Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1875-03-15
2fsricrdtirral department
MAPLE SUGAR MAKING.

~ SAPcLAShOS hao uSfClOpeu oOHe
facts in the production of maple strip
or sugar which might, ifobserved, prove
beneficial to some. First of all is clean
Illness No matter what sort the fixtures
in use may be, without this, good strip
or sugar is not made Metallic fixtures
are the best and least apt to sour.
Nearly every article used in connection
with sugar making can and should be
made Of non.corroding and non.dissolving
materials Wooden buckets are imper-
feet and cumbersome. and besides are
liable to sour. Sap spouts made of
wood. especially, are more liable to sour
than any other article used in the bush,
and are generally least looked after.
When sour sap is found in the buckets
it will be where wooden spouts arc
used. Some sugar makers have been
testing earthcn crooks in place of
buckets, because they cost but little on
the start, but find by breakage and in
convenience they are soon done away
with, and good tin buckets usually take
their place. The practice that some
have of resting their buckets upon the
snow or ground is wasteful one. The
sap lost by the overturning of buckets
if saved would soon amount to enough
to procure what are called the Eureka
sap spouts with bucket hangers attached,
made by C. G. Post of Burlington, the
most complete and perfect article for a
sap spout and bucket hanger ever used.
My experience with them the past three
years has satisfied me that their expense
issaved every year by the increased flow
of sap over any other l ever used, and
this is the fact generally observed by all
who use them. In my opinion no one
article used in the production of maple
sugar needs any more pains in cleanh-
ness than the sap spouts, which, in gen.
eral have the least notice.
For gathering sap, large tub hold
ing three barrels, made about three and
a half feet high, three feet in diameter
at the bottom, and two feet four inches at
the top should be used. The upper
head should have hole cut through
large enough to empty into or dip out of
with pail. This hole can be cut after
the tub is made, with key hole saw,
and should be sawed quite beveling
The piece taken out, by fastening to it a
six-inch strip with screws TO prevent
splitting. will make tight cover, and
By three buttons it is secured to the tub.
This tub should be made from old pine.
free from sap, hoped with iron and we'll
painted. Near the bottom u large nor
lasses gate may be fitted for drawing
sap into pals. This tub firmly fastened
upon short bob-sled, to be drawn by a
horse. makes q complete gathering rig
10 make good strip or sugar, sap should
be boiled as quick as possible after it
leaves the tree, as it soon begins to deter
iorate. The boiling apparatus. whatever
sort is used, should be of sufficient ca
pacity to boil as fast as the sap will run.
] find the Cook" principle for evapora-
ting the best and most rapid. This pan
Is made with channels running trans
versely across the pan. The particular
advantage ! find in this pan is that a
smaller amount of sap is over the fire at
time, and is boiled more rapidly. This
gives the sirup or sugar a very clear OIL
light color rendering itmore marketable
When the ordinary pan is used, it should
have more capacity than those more gen.
orally used. The shape of the arch a;
well as that Of the pan has much to dc
with rapid boiling. A long arch is bet
ter than wide or nearly square one
For 800 trees would make an arch IL
feet long and about 30 or 80 inche.
wide, walls % inches high. The front
end should have good sized iron door
about - by 20 inches, and on a leve
with the bottom of the door gate-bars
should extend backward about four feet
and should be placed crosswise of the
arch. At this point should be a eros,
wall as high as the CRATES; under the
CRATES should be an ash-pit ten or twelve
inches deep. Under the door a hole
sixteen inches wide should be left foi
raking out the ashes. No draft should
be left open through the door above
The space back of the CRATES to tn,
chimney should be left open for all a
low down as the bottom of the arch
never tli in with anything. An arch s,
constructed will cause sap in the bacl
end of the pan to boil quite as rapidly
as In the front end To save fuel ant
heat damper should always be PLACED
at the bottom Of the smoke pipe or chin
ney. The length Of wood for an arcl
50 constructed should be about thre,
feet. It is economy to have the arch il
good sugar house, and for fuel plent,
Of dry wood in store. Place the suga
house upon side hill where it is con
venient; by this arrangement the sal
may be run in spout from the gather
ing tub into the store and feeding.tu
and save much dipping and carrying wit
pals. Heavy tin makes the best gath
ering pals. They should be mad