The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-03-22
The Sugar camp.

Tho storage of sap has always been q
very pcrpexing question from tho fact
that leakage is the serious fault with nearly
every variety of tank made Of wood. The
vat has many objections not only from its
size, but the liability Of the plank shrink
ing and warplng and about half the work
or the first run is TO caulk the storage. In
our camp we have l7.barrcl tub, made
OF slaves, but the swelling and shrinking
is very open objection, and always will
be. The underground cistcrn, while very
cheap and permanent has this against it
that the sap has to be pumped up, involv-
ing much extra labor
With evaporatOrs comes q demand for a
continuous flow of sap from the storage
which in this case h"s to be placed few
inches from the top Of the cvaporator, and
all lifting sap is thus avoided. The occa-
sional filling of the pans and consequent
coeling of the sap rctards the boiling, and
is no benefit to the quality of the product,
All things considered, the galvanized iron
tank, made in circular form, with diam
ctcr of about five feet and about the same
height, is the most durable, satisfactory
and economical tank. If properly cared
tor and kept from rusting, such a tank,
costing about 81 per barrel, will last tor
years, and will not leak, which is u source
of comfort ut least.
The gathering tank can be made Of wood
OF iron; either will do, rs the former can
easily have its hoops tightcncd in moment.
In either case the size should not exceed
100 gallons. The height should not exceed
three feet, and the upper head should be
set down six inches inside the chimes. A
hole can then be cut in the center of the
head, ahd the use of Il funnel will thus be
dispensed with Il coniCul srancr can be
inserted, and the leaves, etc. will thus be
prevented from getting into the sap. TO
unload--lhc sugar house should be butt
on side hill SO as to have everything
''work down hill" to prevent l,fting-thc
dump should be SO high that the bottom
OF the gathering tank will be higher than
The storage, and the unloading cun then be
done eXpedl!iously by the agency of Il short
piece OF half-inch hose. In the top OF the
storage should be placed a box filter into
which the end Of the hose can be put, and
when the sap is cmptied from The gather
ing tank it Is delivered about a3 pure as
possible.
No article phys a better return for the
outlay than heater which passes the SAP
from the storage to the cvuporator in a
OI
the sap from one to another rather hastcns
the operation. There are many devices
for this purpose, but The most simple con-
trivance. and fully az satisfactory as uuy.
is to take one and a half inch gus pipe sui
fciently long to extend through the length
OF the arch and protrude at each end If
the arch is made rs we described, the pine
can lay on the upper course of brick near
4tHG H1 will In <,r a.,
way OF the wood One end can be con-
nected to tho storage by short piece of
hose, with the Md of couple OF angle
couples and short piece of similar plpc to
hook over the cd:,c OF the pan. A wooden
faucet will regulate the quantity of SAP.
The whole will cost perhaps 81, and will
10 splendid service. When the storage is
empty, dctach the hose from lie pipe, 20
round TO the other end Of the arch, pull the
pipe out and lay it aside until again want
ed. AS the pipe holds a quantity of sap
and halfinch stream is probably all that
can be boiled, it will be readily seen that
the sap comes into the cvaporator boiling
hot.
Our experience is never TO use but one
spout to bucket, and never Tap over.
When sugaring is about half over, pull the
spout out, anu when the next run comes
tap the tree on tho other side. If the tree
Is large one, and carries two buckets,
bore the new hole foot or two away, and
we give it our opinion that tho result will
be fully as satisfactory rs to use two spouts,
and trimming over the holes occa. ionaIly.
Lastly, all things being equal, II good
wooden spout is as good as Il tin one, but
the tin one being lighter, easier kept clean,
and in other ways quite as good, get tin
ones, and still more lastly, wash out your
buckets, whether tin or wood, at least
twice during the sugar season, with lime
water.