USES OF COMMERCIAL WOODS. 33 



of this wood in the United States has not been carefully estimated. 

 In 1908 and 1909 a reconnaissance of the timber stand in Kentucky 

 credited all species of maples in that State with about 2.000.000.000 

 feet. Kentucky is not classed among the maple States, and is prob- 

 ably much below some of the others in quantity. ^V^ell-posted lum- 

 bermen in Michigan are of the opinion that maple in their State will 

 be cut out in 15 years. At the 2:)resent rate of cutting a 15-year sup- 

 ply would mean a present stand of about 8.000.000.000 feet. That. 

 however, should be accepted only as an approximation, with the prob- 

 ability that it is too high. The earliest estimate of maple was made 

 l^rior to 1791 for New York and Pennsylvania by Benjamin Rusk. 

 It could have been little more than a guess on his part, and was prob- 

 ably much too high. In a letter to Thomas Jefferson, published in 

 1791, he said the two States had 300.000.000 maple trees. If the trees 

 averaged 400 feet each, which is a high estimate, the total stand of 

 maple in the two States was 1*20.000.000.000 feet. It is doubtful if the 

 entire United States has one-third that quantity of maple now. count- 

 ing all species. 



The sugar maple is in no danger of disappearing from the Ameri- 

 can forest. It is a strong., vigorous, aggressive species, able to hold 

 its own with any trees on soil suited to it, but it is not a '* poor-land " 

 tree. In the north, from Xew England westward through the Lake 

 States, and southwest to the Ohio and Potomac Rivers, few other 

 species are oftener seen in woodlots. It is slow growing, compared 

 with Cottonwood, white pine, and some others, yet it is everywhere 

 in favor. 



It is seldom hand planted, because it does not need to be. It is one 

 of the surest and most prolific seeders in the forest, the percentage of 

 germination is high, and the ample wings on the seeds insure their 

 being well scattered. The tree endures shade well, and frequently 

 crowds all competing species out and develops pure stands. In some 

 parts of Xew England and in the Lake States it takes possession of 

 cut-over lands. ^Mien once established it is proof against encroach- 

 ment b}^ other species. In Michigan it is not unusual for maple to 

 take jDossession of land from which pine or hardwoods have been cut 

 clean, though such land must be fertile and reasonably well drained. 



Sugar maple, in short, promises to become one of the permanent 

 forest and woodlot trees of this country, though it grows slowly. 

 The intrinsic value of its wood is high, and its range of uses is among 

 the widest. 



EARLY USES. 



Maple shared the fate of many other valuable woods in the early 

 years of the country's settlement, when what could not be used was 

 destroyed. In Rusk's letter to Jefferson, already quoted, he esti- 



