No. 133.] 451* 



Farmer's Club, Tuesday, March IH, 1853. 



REGULAR MEETING. 



Present — Messrs. R. L. Pell, Judge Van Wyck, Solon Robinson, 

 Pike and Gore, of New-Jersey, Nash, R. S. Livingston, Lawton, of 

 New-Rochelle, Scott, Dickey, Prof. Enderlin, and twenty others, 

 Solon Robinson in the chair. Henry Meigs, Secretary. 



The chairman stated the subject — The Forest Trees of Ameri- 

 ca — and asked Mr. Nash if he had anything to reiaark on ths 

 subject. 



Alanson Nash, of New-York, stated : 



THE SUGAR MAPLE, OR ACER SACCHARINUM, 

 Is a tree that grows extensively in most parts of North America. 

 It is a noble, majestic tree, and one of the most useful and orna- 

 mental trees in America ; it seeks a cold climate, visited by frosts, 

 and delights to grow on a rich, strong soil ; the height may occa- 

 sionally reach one hundred feet, and the size six feet in diameter, 

 but it usually is from 40 to <S0 feet in the forests, and 3 to 4 feet 

 in diameter, when full grown. In the open fields and grounds it 

 is a very bnshy tree, and makes one of the most elegant shade trees, 

 free from worms and insects. It often grows in vallies and along 

 streams of wator, but generally the cold lands are most congenial 

 to the growth of this tree. Its great excellence consists in its 

 furnishing a sap from which vast quantities of sugar are made 

 during the months of February, March and April ; an open win- 

 ter, constantly freezing and thawing, is a forerunner of a good 

 flowing of sap. 



A grove of maple trees is almost equal, acre for acre, to the 

 sugar cane, to produce sugar and molasses. We have seen Qeldp 

 of 200 to 300 acres set out with young slioots of the ma})le tree, 

 and in a few years forming a thrifty growth. In lifieen years, a 

 sapling taken from the woods and transplanted, will atlbrd a deli-' 

 cious shade for a dwelling. We have known this tree to grow 

 400 years in the forest, but generally it is a tree that rarely reaches 

 the age of 300 years. The maple grows up quickly, and in many 

 parts of the United States the trees have cime up as a second 



[Assembly, No. 133. | * 



