288 
WISCONSIN STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
THE MAPLE FAMILY OF TREES FOR CULTIVA¬ 
TION. 
BY H. H. McAEEE. 
The Acerineae of the northern United States consists of 1, 
{Acer Pennsylvanicum ), Striped Maple; 2, (A. Spicatum ), 
Mountain Maple; 8, ( A . Sazcliarinum ), Sugar Maple; 4, ( A . 
Nigrum) Black Sugar Maple ; 5, {A. Da-sycarpum) White Ma¬ 
ple ; 6, (A . Rubrum ), Red Maple; and 7, {Negundo Aceroides ), 
Ash Leaf Maple; all of which are natives of the state of Wis¬ 
consin. It is probable that closer study will develope the fact 
which is now suspected, that an eighth species exists here also; 
and on the Pacific slope one, and perhaps three more species 
may be found. 
The characteristics of economical value which this genus of 
trees possess, will form the subject under consideration in this 
paper. 
As fuel trees, every member of the genus is valuable, but 
the Sugar Maple is pre-eminent in that respect, its wood being 
the very best fuel-wood known, with the sole exception of the 
White Hickory, {Carya Alba). 
The wood of the maples rank in the following, order as to 
value for fuel: 1st, Sugar Maple; 2d, Black Sugar Maple ; 
3d, Ash Leaf Maple; 4th, Mountain Maple; 5th, Striped 
Maple; 6th, Red Maple; 7th, White Maple. 
But owing to the peculiarities in composition, much of the 
value of maple wood as fuel is soon lost, if seasoning does not 
take place rapidly after the trees are cut. The sweet princi- 
pie of the sap soon changes to a destructive acetic ferment, and 
if allowed to act for one summer, often reduces the heating 
qualities of the wood from 25 to 40 per cent. Maple wood, 
therefore, should be at once cut and split to proper dimensions 
