1 their neighbourhood. They are, when fully grown, as tall as the white and black oaks, and from two to three feet in diameter. They put forth a beautiful white bloffom in the fpring before they fhow a single leaf. The colour of the bloffom diftinguishes them from the acer rubrum, or the common maple, which affords a bloffom of a red colour. The wood of the Sugar Maple-tree is extremely inflammable, and is preferred upon that account by hunters and furveyors for fire-wood. Its fmall branches are fo much impregnated with fugar as to afford fupport to the cattle, horfes, and theep of the first fettlers during the winter, before they are able to culti vate forage for that purpose. Its afhes afford a great quantity of pot afh, exceeded by few, or perhaps by none, of the trees that grow in the woods of the United States. • The tree is supposed to arrive at its full growth in the woods in twenty years. It is not injured by tapping; on the contrary, the oftener it is tapped, the more fyrup is obtained from it. In this respect it follows a law of animal fecretion. A fingle tree had not only furvived, but flourished after forty-two tappings in the fame number of years. The effects of a yearly difcharge of fap from the tree, in improving and increafing the fap, are demonftrated from the superior excellence of thofe trees which have been perforated in an hundred places, by a fmall wood-pecker which feeds upon the fap. The trees, after having been wounded in this way, diftil the remains of their juice on the ground, and afterwards acquire a black colour. The fap of thefe trees is much fweeter to the tafle than that which is obtained from trees which have not been previously wounded, and it affords more fugar. From twenty-three gallons and one quart of fap, procured in twenty-four hours from only two of thefe dark coloured trees, Arthur Noble, Efq. of the ftate of New York, obtained four pounds and thirteen ounces of good grained fugar. A tree of an ordinary fize yields in a good feafon from twenty to thirty gallons of fap, from which are made from five to fix pounds of fugar. To this there are fometimes remarkable exceptions. Samuel Lowe, Efq. a juftice of peace in Montgomery county, in the state of New York, informed Arthur Noble, Efq. that he had made twenty pounds and one ounce of fugar between the 14th and 23d of April, in the year 1789, from a fingle tree that had been tapped for feveral fucceffive years before. From the influence which culture has upon foreft and other trees, it has been fuppofed, that by tranfplanting the Sugar Mapletree into a garden, or by deftroying fuch other trees as fhelter it from the rays of the fun, the quantity of the fap might be increased, and its quality much improved. I have heard of one fact which favours this opinion. A farmer in Northampton county in the state of Pennfylvania, planted a number of these trees above twenty years ago in his meadow, from three gallons of the fap of which he obtains every year a pound of fugar. It was obferved formerly, that it required five or fix gallons of the fap of the trees which grow in the woods to produce the fame quantity of fugar. The The fap diftils from the wood of the tree. Trees which have been cut down in the winter for the fupport of the domestic animals of the new fettlers, yield a confiderable quantity of fap as foon as their trunks and limbs feel the rays of the fun in the fpring of the year. It is in confequence of the fap of thefe trees being equally diffufed through every part of them, that they live three years after they are girdled, that is, after a circular incifion is made through the bark into the fubftance of the tree for the purpose of defroying it. It is remarkable that grafs thrives better under this tree in a meadow, than in fituations expofed to the conftant action of the fun. The feason for tapping the trees is in February, March, and April, according to the weather which occurs in thefe months. Warm days and frosty nights are most favourable to a plentiful difcharge of fap. The quantity obtained in a day from a tree, is from five gallons to a pint, according to the greater or less heat of the air. Mr. Lowe informed Arthur Noble, Efq. that he obtained near three-and-twenty gallons of fap in one day (April 14, 1789,) from the fingle tree which was before mentioned. Such inftances of a profufion of fap in fingle trees are however not very common. There is always a fufpenfion of the ditcharge of fap in the night if a froft fucceed a warm day. The perforation in the tree is made with an axe or an auger. The latter is preferred from experience of its advantages. The auger is introduced about three-quarters of an inch, and in an afcending direction (that the fap may not be frozen in a flow current in the mornings or evenings) and is afterwards deepened gradually to the extent of two inches. A spout is introduced about half an inch into the hole, made by this auger, and projects from three to twelve inches from the tree. The fpout is generally made of the fumach or elder, which generally grows in the neighbourhood of the fugar trees. The tree is first tapped on the South fide; when the difcharge of its fap begins to leffen, an opening is made on the north fide, from which an increased difcharge takes place. The fap flows from four to fix weeks, according to the temperature of the weather. Troughs large enough to contain three or four gallons made of white pine, or white afh, or of dried water afh, afpen, linden, poplar, or common maple, are placed under the spout, to receive the fap, which is carried every day to a large receiver, made of either of the trees before mentioned. From this receiver it is conveyed, after being ftrained, to the boiler.' We understand that there are three modes of reducing the fap to fugar; by evaporation, by freezing, and by boiling; of which the latter is moft general, as being the moft expeditious. We are farther affured, that the profit of the maple tree is not confined to its fugar. It affords a molt agreeable melaffes, and an excellent vinegar. The fap which is fuitable for thefe purpofes is obtained after the fap which affords the fugar has ceafed to flow, fo that the manufactories of thefe different products of the maple-tree, by fucceeding, do not interfere with each other. The melaffes may be made to compofe the bafis of a pleafant fummer beer. The fap of the maple is moreover capable of affording a fpirit, but we hope this precious juice will never be prostituted by our citizens to this ignoble purpose. Should the ufe of fugar in diet become more general in Our country, it may tend to leffen the inclination or fuppofed neceffity for fpirits, for I have obferved a relish for fugar in diet to be feldom accompanied by a love for ftrong drink.' To us, the most extraordinary circumftance attending this tree is, that it should remain a tree, after fuch unmerciful drains of its fap; and, ftill more, that it can be faid not to be injured by fuch treatment! VOYAGES and TRAVELS. N. Art. 26. A Voyage to Madagascar, and the Eaft Indies. By the Abbé Rochon, Member of the Academies of Sciences of Paris and Petersburgh, Aftronomer of the Marine, Keeper of the King's Philofophical Cabinet, Infpector of Machines, Money, &c. Tranflated from the French. Illuftrated with an accurate Map of the Island of Madagascar. To which is added, a Memoir on the Chinese Trade. 8vo. pp. 475. 75. 6d. Boards. Robinsons. 1792. After having amply given our fentiments of this work, as a fo reign publication *,- -we have only to add, on its appearance in English, that the work is tranflated in eafy language, is well printed, and is illuftrated with a folio map of the island. EDUCATION. N. Art. 27. Isagoge, five Janua Tufculana, for the Ufe of Schools. By the Rev. R. Lyne. 8vo. pp. 66. 2s. bound. Law. 1791. We are almost overwhelmed with grammars and fchool books. It is obfervable, however, that no greater Latin fcholars are produced, than were at the time when the number of these helps were much fewer, and when they were fuch alfo as are esteemed more obfcure and more difficult than thofe which iffue almost daily from the prefs. Some of thefe publications proceed merely from mercenary motives; others are well intended, and, in the view of their authors, at leaft, well fitted for fervice; as fometimes they really prove.The volume before us we will place in the latter rank: the defign of Mr. Lyne appears to be laudable. He has employed confiderable attention in forming and improving his plan; he has alfo, he tells us, found its good effects. An edition has been before printed, but was confined in its ufe to his own feminary. The proof of utility must depend on trial: if Mr. Lyne has experienced this, others alfo may: but we ought to obferve, that he fpeaks modeftly on the fubject, and offers his performance as very little more than a hint of the kind,' expreffing his with, that fome one, more expert, may foon condefcend to fet it off with that improvement, which the object of is deferves.' H. Art. 28. A New Introduction to Reading; or, a Collection of Eafy Leffans, arranged on an improved Plan: Defigned for the Ufe of Schools. 1230. PP. 174. s. bound. Forster. 1791. We are told that, "of making many books there is no end:" • See Review Enlarged, vol. vi. p. 555, and vii. p. 334 which remark may well be applied to publications for the use of Schools: they are indeed fuper-abounding. One of the principal requifites for the affiftance of youth, is a judicious, kind, and determined attention in their inftructors: where this prevails, almost any books will prove ufeful; where this is wanting, the best helps of another kind will fail of the intended purpose. The prefent compiler tells us, that the books put into the hands of children are generally too difficult, and therefore difgufting. A friend, he fays, fuggeted that a felection of leffons advancing progreffively in bardnefs, would be of great fervice. However this may be, we must acknowlege that he has put together a number of little tales, fables, and fcraps of history, which have a tendency to engage the attention of children, and to form them to a love of virtue. H. Art. 29. The Honeft Farmer: A Drama, in five Acts. By M. Berquin, Author of the Children's Friend. 12m0. 1s. Boards. Stockdale. 1791. This little piece is not an object of criticifm. It is fufficient to fay, concerning it, as a probable truth, that it is more really calculated to promote industry, contentment, honefty, humanity, benevolence, and general virtue, than most of the novels with which, for many years pat, the public has been fo plentifully furnished. POETRY and DRAMATIC. Art. 30. The Fate of Empire: A Poem. By the Rev. J. Palmer. 19. 6d. Debrett. 1792. 4to. pp. 28. H. Altogether to praife or to condemn this poem, would betray a want of difcernment. It is fo unequal, that it appears like the production of different perfons. The beginning is incomprehenfible, and the conclufion is trite and flat. Mr. Palmer borrows, in fome places, the ideas of the Essay on Man: but he has not caught the fpirit, nor acquired the elegance and accuracy, of Pope. Toward the middle of the poem, we have, however, fome tolerable lines; of which the following defcription of defpotic government is a fpecimen : Behold, when leaning on a mountain's brow, That fcattered lies, before the torrents pour; Or Or rocks uprent, or columns flaming high, The waving trees, the vineyard's humbler pride, In ruthful fplendor roll, and wide expand, The fmoky ruins o'er the burning fand.' Moo-y. If Horace's maxim, Nonum prematur in annum, be not literally obferved, yet it fhould be remembered, that a poem is a fpecies of compofition which requires to be reviewed and re-reviewed, to be touched and re-touched, before it should meet the public eye. Little blemishes in poetry often dellroy the whole of the intended effect. Art. 31. A Morning Walk. In Blank Verfe. Addreffed to an Eminent Clergyman. 4to. IS. Kearney. 1792. Thomfon, who to well knew how to defcribe the charms of a country life, reckons among the pleafures of retirement, calm contemplation and poetic cafe." It was probably amid thefe pleafures, and under the infpiration of rural tranquillity, that the poem here prefented to the public was compofed. The verfes are written with eafe and elegance, though fomewhat profaic, and are strongly expreffive of that genuine fenfibility which is alive to every imprefion of beauty, fublimity, and happiness, that fimple nature can produce. Our poetical readers will judge of the unknown writer's merit, from the following extract: Seafon of foft delight! Now to the wild Sha |