By-products of the Northern Woodlot 227 



duces more sap than the sugar maple, but yields less 

 sirup and sugar. The silver maple (Acer saccharinum) 

 yields an abundance of sweet sap that in quality or sugar 

 content is about the same as that of the red maple. The 

 red and silver maples are considered sugar-producing trees 

 mostly in those regions in which the sugar maple does 

 not occur. It is very common to find these three species 

 being used for making sirup and sugar, when they occur 

 in mixture. It is not necessary to have a large number 

 of trees to make an operation worth while. A dozen 

 good trees will yield sufficient sap during a good season to 

 warrant tapping them. It is not uncommon to find farmer's 

 tapping three or four trees, and even one tree, when it 

 happens to be a large tree and is a real sugar maple. When 

 properly tapped and cared for, a shade maple in the yard 

 may yield a large amount of rich sap without any injury 

 to the tree. 



SEASON 



The period of "sugar weather" varies with the locality 

 and season. Usually the sap begins moving in the trees 

 earlier than is generally realized. It is a wise policy 

 to get an early start so as to be prepared for the season 

 should it come in a rush, as it sometimes does. Sap begins 

 to flow as soon as the temperature fluctuates above and 

 below the freezing point, or 32° F. Frosty nights and 

 warm days indicate good sugar weather. Generally the 

 season begins about March 1 in southern sections and 

 later to the northward. It may begin two weeks earlier 

 and continue for a week or a month, depending on weather 

 conditions. 



