7 



OF FOREST-TREES. 191 



Tuber utrumgue arbor is ejus : Bruscum intortius crispum : Molluscum cH. XI T. 

 simplicius sparsum. Et si magnitudinem mensarum caperet, haud dubie ^^^^^ 

 prceferretur Citro. JVunc intra pugillaresjectorumque silicios,autlaminas, 

 raro usu spectatur. E Brusco Jiunt et mensce nigrescentes. " The Brus- 

 " cum, or Knur, is wonderfully fair, but the Molluscum is counted most 

 " precious ; both of them knobs and swellings out of the tree. The 



which decided this question were examined at the same time, by Alexander Hamilton, Esq. 

 Secretary of tlie Treasury of the United States, Mr. Henry Drinker, and several ladies, who 

 all concurred in the above opinion. 



" 2. Whoever considers that the gift of the Sugar Maple-trees is from a benevolent Providence, 

 that we may have many millions of acres in oqr country covered with them, that the tree 

 is improved by repeated tappings, and that the sugar is obtained by the frugal labour 

 of a farmer's family : and at the same time considers the labour of cultivating the sugar- 

 cane, the capitals sunk in sugar-works, the first cost of slaves and cattle, the expenses 

 of provisions for both of them, and in some instances, the additional expense of conveying 

 the sugar to a market, in all the West-India Islands, will not hesitate in believing that the 

 Maple-sugar may be manufactured much cheaper, and sold at a less price than that which 

 is made in the West Indies. 



" 3. The resources for making a sufificient quantity of this sugar, not only for the consumption 

 of the United States, but for exportation, will appear from the following facts. There are 

 in the States of New York and Pennsylvania alone, at least ten millions of acres of land 

 which produce the Sugar Maple-tree, in the proportion of thirty trees to one acre. Novy 

 supposing all the persons capable of labour in a family to consist of three, and each person 

 to attend 150 trees, and each tree to yield 5lb. of sugar in a season, the product of the 

 labour of 60,000 families would be 1J5, 000,000 pounds of sugar; and allowing the inliabitants 

 of the United States to compose 600,000 families, each of which consumed 200 pounds of 

 sugar in a year, the whole consumption would be 120,000,000 pounds iri a year, which would 

 leave a balance of 15,000,000 pounds for exportation. Valuing the sugar at 6-9uths 

 of a dollar per pound, the sum saved to the United States would be 8,000,000 dollars 



by home consumption, and the sum gained by exportation would be 1,000,000 dollars. 



The only part of this calculation that will appear improbable, is, the number of families 

 supposed to be employed in the manufactory of the sugar ; but the difficulty of admitting 

 this supposition will vanish when we consider, that double that number of families are 

 employed every yeac in making cider ; the trouble, risks, and expenses of which are 

 all much greater than those of making Maple-sugar. But the profit of the Maple-tree is not 

 confined to its sugar. It affords a most agreeable melasses, and an excellent vinegar. The 

 sap which is suitable for these purposes, is obtained after the sap which affords the sugar has 

 ceased to flow, so that the manufactories of these different products of the Maple-tree, by 

 succeeding, do not interfere with each. other. The melasses maybe made to compose the 

 basis of a pleasant summer beer. The sap of the Maple is moreover capable of affording 

 a spirit; but we hope this precious juice will never be prostituted by our citizens to this 

 ignoble purpose. Should the use of sugar in diet become more general in our country, 

 it may tend to lessen the inclination or supposed necessity for spirits; for I have observed 

 a relish for sugar in diet to be seldom accompanied by a love for strong drink. It is the 

 sugar which is mixed with tea, which makes it so generally disagreeable to drunkards. But 



