The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1870-03-08
agricultural department.
CONDUCTED BY ALBERT CHAPMAN.
Maple-sugar Making.

As the sugar season approaches, it may
be of some interest and advantage to
those net acquainted with the process to
give a brief outline of the method of
making that staple article; and even to
those experienced in the business,perhaps
some hint may be given which will be Of
advantage.
The manufacture of maple sugar is an
important branch of farming in the States
of Vermont and New Hampshire, and is
carried on to considerable extent in
some other States. Vermont, l believe,
takes the lead, ranking first in the manu-
facture of maple sugar and only second in
the manufacture ofsugar. The season begins
usually about the twentieth of March and
continues three or four weeks, though it
sometimes happens that an unusually good
season does not extend over a period of
more than two weeks. We had such a
season last spring. Sap flowed we'll nearly
every day for ten or twelve days and
then stopped, giving US chance to at
tend to other spring work. Such sea-
son is greatly to be preferred over one
continuing much longer, with now and
then good rum" claiming our atten-
ton after we ought to be at work on the
land, even though more sugar is made in
the long season.
| prefer tin over wooden tubs for two
reasons They are more easily cleaned
and more conveniently handled. 1t is
indispensable that the tub should be per-
fectly sweet and clean if nice white sugar
is the object 1t is impossible to keep
sap in dirty or sour tub, even for few
hours, without its becoming tainted and
more or less colored. Tin tubs, properly
made, slide into each other so that twenty
FIVE to thirty may be carried about the
the sugar-orchard by hand, while tapping,
while not more than half this number of
wooden ones could be carried. With
proper care, tin may be made to last as
long as wooden ones. The seams outside
and inside should have q coat of paint, to
prevent rusting
| shall not agree with the MIRROR in
recommending open metallic spouts. The
objection is, that the hole, being exposed
to the sun and wind, sooner gets dry,
checking the flow of sap, than when pro-
tected by the wooden spout driven in
sufficiently to hold the tub and sap. No
prudent man, who cares for the future
well-being of his sugar lot,will drive nails
into his trees. This is "relic of barbar-
ism" which should speedily follow to OBJ
livion the ancient custom of choking" to
obtain sap, i. e.. cutting large notch six
to eight inches long and two or three deep.
Improvement is the order in sugaring as
we'll as in other things, and among other
improvements ! recommend the wire hook
for hanging the tub, one end being bent
about the spout, close to the tree, the
other end turned up to 90 through small
hole under the rim of the tub. Any far
mer can make these at triAing cost, as
also he can the wooden spout.
There are variety of opinions as to
the proper-sized bit for boring trees, the
size varying from one-fourth-inch to one
inch. | think, taking all things into con-
sideration, five-eights is as near right rs
We can get. 1t seems that the flow oil
sap is not in direct proportion to the size
and depth of the hole,t reason of which
have not yet been able to learn. l pre-
sumo some botanist can enlightsn me.
1t is getting to be quite customary to
have the boiling apparatus near the house
This | consider an improvement, as
frequently the tending Of the evaporation
does not require ones whole time, ant
other kinds of work can be done,or repair
ing tools. Old rails, posts and rubbish
can be used for fuel, which could not
conveniently, if the works were situated
in the woods. A hauling tub, made fol
the purpose, should be used to gather th'
sap with. The size should be adapted t.
the "lay of the land" varying from three
to six barrels. The bottom should b.
much larger than the top, 20 that it will
sit firmly upon the sled, upon which it i
fastened with chains and twisters. |
should be made Of thoroughly seasoned
pine or spruce, one and one.fourth inche
thick, and bound with heave iron hoops
The head should be set four inches belov
the top of the .t,ves, for convenience il
pouring in sap, and should have hole ii
it large enough to admit gathering pail
cakes of ice, &c. 1t should have a larg
faucet at the bottom.
Kettles for boiling have been suppressed
ed by sheet-iron pans of various Sizes
The arch upon which the pans sit shout
be arranged so as to save ali the hea
possible. The syrup, after being boile
to proper thickness, is strained, an
allowed to stand till it settles, then
carefully poured from the sediment an
"sugared Off in a smaller pan, usual
set on the cook stove in the house.
Sugar time is busy, but not unplea'
ant, variation to the farmers routine, AN
he considers fifty or one hundred dollar
earned at this season, "clear gain )" viii
to the children who revel in the liqui
sweet, it is "the happiest time of all tn