Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-02-19

camp, ana the juice pOuEeu lnto casks W NC
transferred to the kettle. The boiling is
actively kept up, and the scum which rises
is removed; more sap is added as the liquid
evaporates, till a considerable portion is con-
| verted into thick syrup, when it is cooled
and filtered through wooden cloth. 1t is
| then boiled again in smaller kettle, and
when it has attained the proper consistency
| COR graduating, it is turned into moulds
which are commonly made of birch bark.
| The molasses soon drains away and leaves
| the sugar perfectly dry and hard, of dark
| brown color, and a peculiar pleasant taste.
The juice OF the maple is much more free from
salts and other ingredients than that of the
beet The sugar is mostly consumed in raw
state. considerable quantities being sold in
small cakes and eaten like candy. 1t may be
e .sily refined and. converted INTO the best
white sugar"
Did IL never enter the minds of the pub
| lishers that improvements were possible IN
this art ? or did they think that maple su-
gar was only made by Indians and few back
woods Vermonters who would never see the
.rtlcle in question, and it was not worth
their bile to investigate the subject Who
will enlghten them in season for the revised
ditiou?
| No product Of the farm can vary more IN
qusllty than sugar as made by different men.
Like the human race il is of all shades OF
color, and think that this is one OF the
cases in which prejudice against color Is
| Unsuitable We have all seen maple sugar
| that was nearly as white as loaf 81 .ar, and
| suppose that all would be glad to make
such, but many fall short of it as all will ad-
NIT. | shall not attempt to give set of
rules by which the best sugar can be lntallI-
! bly, produced indeed, | think that could
much more easily give directions for making
poor sugar. The following are few;
/ Let the tubs hang upon the trees or lie
around the sugar-house TWO or three weeks
after sugaring is done, and then if you wash
them at all 40 it with cold water.
Do not sc4ld your store tubs during sugar
ing. or at its close.
Let your sap-gatherer stand on the sled in
/ front of t. sugar-house through the sum-
mer Never Strain your sap, or skim 1t
while it is boiling.
Do not wash your pans from the COM
mencement to the close of sugarlng.
Follow these rules faithfully and the result
is guaranteed
\. B-There are probably other methods
by when the same result may be reached 50
that no one need be very exact about it
II we are determ ned, however, to make
the best article, we have more dlthcult task
before US. Undoubtedly the most important
point is on9 which has been urged repeatedly
by those who have written upon the subject
VIZ: he utmost ire in churnng and keep
1 ing sweet all utensils used in its manufacture
| think that tin buckets are preferable tOl
catching sap to wooden ones, as they are
/ lighter; not as likely to leak have no hoop:
to lose off, and especially as they can bt
more easily and thoroughly cleaned but
good wood tubs if properly cared for may be
kept in good condition TOR many years. A
the close of sugaring they should be imme
dlately and thoroughly scalded out, scrub
blng them with a stiff brush, birch broom, O
something of the kind, and especial pain
should be taken to use not simply asarm bu
hot water (the nearer boiling the better,) il
each tub Then they should again be scald
ed before putting them out IN the spring
and if during the sugar season they are a
any time filed with rain water, it is goo'
plan to scrub them out with as well as ma
be The location of a sugar place may hav
, some influence upon the quality OF the SD
gar produced, and If there are many spruce
or hemlocks to cast their leaves into the sap
it cannot improve it any, AMI 1t is probibl
, that peculIarItIes IN the soil may IN som
ses affect the sugar. Two or three exam
: pies where this was undoubtedly the CASE
have come to my knowledge. In one case
5 pile OF spent tan bark was placed near tt
5 roots OF a maple, and the sap of that TIRE
= became Of the color of weak lye, but ate
: wards IL was removed and the sap has sln(
: appeared to be pure. In another case whic
5 came under my own observation, the sap W;
[ evidently affected by impure substances
p or on the sol but making allowance for a
e this. I think that much OF the difference
= sugar Is 10 the making.
: Mkt in regard to tapping the trees: Wh'
0 our fathers and grandlathers first commence
5 to make sugar IN Vermont, trees were
c plenty that NJ pains Was taken In tappl'
5 them to preserve their lives. The axe W
: the instrument invariably used, and tn
e with no sp4rlng hands. Ia some OF o
d older sugar orchards its marks may stlll
s So en- upon trees which somehow managed
d survive sucn abuse, while more modern sea
e have long since faded from view; but by G
n grees as the number OF trees grew less
J. more prudent course was adopted, though
If first il was supposed that the quantity
le sap would decrease in proportion to the s
/
1t s,zs was still further decreased, till now nj
r farmers in this vicinity use bit OF from
u to 5-o OF an inch in diameter, and L kn
le IT one man who has used a IA inch GIN
in bit. which he claims is just as good a
70 larger one.
Is never have put more than one spout t.
10 tree, except in rare Instances, and TN
ct that in tapping small trees 1T is well to BIZ
n l.t. t,, 10 the at The
BIT ueight each year, as the tree is often grea
ar weakened by such course.
a OF sp0uts | have used good many kin
| | like Posts Eureka spout as well as al
be It saves drI. ing "a nail Into the tree, VII
r. of.en makes nearly as bad wound as
he box ITSELF The wound does not dry up
Fl badly as where tin spout is used, nor d
ar it conduct so much rain water into the t
t.? Recently many have used turned Woo
spOuts, and profess to like them much,
de alter using some OF them for one year, |
ri carded them, for the reason that did
&c OBTAIN more than three-lOurtbs as much
"a as from other trees side by side where
n tin or Eureka spout was used. Some b
ey uble ted to the Eureka spout that it was
Ter hcult to draw 1t from the tree, and | fO'
he II SO till | learned how to do it. By pull
6, I upwards DIT uTHL IL Ctu usually Dc SAbTdC
t. nearIy as easily as tin spout; but if
IA tails slight tap with hammer on the
he der side is sure to start it. If nails are u
7ed to hang tubs on they should be rather st
$ and t1lck, and should taper quickly
ash point from all four OF the sides. Some
tie them with wed ee-formed points, but tt
Lad are almost sure to turn around and split
the wood.
sap For gathering sap there are two nett
it'll which are prlncT ally practiced in tt
oes parts, the situation governing for the L
ing part the choice between the two. BY
trg first method receiving tubs are placed n
'OSe rlOus parts CT the sugar orchard into VI
the sap is gathered and is conducted the
ave to the boiling place by spouts. A few
in cylindrical tin sPouts from one TO TWO III
ub- in diameter for their main spouts, but
Ii. nave the sawed wooden ones The tin sn