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ceedingly beautiful ; and might be planted without either great 

 expense or trouble on our commons, by our road-sides, by the 

 borders of our pastures, and in many vacant places on our farms 

 which might, with great advantage, be occupied in this way. 

 As fuel, I have already spoken of its value ; and, in this res- 

 pect, it ranks next to hickory or walnut. In undertaking a 

 plantation of maple frees for an orchard, it would be well to 

 plant the trees much thicker than it is intended they should 

 stand, in order to guard against faihires. They may be thinned 

 for fuel, if they should be found to stand too closely together ; 

 and in this way the farmer be fully remunerated for any trouble 

 it may have cost him. The great objection, which will be made 

 to doing this, proceeds wholly from our selfishness. Few farm- 

 ers, who should undertake the plantation, would expect to live 

 to realize the proceeds. This, with many persons, must in all 

 human probability be the case ; but can we have no regard for 

 those, who come after us ; and are we to decline every good 

 work by which we ourselves are not to be immediately bene- 

 fited? This objection proceeds from any thing but benevo- 

 lence, or religion, or social duty. 



The sugar made from the maple, is capable of becoming re- 

 fined into as agreeable and elegant an article for the table as 

 cane sugar. As yet the modes of manufacturing it are rude 

 and imperfect. If subjected to those improved processes, 

 which the best of cane sugar passes through, it would be 

 equally valuable and valued. The discoloration of it might 

 be completely avoided, if it were boiled in tin vessels or kettles 

 placed in those of iron, and the boiling were conducted by 

 steam introduced between the two, so that the vessel contain- 

 ing the sap would not come directly in contact with the fire. 

 Add to this, much more attention should be paid to the con- 

 dition of the vessels in which the sap is received. The labor 

 occurs at a season of the year, when in our climate the making 

 of sugar would not interfere with important labors of the farm. 

 The gain to domestic economy of families in the country pro- 

 viding their own sugar would be immense ; and the use of the 



