Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-03-13
Agricultural.
The Sugar Orchard.

The season mas come again Tor maple sugar.
No one who has even few trees should neg lect
this year to make the most of them. March is
month In which little work be DONE and all
that Can be got from the sugar-bush clear gain.
Buckets and spouts should be made reaoy at
once, for the first run of sap yields better sugar
than any other.
Inc most practicable vessels for catching the
sap are buckets made of white pine white ce-
dar slaves Cedar Is the better tor it, IL Is
little affected by dry weather. But drying
wind tor two days will sometimes shrink pine
bucket SO that you can see through 1t between
every stave- Sull there Is not much danger of
buckets leaking If they are tightened well before
they are taken to the bush. They should be
made largest at the bottom. Such buckets
stand hrmer, and the hoops are not In danger OF
slipping off IN case of shrInkage. There is
difficulty IN getting ice out OF small topped
bucket, but IL Is very seldom that any consider
able amount OF sap need be allowed to freeze.
In tapping the uees 1t is not best ever to use an
auger larger than i've eighths of an inch with
small trees half an inch safer. In most places
sumach Can be found to make spouts OF these
Sizes Saw the sumach into pieces six inches 10
a loot IN length. An inch and a half from one
end sd " the stick halt way through turn to the
other end saw IL IN the same way the opposite
side. Spht through from one saw cut the
other and two spou.s are made, except that the
pIth must be punched 10 make canal for the
sap, and the mead may need a little fitting with a
KNIFE W hen sumach cannot De obtained, pine
spouts Can De made with no great difficulty, a
hole being bored through the head with gImlet
Indeed, pine spouts are on some accounts prefer
able. Inc wood Is much softer that it can be
mace TO I'LL the hole as tightly cork.
Unless the Trees are large, DO not bore into the
wood more than inch first. The tree will
run just as freely tor a few days from a two
inch hole, and Will DC much less Liable TO injury.
Alter the hrsE run CT four i've days there Is
generally check OF the same period from d
shaw freeze up When the next run comes
on, If the holes begin TO be dried up, bore III a
quarter OF AN inch deeper, and the sap will start
again as from freshly tapped trees.
Only two things are necessary to make deli
CIous syrup, OF Clear chJice sugar, of all the sap
that Is Obtained before the buds start on the
trees. The hrst Is scrupulous cleanliness. The
buckets must be Thoroughly secured, no dirt
must be allowed TO gather IN the store-casks, all
foreign matter must De carefully excluded fro Id
the boiling pans. hen sugar Is oiled 10 a
great iron Kettle hung a pole IN the woods, II
Is no wonder that a olack, rank-Havored article
results. Dead leaves and cinders blow into II,
and the coIorIng matter IN them Is boiled out
and gwen to The sugar.
The second point to boil the sap as soon as
possible alter 1t comes from the trees. W heI
sept standing any considerable length of time
chemical changes seem to begin which iDjure
both the the color and the flavor OF the sugar
Pans made entirely of sheet iron or of sheet IroI
bottom and ends with board sides, the bes
boilers. Before the syrup has become thIcl
enough TO string from the upper, strain through
wooIien strainer and put away TO settle. lr
four or SIX hours 1t will be ready tor " sugarins
Oft" No mix or egg or blood OF anything els,
need be used To cleanse 1T. Pour of all that i
clear, leaving ali the sediment behind, and you
Will get better sugar than by any cleansing pro
GEES.
liz Is sometimes asked whether go ft pies ar
OF any value Tor sugarIng. LII they are hrs
growth trees, standing IN tnIck woods, the,
generally yield little sap, and that OF htti
sweetness When boiled down alone it makes
sweet salve Father Than sugar. But sotS maple
standing III an open grove, especially on a rock,
ledge, Will often furnish as much and as rich sa
L ara naples.