St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1868-03-20
Sug0riny.

The season is close at hand for making
maple sugar, and those who are 50 tortu.
nate as 10 own maple groves will soor
begin to prepare for the pleasant labor o
tapping these noble trees, and convertin.
their delicious sap into syrup and sugar
And here let us say to our tarmerS-es-
pecially TO our young men who have
chosen agriculture us the means of OBJ
tanning an honest living in this world
that if there are no maple orchards upon
their farms. they ought to begin the work
OF setting out trees ut once. in some nook
or corner, or on some hillside, where
they will flourish and not occupy land
more useful for other purposes. We
have often thought. when riding over the
country, how many of these trees might
now be growing along our public high
ways, adding beauty TO the farms and
yielding 4 profitable sugar crop. If all
our farmers had done such work twenty
years ago at very little expense to each,
what Il beautiful landscape we should
now have. We know of nothing that
adds So much beauty TO the country as
thrifty sugar naples growing along our
public highways. And yet how such
enterprises are neglected from year 10
year,
in the year 1860 Maine produced 81
go gallons of syrup and 300, ,7l2 pounds
OF sugar Vermont lG.2j3 gallons and
9.sS1,7Sl pounds, and New York l3l.
Sij gallons and lO,SlG,4l9 pounds.
The Empire State lakes the lead. and
Vermont comes next. But Vermont i
proportion 10 her territory, far exceeds
New York or any other State Michi-
gan is the third State. producing four
millions OF pounds OF sugar and sixty
thousand gallons of syrup.
Farmers generally have not given their
attention TO this business as they have in
Vermont or New Hampshire. We be-
live. however. that increased attention
i "ivcn to it every wear. Our farmers
in many localities can make il pay if
they will but manage tie business with
skill and prudence. The >ugar-makinL
NtNN'll 'OillCN W iiOll III N'llI L
the time better than at almost any other
season, and hence he Is not OBLIGED 10 ne
grct his farm work willie he i making
maple sugar 1t Is vastly more profita-
ble to attend to this business than 10 do
nothing. Too many OF our farmers, we
fear. make tine winter Il season of too
much leisure Ii they do not ike to
manufacture maple sugar for the market,
they can make it for home consumption.
and thereby save quite a large amount in
the -roccr's bills
According to the report of the census
more than one and half million galion>
of delicious maple syrup and over forty
million pounds OF maple Sugar were made
in 4 >ingle wear. Now, if the syrup l.
estimated Il; one dollar per Gallon. the
amount l. II ,597,j99, and the sugar at
fifteen cents per pound. comes to SG.OlS,- -
O3O.75 total S1,"Ii.Gl9.7j. sum
that adds much to the wealth of the
country. That the business can he made
much more profitable than it ever has
been there can be 10 doubt. Within I
few years great improvements have becu
made in the manufacture OF maple >u-
gar. and those who have kept pace with
the improvements have made = very nice
article. \ lew wears ago Il farmer In
Rutland. VT, sent some maple SUGAR TO
Worlds Fair at London, and received a
prizc medal tor it. The sugar he sent
WAS very white. and rs tine a, our best