The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1858-03-11

'IAiulS 10 Tue OuiS IdIHcI, We eX-
tract the following excellent advice in
regard to
MAKING MAPLE SUGAR.
The maids along the Ohio sing,
OF all the seasons in the yelr,
The sweetest season is the Spring"
90 ang an Chic bard thirty years ago
one, We suppose, who wanted the Yam
KEGS to come out there and buy his land,
and so would have them understand that
the NAPLES there were abundant, and the
lasses and molasses peculiar sweet, in both
Of which we suspect he was right, mas
much as, in new country as that was
then, the girls are not as apt to be spoiled
of health and merry mood by convention
al usagcs against nature, and certainly
no sweet, except that of maiden simple
ity and worth, is equal to the flow from
,he sugar maple.
"March is the time, and we must say a.
few words about making maple sugar,
Ia tapping tn: trees, use thrce-quarter
Bit, or one about that size. Let it be
sharp, well adjusted to a good stock, andi
then turn it very rapidly, that it may cut
the wood smoothly. From two to three
inches is the best depth. Let the SlIpa,
upwards be about loo, less rather than
more. Let the spout at its inner end ta-
per as much as is consistent with Grm-
ness, that the pinch may be at the outer
surface of the wood. Put two s2outs,
four, six Or eight inches apart, on beth
sides of the tree if large, on one side only
if small. The projecting ends should
converge little, that both may drop 50
near the centre Of the tub as not to allow
the wind to blow the spray away as it
falls. 1t is we'll to have the part from
which the sap falls blunt, not pointed,
The sap will then separate from it in large
drops, and not be as liable to be blown
outside the tubs 1t is common pac-
tice, and good one, to hang the tub. on
a nail driven into the tree, in such way
as to prevent the possibility Of loss by
wind. We never saw it done, bat should
think it would De we'll to fa>ten the tub
By a cord drawn around the tree, as this
would hold the tub IS we'll, and would
prevent the necessity of punctming the
tree, by which a snall waste Of sap Is
caused, and. the tree slightly iajured.
Some hang the tubs by means of a wire
bail on the two spous. This is a good
way. The spouts should be potched
where the bail is to pass across them.
The sap should Be boiled soon a:tor
being collected, as otherwise, especially
IN warm weather, All incipient fermenta-
tlon takes place, and the sugar crystal
izes less perfectly. We have often made
patches Of maple sugar in April which
would hardly crystaGze at all, owing to
tbs incipieut fermentation in the sap,
The moasscs, in such case, is Of an ih-
ferior quality, not having that luscious
maple taste which everybody loves. There
are many varieties Of sugar, Of which
cane-suSar and grape-sugar are the lead
ing. The maple gives essentially the
cane sugar, with that exquisite maple
hayor, We believe that when the sap
stands too long before boiling, the con-
stitution Of the sugar Is changed from
that of cane to that of grape; aud in the
change, the maple favor, as we'll as the
tendency to crystalize, is partially lost.
"We could write all day, and detail
only our own experience in this matter,
for fortunately we were brought up in
the back woods, the best thing that ercr
Ihoppeucd to as, and those woods we're re-
markably sweet in more senses than enc,
But we will only say, use your own sooa
sense in your arrangements for boiling
economically of fuel. We have seen
some people boil down maple sap when
we would have valued the incl more than
the sugar. Done economically, 1t is a
fairly paying business for season when
other work does not press.
! "The sap should be kept clean. Let
the kettles or the pan be SO set that no.
sparks will blow into them. When the
syrup is partially cooled, strain slowly
through a thick cloth and in sagaring
Of, as it is called, let the heat be equabic,
that no burning on the sides Of the kct,
tie may blacken the mass Nearly every
impurity in maple sugar is occasioned By
uacloanliness III collecting and boiling.
the sap, OF by burning on the sides of the
kettle, If the sap could be kept of that,
limpid pureness with which it comes from,
the tree, no straiEing or clarifying would.
be needful, and you would have the pur-.
est sweet that nature affords. Rut as
this, is not possible, ii is well to stEaia che
sap through cloth before boiling, then to,
strain the syrup. before sngarlng oil, and
in both cases woolen cloth,. OF a. pretty
close texture, is best; and as even this
will not e }, rae cry particle, it is ne"
to put in little milk-say one pint to
20 lbs. of sugar-and skim. The milk
curdles; the particles remaining become
cntangled in it and are skinned off.
ave might say much about clarifying
with bullock's blood, with the blood aud
brlstles where hogs have been slaughtere,c'
with q Thousand other thinmS making tlo