MAPLES. 261 



Robert County, S. D.. where it occurs in the coulies at the 

 head waters of the Minnesota River. 



Propagation. The Sugar Maple is propagated by seeds, 

 which should be gathered in autumn and sown at once or kept 

 over winter as recommended for the Ash and sown in the 

 spring. 



Properties of wood. Very hard, heavy, compact and strong 

 -with a fine satiny surface susceptible of taking a good polish. 

 The perfectly seasoned sapwood is light colored and the 

 leartwood is light brown of various shades. Specific gravity 

 0.6916; weight of a cubic foot 43.08 pounds. 



Uses. The Sugar Maple is very hardy over most of Min- 

 nesota in rich, porous, moist soils when grown in forests and 

 forms our best fuel wood. It does well as a street tree on 

 suitable soil in the southeastern part of this state if the trunk 

 is shaded. When not thus protected, the trunk is liable to 

 sun scald. In the northwestern and western portions it often 

 winter-kills badly in exposed locations, especially when young, 

 and before becoming well established, and for this reason 

 Is not well adapted to general planting. 



The wood of the Sugar Maple is more valuable and more 

 generally used than that of any other American Maple. It 

 possesses a high fuel value, is largely used for interior finish 

 of buildings, especially for floors, in the manufacture of fur- 

 niture, in turnery for handles of tools and in ship buildinar 

 for keels, etc. In the United States shoe lasts and pegs are 

 made almost exclusively from this wood. Accidental forms 

 in which the grain is beautifully curled and contorted known 

 as "curled maple" and "bird's eye maple" are common and 

 highly prized for cabinet making. The ashes of the wood are 

 rich in alkili and yield large quantities of potash. The wood 

 of the Minnesota and Wisconsin Sugar Maple is so very 

 hard and uneven in grain that it has not been worked much 

 into lumber and the supply of Hard Maple lumber manufac- 

 tured here is mostly imported from Michigan, vvhere clear 

 stock is more plentiful. Maple sugar is almost the exclusive 

 product of this tree. It is made by evaporating the sap, 

 which is procured by tapping the trees in early spring some 

 weeks before the buds begin to swell. About three or four 



