Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1861-03-14

Making maple sugar will soon be the or
der Of he day. Maple sugar when wei
made, is orc Of the most delicious Of sweets,
and se hofe all our frierds who have ire
wllI make as much a. possible. Great i'm
proy-reu's have been made IN thc mode q
making i, within 4 tess youe. We give d
few hu". which may serve as a guide Tor
further Improvement.
TAPPING rtEts.
The iilc and lcl.th O. the tree dapeuds
very much on thc mode Of tapping. Farm
Gs used TO think thc quantity OF sap tree
would give, expended mostly on the width of
the cat, and ihey used The axe and the gouIe
sometime, quarter grdHng trae NO
body uses these now. The gougo aud the
anger w,ro once much used We know one
laImer who uses it still, but it is not the
bostpan Most persons BOW use three
fourth inch augcr bat experiments prove
tkat no more sap will run from am orihcc
made by than from one q quarter Of al
inch 10 diameter. As tie laucr Size is too
small for convenience. a BIT thrcc-eighhs o.
lalf an inch in SIZE may be used with jus
as good results as q larger one. A three
fourth inch auger is two and onc.sxteenth
times larger than a oue.haf inch and four
time larger than a three eighth inch. II
the difference in the injury to the tree is
Proportional he 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 will not last more than
one or two years. DO not get those that are
painted on the inside. Their is quito dit
ference in the price of tubs but generally
the cheapest ones are the most expensive it
tie end. For large trees, let them holo
fourteen quarts. 1t is convenient to hay
several sizes tor different sized trees, aud it
is OF great importance that they lie perfectly
clean
WATTS.
For holding the sap, vat, made of two
inch plank, tightly grooyod together, is much
bette than trough. A vide plank is wide
enough Let it be sixteen feet long
Frames somewhat larger than the vat should
be slipped over it, one on each end, aud one
in the middle, aud wedges driven under then
80 keep It tight. I.et 1t lie covered, anC
take the sap out through faucet, which, i
possible, should convey it to the pan.
BOILING.
These who have ever used the old potash
kettle, hung by u chain to a pole, by the sid
Of large logs. can appreciate the value 0
pans. Those with wooden sides, recon
meuded every spring on account OF the
chcapness, though tncy may do good service
for &c year, are not the best They SCOT
begin leaking, and then are real nuisance
Coed pans should be made entirely OF shee
iron. Seven feet by three and half is aoou
the right size.
ARCHES.
Sometimes these are made quite low, an,
partly below the ground but those bull
two feet and hall high are much better, oil
account of room for wood, ease oil cleaning
and better draft. The foundation may b.
laid in trench dug in the ground. t.
sides aud end are sometimes built OF stii
clay mortar, made as compact as possible.
is, however, better to make them Of stone, eel
aidup The ch mnoy need not be NOR
than one or two feet high, A heavy bar o
east ron should be laid across the open en-,
at the prop height, for holding up the wood
This is quite important. 1t is very conveo
lent to have crane over the arch, wit
chains to attach to handles, on tie sides o
the pan, to remove it from the fire whel
syruping down is completed.
Que of the most important points to b
attended to, in boiling sap, is to keep gu
the dirt This is exec dinghy difficult
Ashes and dust f ON the fire, and dirt an
leaves brought by the wind, get mingle
with it in large quantities, and the solubl
parts of them remain in solution, much I
the i jury of the sugar. A clean, dry pac
should always be selected, and every effol
male to keep the contents of the pan clcaI
No doubt the ovaporators recently brougt
into use in making sorghum syrup, will
found useful Tor this purpose. There ar
many other things connected with suga
making but We have no room for them nov
Mn. BoYcE Dear SIR: Your print