Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-04-13
Farm, Garden, Kitchen and Shop,

u. H. WebSter-The question before us
tonight is of great importance; think there
has been great improvement. We used to
boil between two logs, and keep one man
ehopping wood all the time. Now we use
pans which takes less wood and makes
much more sugar. Ny sugar orchard is
mostly secoa1 growth; use wooden spiles
with half-inch Bit gather sap as soon as
can after it has run; boil it down to syrup
and sugar it off as soon as get time think
it makes better sugar than when allowed
to stand long after it is boiled. | think
many of us do not have storage enough, or
facilities enough for boiling. | always
wash my buckets when gather them, and
gather my spiles and nails when | do my
buckets then go around with pail of
cedar plugs and fill the bit hole-even to
the bark-and find that it preserves my
trees. I cut one this winter and found
the plug and tree all sound.
f. Ridder-The best time TO make sugar
is when the sap runs. | think the main
object TO make good sugar is to have every
thing clean think the nails hurt the trees
rs bad as the bit. | think we can make
nicer sugar to boil but small quantity of
sap before we sugar it Off When sugar is
done 50 it will crack or break on snow ]
consider done enough.
Il. Webster-I think all things should be
clean would use the pod bit, as | think
the screw bit Injuries the tree more than
the pod bit; think we should sugar off
quite often, and that stirred sugar is much
the best TO sell or use.
IVm Ridder--I have sugared since 1921,
but do not pretend to know much about it
now, though think every thing should be
clean, and would use nothing but the pod
bit to tap with have used spiles but do
not like them. 7 do my sugar off so as to
have it dream one gallon Of molasses to the
hundred pounds; practice skimming my
sap when it boils, but think it useless to
skim every time; think we might have
nails made from some kind of composition
that would be much better than iron, as it
is the iron rust that Injuries the tree more
than the hole Of the nail
h. n. Hebster-In my boyhood days we
used TO tap with tapping iron, cut notch
with an axe, then drive in the tapping iron
below the notch, then drive in our big
wooden wedge; it might catch half the sap
and it might not.
WR. Kidder-In ancient days we had
no Coopers; we used troughs to catch our
sap in, and also large ones for holders
corked with tow, and used hollow logs to
put our sugar in.
ID. H. WeJster-Sugar making is a sub
ject that should interest all farmers, as SUI
gar is a very necessary article as well as a
luxury Of life; and | think we should all
take more pains III preserving our sugar
orchards; should try to find out the best
method of tapping our trees so as not to
kill them. ! have known some to tap with
an inch augur, and | think it bad for the
tree. In tapping my second growth trees
| use a half inch bit, bore in three-fourths
to one inch; use wood spOuts made of pine,
which | think much better than tin, es-
pecially for second growth trees, as the tin
spout makes a longer scar than the bit you
tap with. For a number of years | have
practiced having plugs made of cedar, cut
off 50 as to just fill out to the inside bark,
and As | gather my spouts drive them in,
and they will heal over in two or three
years think we cannot take too much care
in keeping our buckets thoroughly cleans
ed gather my buckets as soon as posi-
bic after the last sap is gathered, and with
hot water and brush broom made on pur-
pose wash them clean, turn them over to
dry, and then pack away; the next spring
| scald them before hanging out. There
they gather their buckets and put them
away all sour, and in the spring following
they will wash them, or pretend to- and
the result is, they will find their buckets
half full ofrOapy sap which is fit only fOr
vinegar; think we should have more stor-
age or boiling apparatus so to be prepared
for good run of sap. | have no doubt
that there was more than enough sap vast
ed in this town last year, by running over
buckets, than would make a ton of sugar.
L. b. Hull think the item of sugar
making of great importance to the farmer,
of Vermont, as it is one of the best states
in the Union for that purpose as well as in
many other enterprises We are ahead of
the world in the sheep, the potatOe, anc
in the celebrated Norway oats, and we MAJ
be in sugar making. See the improve
ments that have been made within twenty
years, i'll the use Of the pan, the evaporation
the tin bucket and spout, and all Othe
utensils compared with the old sap trough
axe and gouge, and the kettle between
two logs, with two men to chop wood t
boil as much water as we did sap. NJ
present mode of making sugar is to hav,
everything clean as | would for my milk
and good buckets and holders for my sap
usually tap my trees as soon as it is gooC
sap weather, and begin to boil as soon as /
runs enough to pay to gather. use pot
bit that tapers from heel to point-abOu
of an inch in size at the heel-bore int
the tree one inch, then drive the common
tin spout about inch below the hole an,
into the bark enough to hold it, then driv
my nail Just low enough so ! can put tn
bucket on without hitting the spout gath
er my sap with team, and have woOde
strainer fixed in the hole of the draw-tu
that | run all the sap through when gath
er it, then | have large faucet near tn
bottom through which | run my sap int
spouts which carries it through anothe
strainer into holders standing in the suga
house, and from thence through smal
faucet into the back pan which is set
inches above the front one, then throug
another faucet near the upper edge of tn
back pan into the front one, and both par
keep boiling all the time if / keep decor
fire; so | have no dipping or handling sa
after it is put into the draw-tub. | alway
syrup off every day that / boil and woul
like to sugar off every day if had an e1
ira pan and convenience to do it; thin
syrup does not improve by keeping to
long For the benefit of my trees woul
like nails made from some material thu
will not rust. When / gather my last sa
in spring gather the buckets, nails an
spouts, and wash the buckets clean and pl
them in the sugar house chamber-nt
packed together, but set as we put out par
to dry in the sun-and leave the chambt
door open till they get thoroughly dry.
put dry wood enough in my sugar house
summer or fall for one years use, then a
termy trees are tapped the next spring
do not have very hard time to make 81
gar if the sap runs.
Daniel Taft-I think the best time
make sugar is when the sap runs. thin
we usually tap too early; think spiles Il
best for second growth and tin for old
growth; should take great care in clea
ing our buckets in the spring after we a
done sugaring. Sap should be strain,
before boiling. e
Question for next meeting-To what e
tent is it profitable to use Commercial Fe
tilizers with regard to their cost.
To KEEP SAP FROM BOILING OVER.
G. M. Cowles of Albany, writes us that t
best thing to keep sap from running oy
is beef bone thrown in in place of !
meat, as is the usual practice of sugar ma