'3* 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



March 



THE OLD-FASHIONED "SUGAR BUSH, "WITH ITS PRIMITIVE METHODS. 



maple forests along the hillsides are red 

 and sear as if they had been swept by a 

 forest fire. In Delaware county, the 

 great sugar-producing district of the 

 state, the sugar bushes have nearly all 

 been destroyed by this uncontrollable 

 scourge. And now the farmers of that 

 region are face to face with the question 

 whether they will plant new sugar woods 

 or go out of business. 



Thus far I have said nothing about 

 raising maple trees from seed, for such 

 work is not necessar} 7 where the sur- 

 rounding forests are filled with thrifty 

 saplings, large and small. At the same 

 time any one will find it an inter- 

 esting, and, doubtless, a profitable ex- 

 periment; for trees grown from seed- 

 lings are generally more thrifty and are 

 faster growers than transplanted sap- 

 lings. An ordinary garden bed, say 4 

 feet by 16, is sufficient for the purpose. 

 Care should be taken to obtain seeds 



from the very best specimens of maples ; 

 for like produces like in the vegeta- 

 ble as well as in the animal world. 

 Grapes are not of thistles, nor figs of 

 thorns. If through carelessness the 

 seeds come from crooked, dwarfed or 

 diseased trees the crop will be apt to be 

 the same ; but if the seeds are collected 

 from tall, straight, and healthy speci- 

 mens the young seedlings will inherit 

 these characteristics, and, with the ad- 

 ditional advantage derived from careful 

 culture, will develop into trees of idea] 

 proportions and great productivity. 

 Having gathered the seeds, plant them 

 in rows the same as is done with beets 

 or radishes. A framework of lath cov- 

 ered thinly with brush or straw will 

 suffice to protect the tender sprouts from 

 the hot rays of the sun or from frost ; 

 and the rows can then be thinned out 

 until the seedlings are of sufficient size 

 for transplanting. 



