The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-03-22
THE FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
Maple Sugar.

Maple Sugar.
The manufacture of article in New Eng
land, probably arose from the difficulty OF
procuring sugar elsewhere, and without
doubt its production has been increased from
the fact that at the proper season of its man
ufacture, but little else could be attended to.
Although the groves of maple have gone
down with other forest trees before the wood
mans axe, yet its annual product in the
United States has steadily increased, partly
as result of improved methods OF manufdc-
ture, mainly perhaps from the new fields that
have been opened to the current ofpopnlation
that has swept westward. Although quite an
amount of maple sugar is made even as far
south as Virginia and Maryland, Kentucky
and Tennessee, its manufacture is mainly
confined to New England, New York and
Pennsylvania, and what may be termed the
New England states of the west. Without
reference to the statistics of the census, or
regard to precise accuracy of statement, it
one-sixth of the sugar annually made in this
country is from the maple and that its value
Is not far from eight millions of dollars. And
yet in spite of this apparent progress, we pre-
sumo that it cannot be denied that in our
state and perhaps New England, no real
progress has been made either by an enlarge
ment of the area of production or by the gen.
eral introduction of economical and scientific
methods of manufacture. Go into our coun-
try towns, and wherever you see the vacant
farm house and the deserted field, you also
see the groves of naples that formerly crowned
the hills and rocky ridges of an upland town,
or fringed the banks of the stream winding
through an intervale town, have been cut
down; or if suffered to remain, are no longer
used for making sugar. This purely mechan-
ical operation goes down with tie decline OF
Agriculture, and even where improved meth
DDS of husbandry have been introduced, there
is apparent willingness to class this among
the primitive pursuits, the by-gone of pioneer
life, that era of hard work which so severely
tried mems bodies. The sugar making of
hundred years ago and even less, although
not entirely destitute of the romantic element
did not possess many attractions, it was SOL
i'd hard labor, especially for men and beasts
who had just come from winters campaign
In the logging swamp, and who would hardly
have breathing spell before entering upon
he spring. Modern conveniences and i'm
provements however have removed many of
the discomforts and hardships connected with
this rural industry, and by their general in
PRODUCTION the productive capacity of many
township would be enlarged, as well as the
corresponding ability to command more OF
the comforts and enjoyments of life.
For the successful prosecution of this man
ufacture, much depends upon the location of
the trees; and by the way we do not quite
see the proprety of calling grove OF naples
an orchard when that word refers only to trees
bearing fruit; we prefer the old and simple
term-sugar place, as it appears to have
been settled that trees scattered somewhat
over an open field or pasture, produce about
fifty per cent. more than in the crowded for
est, it is important that those who set out
plantation should, avail themselves of this adj
vantage; while those who are limited
to the growth, may modify the I'M
favorable conditions by thinning out
the trees, removing all the underground,
and introducing sheep and cattle; thus
subduing the wildness of the forest. A
partial explanation of the superior prodlc-
tiveness of trees in openings may be, that
they indirectly receive more cultivation; that
theirs is broader exposure to the warming
- - If f1o of ha vida
spreading branches afford more avenues for
the circulation of sap; and thus through these
several agencies the quantity and quality are
increased.
The man is certainly to be envied, who has
an opportunity on some rough or rocky ridge
not far from his dwelling, for planting along
its sloping sides grove of sugar naples, or OF
setting out on the border of his farm, along
the highway, row long drawn out While
hillside location is to be preferred for its
natural conveniences, the upland plain should
not be neglected, nor the level lowland, the
home of the white or river maple, although
not always secure from spring treshets.
As an inducement for persons to improve
and use their neglected sugar places, or to set
out new ones, we may state that it is not I'M
common for the crop of sugar to pay fair in
terest on the original investment, without
any reference to the prospective returns from
the sale of wood and timber, or undertaking
to compute the value of shade and shelter, or
the amount of pleasure derived from such
possessions by all lovers of the beautiful.
Where an opportunity is afforded for choice
of varieties, the rock maple, (dcer sacchari-
NUM- should always be selected instead CT the
red Ia. rubum) or white, Ia. dasycarpunn) as
its sap is nearly twice rs rich in saccharine
matter as theirs, and the value of its wood for
fuel is in the same proportion; while for ship
timber, and also the beauty of finish which
its birds eye growth affords, the Others pos
sess no merits.
The size of trees, rather than their age,
should determine the beginning of the tap
ping; and as small trees give less return
for the same labor, it is as well to pass them
by until they have nearly attained the diam
eter of foot. In spite of adverse magma
tions, it does not appear from actual expert
ment that trees are injured by the flow OF
sap, although they often are by the axes and
tomahawks of rude barbarans; on the con-
trary many a monarch of the forest that has
distilled its liquid sweetness down through
the lifetime of the second and third genera
ton, is yet hale and hearty, and entering
another century with fair and budding prom
Use. The sap which flows from the first
years tapping, is surpassed both in quality
and quantity by the yield of subsequent
years; remarkable fact which has not es-
capped the notice of scientists and practical
men, although apparently beyond the reach
of satisfactory explanation. AS to the mode
of tapping, modern civilization seems to re-
quire that neither the broad or narrow axe
should be used, and that the gouge Of our
Indian predecessors may well be dispensed
with, and the spout only inserted in hole
do how