SUGAR MAPLE. 
293 
pounds of sugar ; and, allowing the inhabitants of 
the United States to compose 600,000 families, 
each of which consumed 200 pounds of sugar in 
a year, the whole consumption would amount to 
120,000,000 pounds, and would leave a balance 
of 15,000,000 pounds for exportation. Valuing 
the sugar at 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 dol- 
lars. The only part of this calculation that will 
appear improbable is, the number of families sup- 
posed to be employed in the manufactory of the 
sugar ; but the difficulty of admitting this sup- 
position will vanish, when we consider, that double 
that number of families are employed every year in 
making cyder, the trouble, risk, and expenses of 
which are all much greater than those of making 
maple sugar.” 
Besides the profit arising from the sugar, the 
maple tree affords an after sap, which makes an ex- 
cellent vinegar ; and as the juice that flows at this 
time is too weak to afford any sugar, the different 
processes do not interfere with each other. A 
pleasant summer beer may likewise be made from 
the molasses, and a spirit distilled from the sap. 
The nourishment afforded by sugar is known to 
be very considerable ; hence it is preferred by the 
Indians in their excursions from home. They are 
said to mix a certain quantity of maple sugar with 
