Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1873-03-07
Reported tor the VERMONT FARMER,
EAST ST. JOHNSBuRY FARMERS
CLUB,


CLUB.
Subject OF discussion Friday evening, Feb.
ass " Making Maple Sugar"
X. Risley: conference.-the subject of
discussion this evening is sugar making, and
rs consider this business which occupies
many of the farmers of Vermont for a brief
period in early sping very pleasant and de-
ightful one, should like the privilege of
saying few words upon the subject bofor u
ms. said our sugar making was very pleas
ant business. but will not omit To say that
it also requires great deal of hard work,
especially with such depth OF snow to con-
tend with rs we have the prospect of at pres
ent. hardly think, as a general thing, 1t
pays much profit with the present high price
of labor and rather depressed state OF the
sugar market. Large and well furnished
orchards are AN exception. of course, and
will pay rs we'll rs any part of farmers
capital at the present time. In the future
| think this viii be very remunerativc bus
mess Maple honey, for which nothing can
he substituted, is gong to bc more appreci-
nted and the demand for it will constantly
increase. | would recommend tapping ear
~ so AS to be sure of the first run, for sugar
made late in he season is II very inferior
article. believe il is generally admitted
| that tin buckets are best in every respect for
catching the sap, but rs those having wooden
ones cannot easily dispose of them, they will
probably still continue their use. put moth
ing in to purify my syrup, just boil down the
sap the quickest and cheapest way possible
under the circumstances, and usually make
fair quality Of sugar. Every farmer hav-
| ing sufficient naples should make sugar for
his own use, Mt least.
| J. &. Hovey: The maple sugar made in
| Vermont is u great item, and saves vast
amount of money that would otherwise go
into foreign countries Probably there is
nothing In which farmers use so little skin
as in making their sugar. | can romonl Der
how our fathers and grnndfathers used to
conduct their sugar business. Their nipple
ments consisted of n tappingiron, sap-yoke
and pals, wooden troughs and few old
cracked iron kettles strung mp on n polc.
Since then there has been n steady improve
ment Of utensils until now, and with the cX-
periencc Of others for long timeswc are
able to make much better article than
formerly Sap is naturally rs pure MS any
thing can be and will of course make good
sugar ifkept so; and in order to do this We
must have suitable vessels to hold it, II
was going to buy II farm with a sugar or
chard on it, | would not ask n man to throw
in set OF wooden buckets | would moi
accept the gift and be Obliged to use them, fol
| could DO better. In the first place they are
too bulky to transport through the sugar or
chard, and II Is great deal Of work Ia gc
them out, and cooper them for use. Ther
again they cannot be kept clean, ms all the
pores of the wood will be filed with soureC
sap which will sour NIL that runs into 1t I'm
less the weather Is very cold. If any of you
can sugar with the thermometer below
the freezing point you will escape this oh
lection. | had 700 trees furnished with
wooden buckets, and three years ago sol,
them Iconsider what money got forthen
so much clear gain, for If ! had given then
away should be better OFF to day than if
3 had continued their use. There is grea
amount of needless waste among sugar ma
. kefS, III we were rs Saving vi our sap hn'
fuel rs our wives are in picking up paper
rags it would amount to great deal Sal
r is wasted and trees injured by driving nail
f into the trees to hang the buckets on. Their
have been spouts invented to prevent this
3 and the best kind have seen is the Pos
spout. The only objection with these is,
is slow tapping with them. Also woodel
3 sap holders arc objectionable on account q
e their tendency to sour the sap, Tho bos
!, holder ever saw is n hole dug in the groun
y ON some side hill near the sugar house int
. which you pour the sap, not neglecting how
= ever, first to thoroughly cement ii. yer
important requisiton, In tapping think
r half or three-eighths Bit is large enough, an
# will produce just rs much sap rs a two inc
N anger hole. do not agree with our seer,
. tary m tapping early except in warm place
Think the holes are too apt To dry up. u
y not wish to exhaust the subject rs ! am e,
Q pected To read paper un this topic AZ ii
II Festival