408 THE FARMER AT HOME. 



and a half or six feet in diameter ; and will yield five gallons of sap 

 in one day ; and from twelve to fifteen pounds of sugar, during the 

 season. However, in some situations, and in some years, the yield is 

 better than others. The younger and smaller trees afford sap or 

 juice, in a still greater proportion. It is only during four or five 

 weeks in the spring, that the juice can be collected. While the trees 

 are frozen at night, and thawed in the day, the sap runs plenti- 

 fully ; but as soon as the buds come on, the sap ceases to flow in such 

 a manner as that it can any longer be collected. It would be excel- 

 lent policy if all our farmers would cultivate the sugar maple, if it 

 were only in reference to the wood and the beauty of the shade. 

 Fifty of these trees should be transplanted, if not already there, to 

 the grounds about the mansion ; and then, every one opposite his own 

 lands should have the road-side ornamented with them. Some day 

 the sap may be of value. 



SULPHUR. An inflammable fossil, of which there are two 

 species; viz. common natural sulphur, and volcanic natural sulphur. 

 The color of the natural sulphur is yellow, of different degrees of 

 intensity ; it occurs massive, disseminated, and crystallized. The 

 crystals are middle sized and small, of which the surface is smooth 

 and splendent. Internally it is intermediate between shining and 

 glistening. It is soft and frangible. When placed on inflamed coals, 

 it burns with a bluish flame, and emits a pungent suffocating vapor, 

 and is totally volatilized. It is found in many parts of the world. It 

 is found in many parts of the world. It occurs commonly in masses, 

 in gypsum, limestone, and marl; and in some places with honeystone, 

 and bituminous wood. It is often found in viens that traverse primi- 

 tive rocks ; in veins of copper pyrites that traverse granite ; in Siberia 

 it is found in the gold mines of C atherineburg, and in the lead glance 

 veins in the Altain mountains. Humboldt mentions a province of 

 Q,uito, in which he discovered a bed composed of sulphur and quartz, 

 in a mountain of rnica slate ; he likewise found great quantities of 

 sulphur in primitive porphyry, 



The volcanic natural sulphur is yellow, inclining to green ; it 

 occurs sometimes corroded ; sometimes as a sublimate in flowers. It 

 is glistening, and its lustre is resinous, inclining to adamantine. It 

 occurs only in volcanic couct.ries, where it is found in greater or smal- 

 ler quantity among the lava. Solfatara, in the vicinity of Vesuvius, 

 is one of the most famous repositories of natural volcanic sulphur, and 

 is there collected in considerable quantities for the purposes of com- 

 merce. It is found also in Iceland, in 2Etna, and in the Lipari islands. 

 It occurs likewise in the island of Teneriffe, and in the West India 

 islands ; in Java, and the East Indies. 



SULPHURIC ACID. When sulphur is exposed to the temper- 

 ature of three hundred and two degrees, it takes fire spontaneously. 

 burns with a blue flame, yields a strong odor, and, by combining with 



