46 



NATURE STUDY MADE EASY 



SUGAR MAPLE 



One of the most beautiful and largest of the maple family is the 

 Sugar Maple. It is not only valuable as a shade tree, but yields 



a delicious sweet syrup from its sap. 



The trees are grown in groves for this 

 purpose. In the spring of the year, when 

 the leaves are forming, and the sap is as- 

 cending, the bark of the tree is " tapped"; 

 that, is, a hole is bored through the bark into the wood beneath, 

 and a little wooden tube or spout is driven into the hole. A pail 

 is hung beneath, to catch the sap as it runs out. Sap runs best 

 when the days are warm and the nights are cold. 



The sap' is collected in large kettles and boiled to syrup. 

 Then it is known as maple syrup. Sometimes it is allowed to boil 

 longer; then it is poured into molds and made into maple sugar. 

 Just before it is ready to turn to sugar, it 

 makes a delicious "wax." Boys some- 

 times pour this hot, thick syrup on snow, 

 and when it thickens into a sticky paste, 

 they eat it. They say it is better than any 

 kind of candy. 



A great deal of sugar is made in the New 

 England states, where the sugar maple grows 

 abundantly. 



In early days, maple sugar was the 

 only sugar used. Sometimes the sap of 

 other trees, as birches and elms, is made 



TAPPING A SUGAR MAPLE 



