Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1861-03-22
AGRICULTURAL.
Making Maple Sugar.

AL IL IN u L. Il ~ IL ~ Il
Making Maple Sugar.
Making nipple sugar will soon be the or
der Of The day. Nipple sugar. when wei
made is ous Of the most delicious Of sweets
and we hope all our friends who have treeI
will make "a much as possible. Great i'm
provemrnts have been made in the mode o
making il within a few years. We give ,
few hints, which may serve as a guide fol
further improvement.
TAPPING TREES.
The life and health of the tree depend:
very much on the mode of tapping. Farm
ers used to think the quantity of sap tree
would give depended mostly on tue width Of
the cut, and they used the axe and the gouge
sometimes a quarter girdling the tree. No
body uses these now. The gouge and the
auger were once much used. We know one
farmer who uses it still, but it Is not the
best plan Most persons now use three
fourth inch augur but experiments prove
that no more sap will run from an orifice
male by it than from one quarter OF an
inch in diameter. As the latter size Is too
small for convenience, bit three-righlhts
or hllf an inch in size may be used with
just AS gold results as larger one. three
fourth inch anger is two and one.siXtet nth
times larger than one-half inch, and four
times larger than three-eighth inch. II
the difference in The injury to the tree is
proporii nal, the benefits arising from the
change will be considerable.
TUBS.
The very best made Of pine or cedar,
should be used. They should have strong
hoops, otherwise they viii not last more
than one or two years. Do not get those
that are painted on the inside. There is
quite difference in the price Of tubs but
generally the cheapest ones are the most
expensive in the end. For large trees, let
them hold fourteen quarts. 1t is conven-
lent to have several sizes for different sized
trees, aud it i. of great importance that they
be perfectly clean.
For holding the sap, vat made Of two.
inch plauk, tiahtly grooyed together is
much better than trough. A wide plank
is wide enough. Let ii be sixteen feet long.
Frames somewhat larger thanthe vat should
be slippei over it. one on each end and o 'e
in the middle. and wed ses driven under
them to keep it tight. Let it be covered
and take the sap out hrongh fau-et, which
if possible should convey it to the pan.
BOILING.
Those who have ever used the old potash
At,r I,,.t
side Of large l1gs, caa appreciate the value
of pans. Taos with wooden sills, recon-
mended every spring on arronnt Of thei-
cheapness though thet may do 20 d service
FIR one wear. are NOT the best. They soon
beain akps. AID hen are a real nuisir
Good pans should BE- made entirely o. sheet
iron. Seven feet by three and a half is
about the right size.
ARCHES.
m times these are mad qait- low and
patty below III aro I'D bur those huit
two fe an a h,li hi II ar. much better,
o a-couni Of roo for WOO |, e,s.. of clean.
ing. and etrr DIR 1t. flu Ennrlar,u
may h., had IN tre CD dlg in he ground
tn sd an end re s,mr j nr> hut cf
stiff lay N ''t r, m ,de rs c mp1rl ., pos
sib e. Il i howeve. better I, make them
of store WI aid up, Tie chimney need
net be IN re Than onc or tvo feet high. A
heavy hnr of east non should be laidncrp-s
the npe ~ (, III proper hrigh'. for hold
ing tie vol Thi- is quite impot at
II is very 20 ivcni nj 10 have crane over
the arth wi, ella MS g. attach 10 handle,
on tn. SIDE, Of e pan. 20 RIM We il fnm
the fire vh - rlpi down Is completed.
One Of the most important po'nls to be
attei drd 10, in boi ing sap. is to keep out
the dirt. This is Exceed naly dilliru't-
Aslle, an dust from the fire, aud dir AID
leaves brought by lie winl, 9 I mingled
with it IL large quantities, and the soluble
parts 81 thm remain in solution. mach to
the injury OF the sugar. A Clean. dry place
should always b. sci Ct, d. and every effDr,
made to keep the contents of the pan clean,
No dlub' the evaporators l. c nlly brough'
into use in making sorghum -yrup. will he
found useful for this purpose. There are
many other things connected with sugar
making, but we have no room Tor them now.