MAPLE, in botany, is of the genus ACER, which see, Of the several species the most important is the A. saccharinum, or American sugar maple, from which the Americans derive sugar in large quantities, by tapping the trees early in the spring, and boiling the juice. For this purpose large tracts of land in North America are devoted to the culture Of this tree, which yields a sugar equal to The best cane, and which requires no other labour than what women and girls can bestow, in drawing off and boiling the liquor ; and when skilfully tapped, the tree will last many years. A tree of an ordinary size yields in a good season from twenty to thirty gallons of sap, from which may be made from five to six pounds of sugar. The tree is tapped with an auger, first on the south side and then on the north, and the sap will flow five or six weeks, according to the tempera ture of the weather. The sugar is manu
factured much in the same manner as the cane sugar of the West Indies. In New York and Pennsylvania many hun dred private families have long supplied themselves plentifully with this sugar at little expense. One instance is mentioned of a family, consisting of a father and his two sons, who made nearly eighteen hun dred weight in a single season. Dr. Rush, who attended very closely to this subject, supposes that four men, provided with proper conveniences, may make in a common season, of from four to six weeks, 40 cwt. of excellent sugar. The Indians of Canada are said to have practised the making of sugar for centuries ; and Eu ropeans, both French and English, lave been in the habit of refining it for 140 years. See SrGAR.