ABSTRACT
The sugar maple is one of the most common trees of eastern North America. Several allied species are sometimes treated as varieties of the sugar maple. When growing in a forest, sugar maple trees produce a straight, branch-free trunk as high as 40 m. Sugar maple syrup is generally considered a luxury item, since cane and beet sugar, and corn syrup are produced very much more cheaply. The quantity of sugar maple syrup is only commercially important in primarily northern or alpine areas, where alternate spring freezing and thawing produces an exceptionally high sap yield. Sugar maple production is a uniquely North American industry, with about 40 million L often produced annually. Sugar maple syrup production is a seasonal industry, conveniently occurring during a farm's slack season. Sugar maple is used for the production of furniture, flooring, farm tools, turnery, veneer, plywood, dies, and cutting blocks.
