Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1873-03-07

portable gathering place, and where trees are
greatly scattered this is the only practicable
plan. Sometimes the sugar house is 90 situ-
ated that the sap can be drawn by means of
a faucet or siphon from the gatherer into the
store tub or sap holder, and this often stands
high enough for the sap to run from II into
the pan or evaporator, and in case an evapor-
ator is used it is necessary that it should thus
stand; but if the land around the sugar
house is level, pump may be used to raise
it from the gatherer into the store tub.
wished few years ago to introduce an evap-
orator, but could not, owing to the situation.
run the sap from the gatherer TO the reser-
voir, so | make pump, the tube being of
boards and about three inches square inside
With this | could easily pump out the tub.
ful, (about lao galons,) in from three to Eve
minutes. l thought before using the pump,
that | should move my sugar house before
another year, but it worked 50 nicely that
gave up the idea. think that there are
many who now dip their sap with pals from
one tub to another, who would find that
simple pump would save much time, many
back-aches, and also sap to some extent
have used for the past three years one Of the
evaporators made at Bellows Falls, and like
it much. 1t has several advantages over the
common pan. With pans the same sap is
boiled over and over perhaps for half day
or day at time before It ia reduced 10
syrup, so that any impurities that it may
contain have chance to become thoroughly
stepped and incorporated with the whole,
while with the evaporator small quantity
at time is quickly converted to syrup. 1t
may be objected that we may syrup down
once every hour or two with pans, if we
please, and thus accomplish the same result /;
and l know one man who does this and makes
excellent sugar, but there is only now and
then man who will take so much pains,
while with the evaporator the same thing is
very easily performed. Another advantage
|
it is cooler, and it can thus better be remov-
ed. think also that there is q saving of
fuel over most kinds of apparatus, and !
k'aorO that it has proved thus in my own case.
Accompanying each evaporatOr is one of
"Guilds Monitor Sap Regulators an in-
genious contrivance designed to regulate the
flow of sap, and keep it constantly at the
same depth in the evaporator. If the depth
of sap in the reservoir we're always the same,
no doubt the instrument would work perfect.
ly, but the pressure is so much greater when
the tub is nearly full that the sap will then
be deeper in the evaporator than when it is
almost exhausted hut little experience
will enable one 50 to gauge the regulator
that he may leave hot fire and feel sure
that the little sentinel will do its duty. There
is also with each evaporator strainer Of
perforated tin to prevent the egress of any
foreign substance from the reservoir but
have found it necessary to lot the sap run
through cloth strainer as it entered the
reservoir, otherwise it would soon become
foul.
The success Of our endeavors to make a
good article of syrup depends much, think,
upon its management after it is reduced to
syrup. 1t is something of question to de-
eide how thick it is best to make the syrup
before letting it cool. If it is designed tc
keep it as maple honey or syrup, it may be
at once reduced to proper thickness, which
is SO that a gallon will weigh when COO
about eleven pounds, and will contain about
eight pounds of sugar. Upon cooling tn,
nitre and other substances will then sette c
ami the syrup can be poured off pure, An
other method, aud one in which am inclined
to think is preferable, is to reduce it tc
about six pounds of sugar to the gallon
settle over night, then heat and skim, thet
boil till thick enough, and settle again a.
before. The nitre is held in solution till the
liquid will contain about eight pounds of su,
gar to the gallon, when it is precipitated
aud can then often be detected in the syrup
and at the bottom while it is boiling, and il
speedily settles when taken from the fire
This will explain why none of the grit wai
obtained by settling the first time, Will,
perhaps quite quantity may be by the sec
ond. Sometimes this substance is scarcel
perceptible in the sugar, and then again i
will be very abundant. Why so much NOR,
is found at one time than at another, | an
unable to say. 1t is somewhat difficult II
the preparation Of maple honey to determine
just when it is thick enough If too thick il
will granulate, and if too thin it will not
keep well but if you get it right it may be
, kept just as nice the year round as when firs
made by bOttling, corking tightly, and put
ting it in a cool cellar. If we design tC
, make sugar it will probably be best to max,
our syrup just thick enough so that the nitr,
J will be pFecipitated, (that is unless we thinl
it most profitable to sell the sugar, nitre anc
all } then settle and strain. Most would say
strain and settle but where an evaporator i
used and the syrup is made as thick as
! have spoken of, have found it more con
venient to reverse the order. think that i
should stand as long as over night befor
; sugaring off, but not much longer, especially
, if the weather is warm. II the syrup i
, pure, no cleansing material need be used
but 1t has been proved to my satisfaction
{ that the whites off eggs beaten with littl
, milk is often beneficial in raising the scum
! and improving the quality of the sugar. Tn
same rules applies to sugarinR off as 10 bo,l