226 The Farm Woodlot 



in the yard. A few weeks of work in the woodlot in 

 early spring during sap time afford a pleasant diversion 

 from the ordinary farm routine and may yield consider- 

 able revenue as well as add a choice product to the home 

 table. In 1910 the output of maple products was over 

 4,000,000 gallons of sirup and over 14,000,000 pounds of 

 sugar. The total value of these products was over 

 $5,100,000. Vermont and New York produced over 70 

 per cent of this product. These two states, together with 

 Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Hampshire, Maryland, and 

 Michigan, have produced over 90 per cent of the total 

 production of maple sugar since 1880. 



THE SUGAR MAPLE 



All of the native maple trees produce a sweet sap that 

 may be used in making sirup and sugar. The quality 

 of sap, or the degree of its sweetness, differs with the 

 various species. There are at least three species that may 

 be used in the production of sirup and sugar. Of these 

 the sugar maple (Acer saccharum) is the best and is the tree 

 that produces the sweetest sap and consequently the bulk 

 of the maple products that go on the market. This species 

 is very widely . distributed and may be found in every 

 native woodlot, as well as among the trees planted for 

 shade and decorative purposes. A variety of this maple 

 known as the black maple (Acer saccharum var. nigrum), 

 occurring largely throughout the range of the sugar maple, 

 is said to be the best sap-producer. This maple is very 

 hardy and occurs extensively in the western range of the 

 species. The red maple (Acer rubrum) is very widely 

 distributed and is an abundant sap-producer. It pro- 



