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carved like those beasts, as some conceive, and was in use evenin our grandfathers’ days, but from the natural spots and maculations;
in our
Hem, quantis facultatibus cestimavere ligneas maculas ! as Tertullian criesout, xle Pallio, cap. v. Such a table was that of Cicero, which cost himten thousand sesterces; such another had Asinius Gallus. That of King
Taut that he believed the medicinal part of the jam resided wholly in the sugar; and as areason for thinking so, he added, that he often found the same relief, by taking about halfa pint of a syrup prepared by boiling a little brown sugar in water, just before he went tobed, that he did from a dose of opium. It has been supposed by some of the earlyphysicians of our country, that the sugar obtained from the Maple-tree, is more medicinal,than that obtained from the Well India sugar cane; but this opinion I believe is withoutfoundation. It is preferable in its qualities to the Weft-India sugar only from its superiorcleanlinefs. It has been said, that sugar injures the teeth, but this opinion now has so fewadvocates, that it does not deserve a serious refutation. To transmit to future generationsall the advantages which have been enumerated from the Maple-tree, it will benecefsary to protect it by law, or by a bounty upon the Maple-sugar, from being destroyedby the settlers in the Maple -country, or to transplant it from the woods, and cultivate it in theold and improved parts of the United States . An orchard consisting of 200 trees, plantedupon a common farm, would yield more than the same number of apple-trees, at a distancefrom a market-town. A full grown tree in the woods yields five pounds of sugar a year,If a greater exposure of a tree to the action of the sun, has the -same effects upon theMaple , that it has upon other trees, a larger, quantity of sugar might reasonablv beexpected from each tree planted in an orchard. Allowing it to be only seven pounds; then200 trees will yield 1400 pounds of sugar, and deducting 200 from the quantity for the con-sumption of the family, there will remain for sale 1200 pounds, which at 6-90ths of a dollarper pound, will yield an annual profit to the farmer of 80 dollars. But if it should be foundthat the shade of the Maple does not check the growth of grain any more than it does ofgrafs, double or treble that number of Maple-trees maybe planted on every farm, anda profit proportioned to the above calculation be derived from them. Should this modeof transplanting the means of obtaining sugar be succefsful, it will not be a new one. Thesugar-cane of the Weft Indies, was brought originally from the Eaft Indies, by the Portuguese ,and cultivated at Madeira; from whence it was transplanted, directly or indirectly, to ailthe sugar-islands of the Weft Indies. It were to be wished, that the settlers upon the sugarMaple-lands, would spare the sugar-tree in clearing their lands. On a farm of 200 acres ofland, according to our former calculation, there are usually 6000 Maple-trees. If only 2000of those original and antient inhabitants of the woods were suffered to remain, and each treewere to afford only five pounds of sugar, the annual profit of such a farm in sugar alone,' atthe price formerly mentioned, would amount to 666 dollars; 150 dollars of which wouldprobably more than defray all the expences of making it, and allow a plentiful deductionfor family use. According to the usual annual profit of a sugar Maple-tree, each tree isworth to a fanner *, two dollars and 2-3ds of a dollar; exclusive therefore of the value of t lie
* In America , by “ farmer,” is generally understood the “ proprietor,” who farms his own land, editor.
Volume I.
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