The Republican., 1922-11-16
GARRETT COUNTY MAPLE
SUGAR TREES IN 1850
There Will Be Plenry If Others
Follow Mr.. BrOadwater's Plan

finger and Grantsville. In many Il
grove are stately sugar naples meas
uring from two feet to three feet
across the stump.
For half a century and more they
have been giving their life sap each
spring to make that delectable and
almost essential accompaniment of
buckwheat cakes-maple syrup-syr-
up that for richness and flavor is
equal to the best that Ohio, New York
or Vermont can produce.
The thoughtful observer, however,
cannot fail to note that these splendid
groves are on the decline.
Trees, like human beings, mature,
become aged and finally die. In the
case of the sugar naples, though each
successive set of wounds fill up and
eventually heal over, the annual pierre
ing Of the trunk does permit the easy
entrance of the germs of decay, and
so in a measure hastens the final
death of the trees.
On trees whose trunks still seem
sound and strong a look at the crown
often reveals frayed stubs where Win
ter winds have wrested out great
branches. And here and there are
great gaps in the groves where vet
erans Of the past have already sue
cumbed.
. AS if to hasten the destruction OF
the maple sugar industry of the coun-
ty, visit to the sawmills of the re-
giOn will reveal many maple logs
waiting to be converted into lumber.
Short sighted owners have actually
cut down sound trees in their maple
groves and sold them for numbering
purposes. This is indeed twentieth
century version of killing the goose
that laid the golden egg. One case
is especially cited where a farmer got
in cash for each tree an amount just
equal in value to a two years yield
of sugar.
But even this double-fronted attack
on the maple sugar groves of Gar
rett county would not in itself give
cause for alarm if there could be
found a sturdy race of youngsters
surging up to take the place of the
veterans.
On the word of those far better in
formed than the writer there is only
one man in the county who is actually
getting a grove in readiness for his
children and his children's children.
Something more will be said about
this grove in the latter part of this
article.
The mature trees have certainly
done their part to insure host of
young seedlings by littering the
ground with carpet of seed. This
fall in particular it would have been
an easy matter to take up by the
| bushel. No, it's not Nature that is at
/ fault. The tender seedlings make ex-
! cellent browse for the ever-present
sheep and where the sheep don't have
access, brushhook and fire have
been equally effective in discouragine
the young seedlings.
! The chestnut blight, bark dis
ease, will in a few years wipe out the
last remaining chestnut grove in the
county, and it looks as though man
or his agents, sheep and fire, were
going to be equally effective in regard
to the sugar maple.
With these facts forced home bv
observations of actual conditions, il
was most refreshing to find one man
who had helped instead Of hindered
nature.
A visit to Mr.. Henry Broadwater's
young orchard of some 1900 trees
near Bittinger will well repay for the
! time and trouble
In Mr.. Broadwater's own words
'The young naples came up by the
/ thousands when the maple and other
timber was cut off fifteen years ago
and l decided to make an orchard Out
of it."
When the trees were about sever
years old Git would have done nc
harm to start in earlier)a thinning
was made, removing everything but
the naples, and thinning these out s.
that the individual crees would have
an opportunity to develop good sized
crowns. SO vigorously did the trees
respond to this wise management that
it has been necessary 30 go back sew
eral times and remove still other trees
where the crowns were beginning tc
! interfere.
In all it is estimated that over &c
cords of usable firewood have beer
taken out of the nine acres contained
in the orchard, and there is left 1906
well spaced healthy crowned maple