Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-03-12

or Improbable II give brief sketch Of his
manner Of manufacturing this, one of Yer
mont's most important staples.
In the first place allow me to say that MIR.
Foster is not Of TINT class who conduct any
part Of their business in fancy manner, for
he is eminently practical. ] found him up
on the trunk OF large tree with axe in
hand, preparing fuel for the coming season,
aud when l remarked that he had attained
great success in the art OF sugar making he
SIMPLY replied that no was continually MAX
ing now discoveries and was far from per-
lection.
His orchard is in the town of Cabot and
not very warmly located, but is rs clean n
wood lot rs ono need desire to look upon.
There is not n soft wood tree in the sugar
place, nor decayod tree of any Kind about
the promises. Everything in and about the
works is MS neat and tidy rs the door. yard of
the most systematic farmer.
Instead OF being compelled to drive his
gathering team in certain roads, rs most
sugar makers do, he can 60 anywhere with
perfect safety. The health and thrift of the
naples themselves almost seem to gauran-
tee nice article Of sugar, but tho same
thoroughness and cleanliness that charac-
terizes MFR. Fosters sugar orchard is carried
through every department of sugar making.
lie taps two thousand trees, just so many
every year, for he has Just that number of
buckets and none arc ever up for repairs or
used for other purposes. lie uses the wood.
on tub, larger at tho top. preferring them to
tin. These two thousand buckets are so
nearly alike that the casual observer would
discern no difference, and all are painted
both on the outside and the inside. Some
might object to paint on the inside of a
bucket on account OF the liability of damage
to the sap, but Mr.. Foster says that although
while the bucket is new the sap tastes of the
paint, this all disappears in the process of
boiling and that were he to paint his tubs
only on one side that should be the inside,
for the reason that sap in an Imprinted tub
takes all tho impurities Of the timber and
soaks into the pores of the wood 10 sour by
heat.
A groove is made IN stave under the up
per hoop on the opposite side from the lock
for the head of the nail, which though n
small thing is n decided improvement upon
tho many met hods in use for holding the
bucket to the tree. In passing through the
entire sugar place saw not bucket on the
ground, nor one that leaked. In the first
place these tubs are thoroughly made, and
In the next place, they nre carefully handled,
never being packed together for the sake OF
convenience In distributing or gathering.
When Mr.. Foster collects his tubs they are
thoroughly cleansed and packed away with
bottoms upwards, but when he takes them
out in the spring he only brushes out the
dust that may have gathered in them.
The unusual thrift of this sugar-orchard is
accounted for in large measure by tho
manner in which it is treated in tapping. A
small bit is used, with round tin spout
slightly larger than the hole, which sticks
in the outer edge of the bark. The nail used
is short and nicely made. After sugnring,
the spouts and nails are all gathered and
Strengthened. No axe is used to hew of the
bark as is the usual custom where much
damage is done by cutting through. Tho
nails and spouts being removed allows the
wounds to readily heal and generally the
aperture is entirely covered in the space oil
three years time.
But was the most interested In the process
of manufacturing sap into sugar. The team
passes through the orchard every day when
the sap runs Mt all, and the sap Is immodi-
Rtely converted into honey or sugar. There
is no waste in handling rs the drawing tut
Is drawn upon elevated platform from
which the zap passes through strainer into
receiving tubsinside the sugar house, W he ncc
1t again passes through u feeding tub and the
boiling apparatus. This consists of an evap-
orator and nine pans IN three arches, three
pans zach. These pans are connected with
n pipe and are fed by an iron pipe that passes
through tho fro beneath the middle pan and
discharges into 1t sap Mt a boiling heat.
The capacity of this apparatus is 500 lbs
per day. The sugar house proper IL very
rude structure. but every thing about it pre-.
sents an appearance Of neatness that in {
great measure accounts for the genuine mn.
pie taste Of the sugar manufactured here
But in one little corner there Is finished a
little room for the strip and sugar, all plas-
tered and painted and kept as tidy as the
dining room Of the most fastidious house
keeper.
Mr.. Fosters sugar and honey has acquired
such n reputation that for the most part he
sends it direct to market on orders. His SUI
gar Is put up in nice tubs, holding about
thirty pounds, made for the purpose. ms he
has no ungainly, unsightly, leaky things t.
thus dispose Of rs many sugar-makers do.
Also he has tin pals with cover and bail
holding ten pounds. which retail at 30 pei
pail. His honey is put up in quart bottles
aud ten-pound tin cans which retail ut fit,
cents and one dollar and fifty cents respect
lively.
This is the way that one of the best sugar
makers In Vermont manufactures an article
that ranks among the first of her yearly pro-
auctions, and it would he useless to say that
he who buys this kind gets the genuine SUI
gar Of the maple, UHmized.
While was in Mr.. Fosters sugar house
he sugared of batch that he put into tut
with fancy cover, which he called his pre-
MUM tub and after the New England fair |
noticed that A. NJ. Foster,of Cabot, drew the
only premium on maple honey, which proves
what can be done when u man has definite
object in Wow and goes to work practically
to perfect system.
speak Of this at this time because it will
be hut few days before our farmers will
be actively engaged in sugar making. On
state produce about 10, OOO, 900 pounds Of sug,
mr. annually, which makes it one OF our lead
ing Industries, and yet the majority of those
engaged In its manufacture SEQ but little
pleasure or profit in it. The reason is obvi
Gus. They do not make the most oft. ThOy
spoil their trees, waste their sap and make
a third rate article. If the sugar makers oil
Vermont would make the art lucrative and
pleasurable, let them initiate the example oil
one who finds market unsought, for 5000
pounds at AN average of fifteen cents per