Litchfield enquirer., 1876-06-22
MAPLE STGAR.

0~~@~@@~S
 h Re western part of Ontario and in the eaztem townships of Quebec the s~r Hzple plentffully abounds, and -kagaring" H the event of spring. Early In Esrch, if one happens to be in the n%ighbuTAOOd of sugar bush, he may ses p1s Cf sugar trUughs and buckets s@d@gufmg a course of securing. HakzAe1 are sharpened and expeditions ars tzksa tO the bush to shovel the caI- druns 0st of the snow and pile wood RsartAe s1te of the proposed fires. Then on nthe Grst day when they think the sap S Eely tO run, the troughs and buckets arc PSto on . long sledge, drawn by one huEss- The oldest and quietest beast in the sEahAe Is generally chosen and the aezxa6 E1de. The business-like proprie- taE geaeEzIly heads this excursion by gs@g forwxrd with hatchet and a bag f9lof spoatz, shaped like half water upo@3 ana sharp pointed at one end. In sa@e czss bits of scooped tin are used, bu& wo0d is eskeemed better. He strikes two aAazp transverse blows on the back of eT@zy third tree, at about his own h<SgA& abuve the base, and after inserting aRgus below this fncision a man on the G8s3 Fsmces a packet under it, and fol- bs1 gmEd all the trees are tapped within xAe esEra h the meantime, while the szRF@g i g0Sng oa, fires are built, the e.Aars@s age adjusted and every sAzg @.asready for boiling down the @n
 FEtAs better understanding of those wAs kzEe never been in sugar bush I VII 5=suzbe the process as I have seen E The b@<h speak of contained some kx@&Sas of szgzr naples. Three large Erz were built close by each other. Over kAe Erx4 wzs fixed caldron capa- kGsef hs63iag between two- and three kExr@ss 0E szps over the second and SEa wer~ sm.ller kettles holding a bar r<1 eaxA Ths last twO were in line for tks bsE=ss convenience of Iadling. When the szP reaeAsd boiling heat it Vas sMRkS~a Eso the second smaller caldron, and wA<a boiling well in this second k<k<5s wzs EsdIsd cut by means of a dip- Psx fzzssasd to a long pole into the SAzr3 kssx1e. the three. in fact, represent mg tA& three degrees of comparison kzS hskteg. kcktest-for while the first wzs bgEEng khs second boiled madly, and EAs tAird EnzAedsup to q white froth. whsa Gss running from the tree the szR 2 ensog Is white, like water, thin, al- mnzs tMsselesz. and if drunk freely will PrS9@es Eazssa- Upon the second boiling tA@ sap bscU@ss s dingy yellow, but wAsa tAs process is completed it is as wAae ss loaf sugar. Upon the third huE@gs when the sap is reduced one- tAkr1 E Heanied from the bush to the ks@sa t0 be stEzined and cleared with @@. wATEe of an egg or other clarifers, ~rrssdzg Co the faEOrite recipe, and af- teT 9gzia boE1ing t is turned into vats to A@ sezzsd for sOft sugar or into shapes faw ea&ES- The 6rst sap taken from the trees @akes the whitest sugar, and after Ares o< f0aR days running it is gener- azy made into -nOlasses. The last sap mMkes fAs best vinegar known.
 he slgsf season varies in length, ss@&Gf@es I1Sting not more than s week sn2 aa eEAer seasons much longer. ErgAt thawing days and frosty nights m&&R tAs best season. A great deal of Ae boSll2g is done at night and there gre fsw pE~tsier sights than one of these h<gs szgzr bushes presents. The pie Szrs @eaaas the glowing fires under the eaA4rua. w7th the figures moving about tAe@-@ea weEking in their shirt sleeves the wU@<n in their short striped flannel ssemss and jackets stepping about the cleared spOs encircling the fires; few wA@ are eG duty sitting upon stumps of f12zg kgs near bys and away in the Sas<xzre. bS<wee1 the trunks of giant trs@&s s80kAer station. which seems but she re2sc3ioa of the one we are near To thR uniateres*ed and impractical wSa9 tAe dszagreeahle aspect of wet feet and arshAAsd clothes will first present it. me1 h~a s*O1t home spun flannel or tAs<& wi@c<ys and stout boots are the ap- FarsA for these occasions. And to the w78 eoweF g&therers this season is the @zssS pleasant for botanical searchers.