68 CONVERSATIONS ON THE 



of sap is only about half that of the sugar 

 maple." 



" Oh, when will you tell us about that sugar 

 maple, Uncle Philip T 



"Now, my dears. You must know that 

 the sugar maple is one of our own trees ; for 

 it grows neither in Europe nor in the South- 

 ern States." 



" What, then, do they have no maple sugar 

 in Europe, Uncle Philip ?" 



" Yes ; within a few years attempts have 

 been made in some of the European coun- 

 tries to get sugar from the sycamore, which 

 is a species of maple, and they have been 

 successful : but there is no kind that gives as 

 much sugar as this, from the same quantity 

 of sap." 



" And what do they do for sugar in the 

 Southern States V 



" Oh, in the remote South, the sugar-cane 

 grows ; and besides, you know, if they want 

 it they can get plenty of maple sugar from us, 

 in exchange for their cotton and rice. They 

 can also get sugar from the West Indies." 



" Oh, true, Uncle Philip ; I did not think 

 of that." 



" You have seen sugar maple, I dare say, 

 my dears ; but if you have not, I will tell you 



