The Grand Haven news. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1858-18??, 1862-02-05
Ttrms:---S1.00 per gmum.
MAPLE SUGAR.

Saho-ouSa uiuhSo ~ " SOStiy iuAug W
be INDUCED in sparingy. Moreover, it
will do us northerners no harm to be
thrown little more upon our own re-
sources. With tho maple-trees and the
sorghum plant, we shall get along quite
comfortably.
The "sugar bush" should always be
securely fenced in; it is great annoyance
TO have ones buckets visited by rowing
cattle during the night. The apparatus
used may be of the rudest kind-the
"buckets mere blocks of wood dug out
with an AK, the sap boiled down in kettles
hung on cross-bar in the open woods
but then, the molasses and sugar will be
rndc, too. We can easily do better than
that.
First-thc coveniencesf for boiling down.
Build an "arch" of brick and mortar,
in size corresponding to the extent of the
bush. On this, large pans are TO be set
for eyaporating. Two or three cross-bars
of iron are to be laid across the opening,
to prevent the pans from saggiDg down.
The pans should stand exactly level. Any
timer can make the pans, using Russia
iron, two sheets riveted together with
sides five or six inches deep turned over
three-eighths wire, and provided with
handles. When more than one pan is
used they should be set on the same arch,
each ms much as its own depth higher
than the other, so that the sap can be
drawn, if desired, through faucets, from
the highest into the lowest. If this arch
is under q large shed, it will contribute
much to the comfort and cleanliness of
the work. Provide good dry wood.
For tapping trees, use an auger half TO
tbree-fourths inch size, and bore holes
from an inch TO ono and half inches
deep, merely cutting through the bark and
sap-wood. A deeper hole strikes into the
hcarl-wood and begets decay. BY tap
ping three or four feet above the ground,
the sap is kept quite free from flying
leaves and dirt
Various kinds Of spouts are used.--
Those .made Of tin or sheet iron are in
high favor with some. They are about
two inches wide and six inches long,
rounded up cave-trough fashion, and one
end sharpened with file, or on n grind
stone. 1t is then driven into the bark
just below the augcr-hole, using wood
en- mallet for driving, to avoid battering
it. Others prefer wooden spouts, made
of pine or hard wood.
Buckets arc sometimes made Of tin,
Others Of pine, and others of cedar, the
wooden ones being hoopcd with iron or
ash, and painted. These are suspended
either on the end of the spout (bad prac-
tice, J or upon large nail or hook driven
into the tree.
For collecting sap, some still practice
carrying the buckets by hand to the ket-
ties or pans; some conduct il by shallow
troughs to large reservoir at tho center
Of the bush. Others collect the sap by
pailfulls; in cask or vat drawn upon
sled or stone boat.
Sugaring of-this is an easy process.
When the sap is boiled down TO syrup,
strain il through clean flannel strainer
into medium sized cauldron, and boil
il un.il it granulates. If leaves, pieces of
bark, ashes, flies, or dirt of any kind has
fallen into the gap, it must be clarified.
This can be done by using milk, or sale
ratus and the whites of eggs. A Good
recipe is a half tea-cup of new milk to cv-
cry pailful of syurup, Then boil slowly
and stir well together, skinming off the
scum which will soon rise to the surface.
This done, and the syrup being found
"dry" enough (by testing little in a
saucer,) to make into forms, pour it into
tin molds of any convenient size or form,
and when solid, lay the cakes upside down
TO prevent premature draining. AT the
first leisure moment, lay the cakes on
their edges with dishes underneath to
catch the DRAWINGS. The cakes will soon
harden.
A practice of tapping naples with the
ax, hatchet and gouge, is in some sections
alarmingly prevalent. 1t is certain ruin
to any maple grove, and the price of su-
gar at the present time should convince
farmers Of the great value of good su-
gar bush. In recent letter to the Ag-
riculturiSt, farmer of Florence, Ohio,
writes, dcploring this waste, and describes
the common tap" used by himself and
Others. Here is drawing of the simple
implement: Take first quality, straight
grained, inch pine boards, cut them in
foot lengths, and split them into one inch
square pieces. Two inches from one end
saw balf way through, and split off the
ten-inch piece. Bore quarter inch hole
into the larger end, lengthways OF the tap,
and cut groove from the hole to the
other end. In the absence of wise, to
hold tho stick to prevent splitting, burn
the hole out with hot iron. To fit them,
bore three quarter inch hole in hard
wood block, and white down the square
ends of the taps, just TO fit, but not TO
enter it. When driven into the trees,
they should bold fast when inserted an
eighth to quarter inch only; if driven
in deeper, they cut off in part, the flow Of
sap Concluded 4th page.