Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-04-12
THE STORY OF THE
SUGAR MAPLE.
As Told by Mr. !. 4. Chaplin ~ Promi-
ncnt sugar Maker OF Middiescx. VI.


The following paper was road at last
Years meeting of the Vermont botanical
club II is Of more than passing interest
mot only because Of its timely suggestions !
of the secrets of the sugar woods, but as
iembodying tho results Of exact studies in
ITO the rate Of development of these |
VETERANS OF the primcval forest. which |
are so rapidly disappearing in Vermont. |
,r,,,, crnn.. ,t, ,,,D, J., .,,t,,,
rh. is the stor,- u d sugar maple tree |
for the last 200 on - years
A truc story and to me an interesting /
one. as thu tree has recorded IT,
cannot tell it as we'll
| Ii is also not only the story OF one maple !
tree but of tens Of thousands of its |
brothers all over the good old State of
Vermont. And, further it is not alone
the history of these maple trees but of
their human neighbors The people that
have lived among them and llovcd them
from generation to generation The Pic.
|ncer woodmcn that spared them in the
first cutting and clearing of the new
state Their sons that protected them
and harvested their bountiful products.
Their grandsons. who. with the benefit NJ
modern knowledge and it's applications
have come to appreciate more fully their
y
l MY attention was first forcibly called to
| the. fact that a maple tree could of itself
toll II most wonderful story while saving
a wood pile the past winter
had cut down several large NAPLES
that had survived their usefulness for
surar-making and in saving = them for
I wood cut from the Init of ono medium
o sized maple a round CONGREGATIONAL block
@ about three inches long and in size. the
e diameter of the tree.
This block WAS Of such a height in the
n tree G. or 4 feet from the grouncb that it
Il disclosed very nlainlv the tanning marks
: of tho mast IN, or more wears and their
t results ON the tree and of course also the
f annuu, rings showing the age of the tree.
Z / an, sorry that the weight Of this block
o., nreyent.d my showing If here to illustrate
Inv statement.
q If spoaks very plainlv for itself
, nv countin., these annual rings found
thai the Tree was 200 ia ~ wears old
That IL, 4. u 100 or before if had bc-
ruu its life, and WAS standing in the same
Mace where it's stumn now stands As
many of its neirhbors were larger and
J.. loldor Than This indiyidu.l tire, some of
u then, were douhtIcss stnndinY rs small,
le .arlirc.u,bou Samuel ,,hnn,n,ain first sail
~ od M, this bo,u,i,uI lake that b.ars his
l. ,,n,n I n,,,, ,rot tho .uu y,a hroadoriuy
81 49,, io,,as anal ,or,tborin~ tie br,ucboy
- l,nr bcforo the frs, settlement of the
s,at. az t,nr, D,,nmcr ~, Thar j. u..
. sturdy s,nlinr uhcn tho French and
Indians were trailing nm and down ,b,
,yin,,.ui riv.r an tbei, ,,,,, 70 and fror,
' ,hoir ,,.ias and n,ossocrs n, Deortsld
- ,,,,,, no.. o,r
Y" IT, ,,u.o,. launched. ,,,,., bo,.o h..,, ,,o
nc tinn g.. = ,,oo., ., hr,u.s, ,,ra,,,,.- ia,
VI ,o1,rs hof,ro E,b,, Alton u,,. harm ana
- when that father nr Vermont indencu.
e. ,.,,,o ,irs, .a, chs ,;n,,+ r,,. ,.oo ,,,,,.,
IL h, No., ,hiu,,. ,o. ,nn go ,. .d
-. IA i,,a,,os Il, di,n,.ror A. ,ta ,t,,o
y of tho Revolutionary War I, INNS, baC,
~. ,..,.a, . ,,,,,,. s,,,.,, ,,,o,,a,.,ia,,s
:, st,rain, Il, ~. ,iroin fo,n.t /, u,ust ,i
X ,o,'o,..it, ,,,,,, l., ,,,,,I -, ,,,,. hi,,h ,,
of ,o.., ~ , v.hi,,,, ,II i,s ,,oinhho,s mon.
nd n,u.,,;n, 49,, Co., 90, :, ,,,s, raw. ,,o.,, -,
- ,i,i. ,,e, ~ 80, .o Goo, an ,,7 ..,.,ich,
H. a ,',,,' =, h,,a ,t,,1a 49, .nn,''nI