The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-03-15

Nothmg OF saccharine quality is more de-
ne'ous s Us 70 most tastes than pure maple syrup
anu Tue sugar crystallized from it. The tor
ests Oh our state abound in the noble and
cleaniy trees which produce 1t, and nowhere
can maple grove be made to Weld mora COZ,
in quantity, or better in quality, than our
own native sugar orchards. At the nroso,,.
high cost of West India molasses and sugars.
it can but be an object to many farm residents
to secure as much sweetening from their ma
pie trees as possible. The business of col
lecting and boiling down the sap comes op-
p0rtunely, at time when little or no other
farm labor can be carried ONT being too
late for shedding and too early for spring op-
erations. It is work, too, in which almost
all the members of an ordinary household
old or young. can participate. Sugar made at
such season, is about clear gain; and If sold,
will bring high price.
The best mode of tapping trees is a matter
of Importance. The practice, by some, of
cutting into the tree with an axe, is barbar-
GUS. Boring with a bit or auger is more to
be commended A few years ago, the Brat
tleboro' (Vt) Agricultural Club caused an
experiment to be made ON this subject A
committee, consisting of three persons, was
appointed to ascertain by actual experiment
the proper size and depth of the bore in tap
ping the sugar maple. They accordingly pro-
ceeded to test this question in the most thor
ough manner, using all sizes of bits from
half an inch to an inch and half in diane
ter-making each his experiment independ-
emily of the Other-and the result was, that
no difference could be perceived-the half
inch giving as much sap as any other. Each
one also tapped several trees, setting two
buckets to tree, with a single spile to each,
but bored to different depths, from one to
three and q half inches; and the results in
this case were, in every instance, when the
weather was sufficiently warm to thaw the
tree through, that the flow OF sap was in pro-
portion to the depth of bore; and to make
the matter more certain, on deepening tie
shallow bores subsequently, they Immediately
overlook the others in quantity. These ex-
periments were repeated the year following
by a different committee with the same geu-
eral results.
In regard to the process of making the ST.
gar, the following is the statement Mr..
Woodward made to the State Agricultural
Society which awarded to him the first pre-
MUM for the best article of maple sugar:
In the first place make my buckets, tubs
and kettles ali perfectly clean. j boil the sap
in potash kettle set in an arch in such a
manner that the edge of the kettle is defend
ed all around from the fire. This is continu-
ed through the day, taking care not to have
any thing in the kettle that will give color to
the sap, and to keep it well skinned. At
night leave fire enough under the kettle to
boil the sap nearly or quite to a syrup by the
next morning. l then take 1t Oul of the ket-
tie and strain it through flannel cloth into
tub, if 1t is sweet enough, ifnot, / put
1t in cauldron kettle which have hung ON
pole in such a manner that can swing 1t
on and Off the fire at pleasure, and finish boil
ing, then strain it into tub and let it stand
till the next morning. then take this and
the syrup in the kettle, and put it all together
in the cauldrOn, and sugar IL of. To clarity
100 pounds OF sugar, use the white of five or
six eggs, well beaten, about one quart of new
milk and spoonful Of saleratus, all well mix
ed with the syrup before it is scalding hot. 1
keep moderate tire directly under the caul-
dron until the scum is all raised, then skim it
Off clean, taking care not to let it boil so as to
rise in the kettle before have done skim
ming it !; when it is sugared OF, leaving it so
damp that it will drain a little. let it re-
main in the kettle until 1t is well granulated;
then put 1t into boxes mace smallest at the
bottom. that will hold from fifty to seventy
pounds, having thin piece of board fitted ID
two or three inches above the bottom, which
is bored null OF small holes to let the u,oiasses
drain through, which l keep drawn oil
through tap at the bottom. Iput on top OF
the sugar in the box, two or three thicknesses
of clean, damp cloth, and over that board
well fitted in so as to exclude the air from the
sugar After 1t has nearly done draining,
dissolve 1t and sugar it off again, going
through the same process in clarifying and
draining as before.
TRAXI.