The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1870-02-09
The Map Crop.

We find in, the last number of the The
american AgracultSgsSt an interesting article
on "maple sugar making" which describes
and illustrates all the latest improvements
made in the apparatus for, and methods of
making maple sugar. The maple sugar
interest is larger than would be supposed in
the absence of investigation. By referring
to the census of 1860, we find its production
in the United States put down at upwards
of forty millions pounds. The largest maple
sugar producing States are Indiana, 81, 541,-
761; Massachusetts, 81, 006, 078; Michigan,
GA, O51,822; New Hampshire, 92,255, 012;
New York, G10, ,419; Ohio, 93, 345, 508;
Pennsylvania, 92,767, 435; Vermont, &c.
877,781; Wisconsin, 81, 584, 451; Virginia,
$685. 1873.
Maple sugar is the crop of many of our
mountaineers. The time for tapping the
trees is late in February after a general
thaw, or any time in March. The directions
for tapping, as given in the Agricultuast,
are as follows: "Take your half-inch bit,
set in good bit stock, select sound side
of the tree, where there are no old holes yet
unhealed, and bore about two feet from the
ground, or as low as you can without having
the curve of the roots interfere with the
hanging of the bucket Bore about two
inches deep, drive your spite firmly, hang
your bucket so that the top of the outer
edge shall be on a level with the bottom of
the Spite hole. If you have more buckets
than trees, you can put two buckets to each
thrifty tree. See that the Spite is driven
firmly, put the cover on, and 60 to the next
tree. Tapping requires judgment and care.
A needless hand will bore holes in poor
place, and hang half the buckets so that
they will waste sap. A good hand will tap
thirty trees to the hour where the trees stand
thick. Two men, one boring and the other
driving, hanging and covering, will do more
than twice as much as one. You must be
wide awake now, for if it is good day, the
trees first tapped will need gathering by the
time you have tapped five hundred trees. I"
The tree should not be injured in tapping
Each tree will yield from one to four gallons
of sap in twenty-four hours. On the average
twenty quarts of sap will make one pound
of sugar, and each tree will produce from
three to four pounds of. sugar, annually
Very large trees will produce eight or ten
pounds. The sugaring season usually lasts
from four to six weeks, and until the buds
of the tree begin to swell vigorously, when
the sap diminishes in quantity and quality.
The sap is boiled for twelve or fifteen hours,
fresh sap being occasionally added, when the
whole reaches the consistency of syrup, in
which form much of it is used for domestic
purposes. The syrup is then strained and
put in kettles holding from eight to ten gal
Ions each, when it is again kept boiling for
about two hours Some makers pour into
each kettle full of syrup about one pint Of
new milk to assist in clarifying.) During
this process the impurities rise to the surface
and are carefully skinned off. When the
syrup has boiled sufficiently to "grain" we'll,
it is allowed to partially cool stirring con-
stantly) and is then poured into pans OF
moulds, when it becomes the maple sugar of
commerce.
Many of our readers in Western and
Southwestern Virginia will we doubt not be
interested, if not instructed, By the above
facts. The frequenters of our mountain
watering places and all the young people
take warm interest in this crop.-Rich-
m0nd Whaq. 4R