Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-02-19
2fsriculf,tral Department
I. d. R. COLLINS Editor.
HINTS ABOUT SUGARING.

AS the time has nearly come around
again when we shall have to prepare
for sugaring, we would make few sug-
gestions to those of our readers who are
so fortunate as to have sugar orchard.
1t is with maple sugar making just as
it is with butter making, in one respect
Care enough is not exercised in the pro-
cess of manufacture by large proper
tion of those engaged in making it, and
the consequence is, there is large guam
tity made that is very inferior in quail
ty. Some believe that the location has
much to do with the quality of sugar
produced, and we are not prepared to
say. that it has not some influence, but
we are satisfied that the method of MAX
ing has much more influence on the quail
ity of the product, than location. We
have made sugar in various locations;
on high and dry lands, where the tim
Der was all hard wood, and principally
maple; in places where there was a
mixed quantity of hard and soft. wood,
and also on low, moist lands We have
also used almost all the different styles
of implements employed in its manufac-
ture, from the trough of fir and five
pail kettles hung in row upon a ''lug
pole to the nice new cedar bucket 1--WE
have never used tin buckets) and the
modern sugar evaporator; and though
the product has of course varied with
the different implements, we have always
succeeded in making good, clean article
in all those different localities and with
tie different implements used. We have
proved in our experience that two things
are necessary to be observed in order to
make good article. First, and most
important, is cleanliness in all the details,
and second, boil the sap as soon as pos
sible after it runs from the tree. We
will give our present method of proceed
ure, by which we have been able to pro-
duce an article that, without any "doc-
toring," simply made into wet tub sugar
and then drained, is about the color of
refined Coffee A sugar. This sugar has
sold readily the past season, in wet or
undrained state, for ten to twelve cents
per pound, while a common article has
gone hard at six to eight cents. Last
year we sold our sugar for fifteen cents
cash and could not supply the demand
for it, This is simply to show that it
pays best to make a good article, and
that there is always a better demand for
such an article than for an inferior one.
We are confident that with tin buckets
we could make still nicer article; they
can so much more easily be kept sweet
and clean than wooden ones, but having
a good stock of the latter on hand we
have not thought it advisable to put them
aside and purchase tin. When we close
up our sugaring for the season, we gath.
er UP the tools and wash them thorough.
L, afterwards Scaldimg each bucket with
clean hot water, then pack them away
in a dry, clean place, 1--WE put them in
the loft of the sugar house, The holders
syrup tubs, pals, &C., are all treated il
the same way. When we commence OPP
erations in the spring we take the buck
cts and examine each carefully, putting
on new hoops where needed, and agar
give them a thorough washing and scald
ing. If old and much soured in thu
wood, scald first in strong lime water
then in clean water All the other i'm
plements are treated in the same way
In tapping we use half inch pod bit anC
fiat metallic spout-heavy tin being tn,
) best. Bore from three fourths Of an incl
to one and a half inches deep, according
to size of tree. Many injure their tree
very much by boring too deep, withou
; getting any more sap. We put but on
| spout to bucket and one bucket to
; tree, as the quantity of sap drawn iron
: one point will be all the tree can vel
spare and remain healthy and vigorous
In case Of very large trees two buckets
/ on opposite sides of the tree may no
| materially injure it.
To be continued.