The Grand Haven news., 1865-03-15


says:
Sugar is clear and white in its natural
state, but is generally madered and some
times nearly black by the careless manner
in which il is manufactured. The san
buckets claim our first attention. Tin
tubs are much the best. They can be
stored in much smaller space, are lipht
to handle, and less liable TO sour than
those made Of wood. Very nice sugar
can be made, however, with wooden YES
sells, with proper care. Before using they
should be washed with hot water, and
when the sugar season is over, give them
coat of red paint on the inside. They
should be thoroughly washed before paint
ing. This will give them time to dry
through the summer months. Treat
ed in this manner, they are not SO liable
TO get sour, and are more easily washed
and kept neat. In tapping trees use a
half inch bit, never larger than three
fourths, because nearly as much sap will
be obtained in the season as from a larger
bore, and the wound will heal over more
readily. AL the commencement Of the
season it is well TO tap the tree on the
south side. frequently the sun will thaw
the tree and start the sap several hours
sooner than when on the north side AS
the season advances, if the hole becomes
dry, the tub can be shifted to the north
side. Bore the hole about two inches and
half 10 commence with, and after two
or three weeks, drill an, inch and half
more, which will make the wound four
inches, which is about the proper depth
10 order TO get the best quality of sap.
When the weather begins TO warm, a
thick, slimy substance collects on the bot
tom Of the tubs. This will certainly sour
the sap and injure the quality Of the su-
gar. ! give the following remedy:
Tako a small broom corn whisk, and as
fast as the sap is gathered, let one man
follow with a pail Of water, turn 10 lit
tie, brush it thoroughly with the whisk,
turn il ont and let it drain n moment.
If this plan is not practicable, leave
little sap 10 the tub, which is nearly as
good as water Sometimes il can he done
after araiu storm when turning out the
water. This operation should be perform
ed at least twice in the season. Al this
late day, / presume nearly every farmer
has good sheet iron pans set on an arch,
SO we will not consume time in advocat-
ing so important an apparatus for making
nice sugar. Soon after the sap begins to
run, gather and boil it as fast as possible.
If delayed too long, the sap commences
to sour aud. the quality is injured. AZ
ter boiling a few hours let it run down to
syrup, turn il out and begin with fresh
supply Of sap. My opinion is, that when
boiling all day without running TO syrup,
it becomes oxydized, turns red and iniures
the color. The syrup should stand a. few
hours TO cool and settle; then strain thro'
woolen cloth, add milk, about one pint
to sixteen quarts Of syrup. After the
scum is taken of, strain again through a
clean woolen strsiner, boil it quick and il
will be soon ready 10 make an article
which you will be proud to call maple SUI
gar. e s'A
! formerly supposed the greatest guam
tity of saccharine matter was contained
in the sap from the layers Of wood near
the surface Of the tree. From carefally
conducted experiments this theory was
proved to be untrue. The following plan
was adopted TO test il: Selected . tree
eighteen inches in diameter, bored hole
with an auger II inches in diameter, two
inches in depth from the inside bark;
drove hollow wood tube for conducting
the sap--commencing at the centre
where the first incision left off; bored an
other hole with balf-inch biz exactly
two inches deeper into the tree, making
four inches in all. Inserted q halfinch
spont through the hollow tube into the
second very snug, so that the inside sap
might not leak into the other. This tube
was much longer than the first, so that in
using two vessels side by side, the sap
could be conducted beyond the first tub
into the second. The sap from these In
cisions was boiled separately at the snme
time in two kettles on the stove, with the
following results: Three and one-balf
quarts Of sap from the outside bore made
four ounces, Of sugar, the same quantity
Of sap from the inside bore made five
ounces Of sugar,each done to equal dry
ness. This result was so contrary to ex-
pectations that tried the same process
the next day with exactly the ssrne pro-
portions. Tho quantity Of sap discharg-
cd BY the large bore was somewhat great
or than the small one, but not 10 proper