190 Account of the American Sugar Maple. 



4. I think it probable, that the frequency of malignant 

 fevers of all kinds has been leffened by this diet, and that its 

 more general ufe would defend that clafs of people who are 

 moft fubject to malignant fevers from being fo often affected 

 by them. 



5. It has been faid, that fugar injures the teeth ; but this 

 opinion now has fo few advocates, that it does not merit a 

 ferious refutation. 



It has been a fubject of enquiry, whether the maple fugar 

 might not be improved in its quality, and increafed in its 

 quantity, by culture. From the influence which culture has 

 upon foreft and other trees, it has been fuppofed, that by 

 tranfplanting the maple fugar tree into a garden,- or by de- 

 ftroying fuch other trees as fhelter it from the rays of the 

 fun, much advantage might accrue. I know but of one fact. 

 A farmer in Northampton county, in the ftate of Pennfyl- 

 vania, planted a number of thefe trees above twenty years 

 ago in his meadow, and he declares that the quality is fo 

 improved, that from three gallons of the fap he obtains every 

 year a pound of fugar ; and it is a known circumftance 

 that, to produce the fame quantity of fugar from the trees 

 Which grow wild in the wood, it requires five or fix gallons 

 of fap. To tranfmit to future generations all the advantages 

 which have been here enumerated, it is neceffary that this 

 tree fhould be cultivated in the old and improved parts of 

 the United States, and a bounty given upon the maple fu- 

 gar by Government. Afterwards men would find out their 

 own advantage in rearing them. An orchard confining 

 of 200 trees, planted upon a common form, would yield more 

 profit than the fame number of apple or any other trees. 

 If a greater expofure of a tree to the action of the fun ha9 

 the fame effect upon the maple that it has upon other trees, 

 a larger quantity of fugar might reafonably be expected 

 from each tree planted in an orchard. Allowing it to be 

 only feven pounds, then 300 trees will yield 14OQ pounds 

 of fugar ; and deducting 200 from the quantity for the con- 

 sumption of the family, there will remain for fale 1200 



pounds^ 



