^10 



fATURAL HISTORY QF VERMONT. 



Part 1. 



THE MAPLES. 



THE MAPIES 



ed from the other kinds of maple by its 

 weight and hardness. Valuable as this 

 tree is on account of its wood, and for be- 

 ing one of our most beautiful and flour- 

 ishing ornamental shade trees, its value 

 is greatly increased on account of the su- 

 gar extracted from it. When the coun- 

 try was new, nearly all the sweetening 

 consumed in the state was obtained from 

 the sugar maple, and although tlie pro- 

 portion'al quantity has been diminished by 

 the destructton of tlie nwple forests, our 

 people have become so sensible of its val- 

 ue, both for fuel and for its sugar, that 

 they are taking much pains to preserve 

 groves of the second growth. It is a tree 

 which grows rapidly, and considerable 

 quantitiiiS of sugar are now made from 

 trees which sprung from the seed since 

 the settlement of the state was commen- 

 ced. Tlie quantity of sugar manufactured 

 in the state in 1840, was 4,647,n34 lbs. 



The quality of the sugar made in the 

 state is very unequal. While some of it 

 >s black, dirty and disagreeable, there is 

 much made which is no wise inferior in 

 color or flavor to the very best West In- 

 dia sugar; and this depends entirely upon 

 the manner and care with whicli it is 

 manufactured. The dark color, tlie clam- 

 miness and disagreeable taste of much of 

 our maple sugar, are owing chiefly to 

 three causes. 1. The neglect to scald the 

 buckets, &c., used for catching the sap, 

 and to keep the sap clear from all impu- 

 rities. 2. Allowing the kettles to become 

 so much heated at tlie top as to cause the 

 syrrup to burn upon them, and afterwards 

 to be dissolved and mingled with the syr- 

 rup. 3. Allowing S3'rrup to remain too 

 long in iron kettles. It should in no case 

 be allowed to stand in the kettle over 

 nio-ht. If these causes be gijarded against 

 and the syrrup be well settled, well 

 cleansed, and done down without being 

 burnt, there can be no failure of having 

 good sugar. To make white coarse grain- 

 ed sugar, it should be done so tliat only 

 about three fourths of it will grain. It 

 should then bo poured into a tub, and re- 

 main unstirred till the graining has ceas- 

 ed. The molasses should then be drain- 

 ed or poured oft', and the sugar will be 

 found to be very beautiful. It may be 

 still further whitened b}' spreading upon 

 the sugar a clean white cloth, and cover- 

 in or it for a few days with moist dough, 

 made of Indian meal. The sugar made 

 from this tree, in addition to its excellent 

 qualities, has two important recommen- 

 dation. It is the production of our ov.'u 

 state, and it is never tinctured with the 

 sweat, and the groans, and the tears, and 

 the blood of the poor slave. 



THE WHITE MAPLE. 

 Acer ddsi/carpum. 

 This tree so nearly resembles the Red 

 Maple, that it is very generally confoun- 

 ded with it in Vermont, both being called 

 Soft Maple, The name of White Maple 

 may be derived cither from the leaf or 

 from the wood. Tlie color of the under 

 side of the leaf is a beautiful silvery white, 

 and the wood is also very white, and of a 

 fine texture ; but it is softer and lighter 

 than either of the other species of maple. 

 It is sometimes used in the manufacture 

 of furniture, for inlaying mahogony, cher- 

 ry and walnut, but it is liable to chani^e 

 its color. Wooden bowls are sometimes 

 made of it, but ash and poplar are prefer- 

 able when they can be had. Sugar is 

 sometimes made from the sap of this and 

 the Red Maple, but the same quantity of 

 sap does not yield more tlianhalfas much 

 sugar as that of the sugar maple. Like 

 the Red Maple, the extract from the in- 

 ner bark of this tree produces a black pre- 

 ceptale with copperas, and is sometimes 

 used for coloring. 



THE RED MAPLE. 



Acer rubrum. 

 This tree is found in most parts of the 

 state, but in no part is so plentiful as the 

 Sugar Maple. Its flowers appear in 

 April, long before the leaves, and are the 

 first indications which the forests exhibit 

 of the returning spring. They are small, 

 of a deep red color, and hence the name, 

 Red Floiccring Muple. This tree is most 

 common in low moist lands, and on the 

 banks of streams and ponds, but is some- 

 times met witli at considerable elevations 

 on our hills and mountains. Its usual 

 height is about 50 feet, with a diameter 

 from 20 to 30 inches. The wood is light- 

 er and more porous than that of the su- 

 gar maple, but when seasoned under shel- 

 ter it makes excellent fuel, and is valua- 

 ble for various other purposes. It is easi- 

 ly wrought in the lathe, and is much us- 



