The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1847-12-25
IN. rApLE SUGAR MAxlNo.

Iectlng the sap. Oiu anu nuit oec"ye'
wooden ,roughs, with liberal infusion
of leaves, dirt, &c., impart great impu
rity to the water. Rain.wate!, decay
ed vegetable matter, &c., add chemica
ingredients to the sap, is troublesome
to extract, and Injuries the quality ifno'
removed, The expense Of clean yes
sles may be a little more, but with care
it could be more than made up in the
quality Of the sugar. Many are now
using earlhen crooks. These are cheap
easily cleansed, and every way desira'
Bile, with the single exception ofbreak'
age. But If wooden troughs are used.
. lei them be kept scrupulously clean.
2. The kettles should be secured
thoroughly before use, and kept con
stantly clean. lfrusty,or foul, or coat.
ed with burnt sugar, neither the color
nor favor can be perfect. Vinegar
and sand have been used by experience
ed sugar makers 10 scour the kettles
with. 1t is best 10 have at least three
10 n range.
All vegetable juices contain acids,
and acids resist the process OF crystalI-
cation. fh
DR.. ). C. Jackson directs one meps.
u,ed ounce (one,four,h of a gilD Of pure
lime-water to be added to every gallon
Of sap. This neutralizes the acid, and
not only facilitates the granulatlon, but
gives sugar in n free state, now too
generally acid and deliquescent,beside
being charged with salts Of the oxide
of iron, insomuch that it ordinarily
strikes a black color with tea.
The process Of making a pure white
sugar is simple and inexpensive. The
lime added to the sap, combining with
the peculiar acid Of the maple, forms a
neural salt; this salt is found to be ca.
silly soluble id alcohol. DR.. Jackson
recommends the following process:-
Procure sheet-iron cones, with an aper.
ture at the small end or apex; let it be
coated with white lead and boiled lin
seed oil, and thoroughly dried, SO that
no part can come of. I'VE do not
know why earthen C ones, ungIazed and
painted, would not answer equally we'll,
besides being much cheaper. Let the
sugar be put into these cones, stopping
the hole in the lower end until it is en-.
tirely cool. Then remove the stopper,
and pour upon the base a quantity of
strong whiskey or fourth proof rum;
allow this to fltrate through until the
sugar is white. When the loafis dried
it will! be pure white sugar, with the
exception Of the alcohol. To get rid
of this, dissolve the sugar in pure boil
ing hot water. and let it evaporate I'M
til it is dense enough to crystallize.-
Then put it again into the cone moulds
and let it harden. The dribblets which
come away from the cone while the
whiskey IS draining may be used for
making vinegar. 1t is sometimes the
case that whiskey would, if freely used
in a sugar camp, 60 off in the wrong d.
rection, beneft,ing neither the sugar
nor the s~ugar-maker. If, on this ac.
count, any prefer another model let him
make a saturated solution Of loaf sugar,
and pour it., in place Of the wh'skey ,up-
on the base of the cones. Although the
sugar will not be quite as white, the
DRAWINGS will form an excellent molas.
SEES, whereas the DRAWINGS by the form
err method are good only for vinegar.
Ill. CARE OF SUGAR ORCHARDS.
1t is grievous to witness the waste
commi,ed upon valuable groves of su-
gar trees. If the special object was to
destroy them, it could hardly be better
reached than by the methods now en-
ployed. The holes are carelessly made
and often the abominable practice is
seen Of cutting channels in the tree
with an axe. The man who will MUIR
der his trees in this t%oamahawk and
scalping-knife manner, is just the man
that Esop meant when he made The IA
Die of a fellow who killed his goose to
get at once all the golden eggs. With
good care, and allowing them occasion.
ally a year OIL resi-, a sugar grove may
last for centuries.
1. As soon as possible get your su-
gar grove laid down to grass, clear out
under. brush, thin out timber and useless
trees. Trees in open land make about
six pounds Of sugar, and forest trees on.
ly about four pounds, to the season.
As the maple is peculiarly rich in pot
ash (four.fflhs potash exported is made
from sugar MAPLE, it is evident that it
requires that substance in The soil. Up.
on this account we should advise a lib
eral use Of wood ashes upon the soil Of
groves. ]
2. Tapping trees.-Two taps are u.
snally enough-never more than three; !
for though as many as "a have been in