

 forty-eight years after planting. D. J. Brown 3's Trees of America, p. 107. 



^ The Negundo is the "sugar maple" of our Northwest, and sugar is there frequently made from its sap by 

 Indians and otliers. 



" Allgemeine Botanik, p. 172. 



