Question
I have a specimen, a beautiful, 35 ' tall, 10 " in diameter October Glory maple, 15+ years old palnted a raised burm with good drainage in St. Louis, county.  No problems in first 15 years since I first planted it, good growth, great leaves, great looking smooth bark, in summer and fall.  My problem started in the spring and is fast spreading  Backside of tree facing northwest in a very shady garden started developing small cracks. 2-3" long at the base of tree,ref dirt/mulched area that extend vertically.vertically. I wrote these off in the spring as growth/expansion cracks. There were additional vertical marks/striations in tree that 12-15" tall. Today, those vertical marks have extended almost completely around the full Dia. of the tree some of which ooze a black looking sap like substance.  the vertical srtriations are now 18-24" tall.  To tap on some of the bark in affected area, it is clear that some has a slight non attached tone.  This stuff or condition is fast moving on.  Can you help me?

Answer
What you describe does not sound good.  Cracks in the bark with sap oozing out is not a good sign.  Check the mulch layer and make sure it is not piled up to high on the trunk of the tree as this would promote rot.  If it is, pull it back to let air get in and dry up the trunk. This will help some.  There is not much else that can be done.  Water the tree during dry periods and fertilize at least once per year with a tree fertilizer.  Smell of the sap and see if it smells like alcohol.  If so it will probably be a bacterial rot occuring.  The tree may live for years with this condition.  I hope this helps some.  Good Luck.