Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-03-18
Agricultural.
MAPLE SUGAR-GLUooSE.


Maple hugar-Makers' Association.
We are now in the midst Of the maple SUI
gar season. On many Vermont farms the
sugar place is one of TIE best sources Of prof
ii. In no other state is the climate and soil
better adapted to this product. No other
state, as is now well known, produces so large
a quantity of maple sugar. According to
area, no other state makes one.fourth part as
much. Nearly one-third of all the maple su-
gar manufactured in the United States is made
in Vermont.
There should be better demand for our
sugar coming direct from the hands Of the
farmer, for the reason that it is now almost
impossible to procure cane sugar, molasses,
syrup, or sugar of any kind or in any form,
that comes from wholesale dealers or the large
refining establishments, not adulterated with
glucose. Maple sugar and syrup sent out of
the state comes back to us in various forms,
largely increased in quantity by the addition
of glucose Prof. Sabin of Burlington col
lege says that no maple syrup, so called, can
be purchased at the Burlington groceries,
which is not composed in large part of glu-
cose.
AS glucose can be manufactured from corn
for about three cents pound, manufacturers
ond dealers have q chance to do a profitable
business at the expense of purchasers. A
sure way to get an unadulterated article is to
buy maple sugar direct from the farmers, or
that which is known to have come directly
from their hands Glucose may not be OBJ
jectionsble in the form of a syrup, if not sold
under a false name and at double or treble its
value but when mixed with sugar and used
for cooking purposes it is said to be nearly q
complete loss, the process of cooking chang
ing its sweet taste to slightly bitter acid
especially when it is used in cooking fruit.
The old-fashioned, unrefned brown West
India sugar, pound of which was what it
purported to be, with the exception of an
ounce or SO of dirt, would sweeten more than
an equal quantity of maple sugar; but pure
maple sugar should have the preference, as a
matter of economy in cooking, over the mix
lures of sugar and glucose that are now in
common use.
We notice in a report from the Ohio Farm
er that the maple sugar makers in few towns
in that state have formed an association for
hhS VI bu6 ubmDeTS, anu nelu
meeting just before the commencement of
the sugar season. About one hundred sugar
makers were in attendance. We find the
questions discussed of interest to sugar max
ers here, and give below portion of the re-
port:
After organization, the "arch and heater"
question was taken up. The first question
was long arches or wide and shorter ones.
The great feature was to utilize the heat for
rapid boiling, and several thought they could
best do this with wide fire boxes. Mr. Afford
had procured an evaporator with 12O square
feet of boiling surface, and can now reduce
his sap at the rate of eight barrels per hour.
He also thought a side-grate of much benefit.
He had heater beyond his chimney with 70
3-inch hues, which boils his sap before it
reaches the evaporation. 1t seems the verdict
that our best syrups must be made as quickly
as possible after catching the sap. On this
question of rapid boiling of the sap, opinions
were expressed that it was not advisable to
carry the clearness of the syrnn r. %
tain point, as water o,,,,,a oax.
looked upanrure consNjdhsf1te svrnp was often
the TreasnTwith suspicion, its genuineness
icing doubted
"How thick shall we make our syrup ?" was
discussed by Messrs. Udall, Manly and French.
Mr.. U. would not vary his standard from II
pounds. He found that III pound syrup
would crystalize in the glass cans, but could
be put into jugs with safety. Mr.. French
would not make it thicker than II pounds un.
der any circumstances. He also thought that
syrups should always be reiterated, to reduce
the sediment, but the balance of the conven.
ton finished their syrup at first boiling. The
convention seemed at loss to account fol
the sediment and natural silica in syrup, some
being inclined to think that certain kind Of
sediment was due to the sap rather than loca
causes.
Trapping trees" was discussed with much
knowledge, though with widely differing opin
ions. The s-bit was almost universally used
and penetration of the wood not to exceed
half an inch was found to give satisfector!
results. Mr.. Conant did not favor the Wy
copf spout, as he thought that any taperinl
spout closed too many of the pores of tn,
wood Several others favored the Eurek
spout over the Reed, and others thought tn
old-style wooden spile the best while Mr.
Walters used spouts made from small asl
limbs.
The danger of killing trees by tapping wa
generally overrated. Mr.. Conant had seel
the experiment tried of excessive tapping
where two trees were drawn upon to the ex
tent of making so and rs pounds of suga
each, one spring; but the trees were not Kill
ed, though one did not leave out until Jun
and the other in August. There was muc
diversity of opinion about tapping over, som
adding new spout, some Directing to it, an
few claiming that with the Eureka spou
''freshing" was not needed
1t seemed to be the sense of the associatio
that pals should be covered to exclude rair
insects, etc. 'It is economy" remarked MI
Manly, "for we usually have an average raiI
fall of five inches in March, which, if caugl
in our buckets, amounts to 80 barrels to eac
thousand trees, taking SO much extra after
ton, time and fuel to get nothing, while III
danger of injuring the color and flavor of tn
syrup is considerable. Covers should alway
be painted, the upper and under sides ditfe
ent colors and by reversing the covers IL
trees that had been gathered from could
easily distinguished.
1.-THE demands of the market" brought OF
the peculiarities of those who consumed sy
up. Mr.. B. H. Udall put his up in two-qua
cans packing them in boTes holding 20 eacl
Mr.. Stanley had quit putting up in tiny pac
ages and now shipped to Pittsburgh in bull
Mr.. Alva Udall ships his syrup to England
sends in tin cans. Out of the regular ord
of discussion, Mr. Knowlton of Nelson stat
that he uses pans, but never refills them. +
fills them full, boils down TO syrup, remov
it, and again fills his pans with sap. MOI
can make better syrup than he does by th
process.