Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1858-01-08
AGRICULTURAL.
Experience in Maple Sugar Making,

To the Editor Of the ,Amsricqa .3gricuituria
A. the season j. approaching n commence OPP
,ratlons in the Sugar Camp will offer
few suggestions and plans cleaned from my OBJ
>ervatiOuS and experience. ltwould seem that
rhe process of making Maple Sugar is SO simple
that any one possessed Of the least s'gumption," !"
could not fail 10 make . gooj, if hot superior
article, hut such is not the fact, as the great
alnoun, OF black and almost worthless siCf
annually made, abundantly proves.
lst. In tapping use or inch auger
bit; aud to "freshen" with, use a follower,
laa,ie something like an oldiashioned "pod
anger, 70 make the hole about an eighth OF
All inch larger, aud the same deeper, thus
renewing or frsshe,,ing the suFfaee "f the
original hole.
Tie spout l. made of sheet mon OF tin, two
INCHES wide aud six TO seven long, .orned into
quarter circle, one eud sharpenea With file
or criui>!oue, aud driven into the bark oRty,
about inch below the auger hole. Drive
with wooien malet TO prevent battering the
spout, This Is by far the best aud cheapest
spout that have ever seen.
:1i. For buckets, recommend those made
OF III. plate, To hold about three gallons, made
very little. tapering. ST. that iu the case of
freezing the Ice will slip out the slightest
thaw.
Punch Il hole in the bucket sufficient to
receive the nail that is to be driven in the tree
To hang il on, and it makes GGr erceLLence--
,he best bucket for the purpose extauf.
3D. Boiling is done in sheet iron or copper
pans tnnt ketlNs,) made follows: Take a
sheet OF Russia iron, put quarter or three
,cjghths inch iron ROD iu each end by tapping,
or bending the iron around il. Let these rods
be l6 to Is inches longer thap the width OF the
sheets. Have the ends of the rods fattened
"ud a small hole punched, and beud them IN
huch manner that they may be LA led to the
boards, forming the sides of the pan, to serve
as handles to lift with When this is doae,
bend the sheets up at each end or lhcbes
aud I'll ia and closely nail side boards about
/ | inches thick, TO form box 6 or s inches
high, and they are ready for use. Then BRICK
walls, or ali arch as it is COMMONLY called, are
built to accommodate as many Of the pans a.
are needed, with two iron cross bars under The
bottom of each pan to prevent their sagging
and strLining the mailing too much. Set the
pans level in mortar. aud you have boiling
apparatus that will evapotato an amount of sal
that will astoni<h those who ''havc alwaye
boiled in kettles" aad do the work much better
than it can possibly be done in kettles, as there
il no danger Of burning or boiling over-thi>
being prevented BY the wooden sides. With
.Ihree such paus, az above described, and good
dry wood, one gatioa per minute can be evap-
Grated
With the above apparatus, and proper care
"a Keeping everything connected with the
scamp" Glenn, sugar can be made much superior
20 the best cane sugar that have ever scen.--
Til" cost of buckets, with spoutS, will be froa
40 cents to so cents each; the pms, holding 35
gallons, VIII cost froA s. so to 81 each.
~ r. II. HowARD.
parkc County, o., Dec. 10 1851.
REMARKS.
The above apparatus is very perfect enc
and may be adopted in detail in many camps
The only objection will be the expense of !, the
buckets which will preclude their use in -
msjority Of cases. We thank Mr. Howard fo
his early suggestions, and as maple sugar
making will begin in the month OF February
We solicit the experiences of sugar makers ~
soon as may be--in time for our next issue.-
Please help US to page or SO of good prlctica
information on this topic. There are many 10.
"o'cS1ius Pomtss sucn as the pest form apd 6es
wood for trnughs, backets; side of tree 10 b.
tapped; height from the ground, size, form and
depth OF hole. carrying sap; boiling, cl4rifying
crystalSing, e., &e.-ED. .-.fmaicaa .fyri.
enltarist.
CHICKEN Mat CHEAPER THAN Pork
To the Editor Of the .4merican .Agricutturist
Everybody loves chicken, roasted, boiled Fri,
casccd, eehroiied. BY Itself, or in pie, it i:
pronounced first. rate hy ali wln auer rnt dom