The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-05-27
AGRICULTURE.

TAPPING THE MArLE TREE.-~A very
pleasant rs well as profitable feature Of
farming In Stcuben county, n. Y, is
the annual harvesting OF the LIQUID
produce of the maple. 10 the world in
general the process of sugar-making is
comparatively unknown. All agree IN
saying the present has been a good sea-
son tor sugar-making, a cold winter
being necessary to insure q profitable
spring harvest. Then, when the sun
Swings high in theshcaveus, the beds Of
Ice move out Of the streams, and ma
ture's pulse begins to boat, the sugar
maker armed with a half-inch bit, is
seen boring the trees, penetrating very
little under the bark. A metallic sap
spout, with hook attached to hang the
bright tin bucket on, is driven under
the hole, tho trees tapped this way
wasting no sap, and cleanliness being
secured. The first "run" Is the best,
like the head wines, Of the European
vineyards; the sugar that first reaches
the market bringing large price be-
cause Of Its superior quality and flavor
always providing that the unprinci-
pied grOcers does not remelt 1t and add
twO-thirds Of inferior brown sugar,
thereby swelling his profits by swind-
ling his customers and soaring his con-
science. A well regulated sugar camp
has leaders made Of tin or clean wooden
troughs leading to some central point.
The buckets arc empticd into tho lead
crs. and the bush Is drained into huge
receiving tanks or vats. The process
Of boiling is an interesting one. The
boiling-pans should be made of sup' or
Russian iron or heavy copper, with in
side cross partitions. The pans should
be about ten feet long and set in arches
of brick, the cross PARTITION Heing set
three inches apart and open ut alternate
rnus. Thus the sweet water travels
great distance, and over moderate
hte. When it drops from the pans il
Is called syrup, and weighs eleven
pounds to the gallon. The syrup is
carefully strained through hca"v wool
Ell cloths. When thoroughly ,leanscd
it is put In kettles, and this is called
"syrupng down." Two eggs and one
quar- OF milk arc neces "ry In cleans
Ing sixteen gallons Of syrup, heating
slowly over q fire and skimmlng un-
til 1t comes TO boiling point. TO
this is added q small piece Of butter,
when one has superior quality OF
sugar, such as rarely finds it's way into
American markets. The supcrin end
ant OF Agriculture says that DO, 600 900
pounds OF maple sugar is made annually
III the United States.
CURING FRUIT By CoLD.-An oxpcr-
lmenC was made at 4 foundry in Placer
vile, lately In frult-curing, by blasts of
cold air. In this experiment about a
peck Of sliced apples were placed in Il
sieve and subjected to cold air blast
Tor three hours In the cupola furnace
of the foundry. and the fruit IS report
ed to have been completely and bcauti-
fully cured by the treatment, remain
Ing soft without the slightest discoor-
alton. We were about to say dried,
but cured IS a better word, for there
there was none OF that hard, har II, stiff
uryness about 1t which Frequently re-
suits by sm-hcat or flrc-hcnt. The eX-
pertinent was most gratifying success,
and, In our judgment, is fraught with
results Of great Importance to the grow.
ers and manlpulutors of fruit. The
blast of cold air completely frees the
fruit from its excess Of moisture, with
no possibility Of burning or shrivcliug
it. Compared with our Sun-drylng, it
oneots great saving expense, atten-
ton and risk. Anybody who can COM
lnand or devise Il strong blast of cold
air, can dry fruit in a superior--wc
might say pei lfcct--manner, without
being dependent OH the weather and
waiting on the slow process of sun
drying, and without the most eXpcn-
sive resort TO fuel and risk Of ovcrhcat-
ing.
BAD. .FIANORED EGGS.-A bad flavor
IN eggs is the result Of ono or two
causes-cithcr the food on winch the
fowls arc fed, or the substance on
which tho eggs arc laid. This may be
easily tested by shutting up laying
hen, and giving her garlic or matted
barley to eat. Another theory is--but
we cannot speak Of it with the same
ccrtatnty-that an egg laid In any
strong smelling substance will contr
1T. This Is explained by the fact that
the shell, when the egg Is first laid, Is
comparatively soft and imprcssiona6lc,
and only hard after contact with tnc
atmosphere. Let your birds bo whole
somely fed on plain food, and your
nests be made with c;cnn straw. IIay
nests have Il 10 idcn''y to make eggs
t,ste.
a BASE FOR THE COMrOST llEAr.-
There Is no better base for compost
than leaf mould of the forest. All the
dead. animals OF the farm, the refuse
brine and vegetables, the lcached ashes,
tho wooden Tags, feathers of the slaugh.
tered fowls, and hair of the slaugh.
tered hogs should be scrupulously i'd
ded to, the compost heap. II, on enter
ing THE village grocery, you smell old
brine or putrid fish, offer the merchant
TO take the nuisance of his hands. They
will make 4 valuable addition to the
compost heap. If there Is woolen or
paper mill Or a tannery, these cstah-
lishments Will furnish you much valu-
able refuse matter for composing.
1)W DI,En 'rn,,rS 'pI,o ,>,..;n..