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It has been supposed that the maple sugar is inferior to the West-India 
sugar in strength . The experiments which led to this opinion, I suspect 
have been inaccurate, or have been made with maple sugar, prepared in a 
slovenly manner. I have examined equal quantities, by weight, of both the 
grained and the loaf sugar, in hyson tea, and in coffee, made in every respect 
equal by the minutest circumstances that could affect the quality or taste of 
each of them, and could perceive no inferiority in the strength of the maple 
sugar. The liquors which decided this question were examined at the same 
time, by Alexander Hamilton, Esq. Secretary of the 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 have many millions of acres in our 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 pro¬ 
visions 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 sufficient 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 Penn¬ 
sylvania alone at least ten millions of acres of land which produce the sugar 
maple-tree, in the proportion of thirty trees to one acre. Now, supposing 
all the persons capable of labour in a family to consist of three, and each per¬ 
son to attend 150 trees, and each tree to yield 5 lbs. of sugar in a season, the 
product of the labour of 00,000 families would be 135,000,000 pounds of 
sugar, and allowing the inhabitants of the United States to compose 000,000 
families, each of which consumed 200 pounds of sugar in a year, the whole 
consumption would be 120,000,000 pounds in a year, which would leave a 
balance of 15,000,000 pounds for exportation. Valuing the sugar at 6-00 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 
