News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-02-16
Meeting of the State Board of Ag-
rlcUIture.

d. iIopkinson as president, and NJ
A. Adams, vice president.
! +. r. Towle. Of Franklin, membe
Of the board, presented paper o.
sugar Making" After speaking 0
the Importance of this branch Of III
dustry to the state, and the great i'm
provement in utensils and methods
lie proceeded to give some hints on
the manufacture of sugar, as derived
from extended correspondence With
prominent makers, in all portions OF
the state. The methods thus report
ed all give prominence to covered
buckets, metallic spouts and modern
evaporators, and recommend the
greatest attention TO cleanliness
From correspondence with various
merchants and large dealers, he had
found that much better grade is be-
ing made than four or five years ego,
but much greater improvement is pos
slbie. Sugar caked in brick shape
seems to have the best sale and is the
most convenient for shipment. There
is great difference in the product OF
different orchards. Orchards should
not be largely surrounded by forests,
nor should the maple trees be allow
ed to grow largely with other timber.
The trees should have ample room to
grow without crowding each other
He advocated the greatest possible
care in all the details, the greatest
cleanliness in all the departments of
the work. The sap should be gath
cred every day, boiled at once and
sugared off as soon as possible, not
allowing sap or syrup to cool. If al
lowed to cool, more OF less of the del
icate maple flavor was lost and a poor
err grade of sugar the result. He adj
vocated most strongly all possible
improvement in the quality of the ar
ticle produced, for there would always
be an increasing demand for the best,
as well as constantly increasing
price.
DIR. Cutting followed with practical
remarks pertaining to all branches of
the work. He spoke of a remarkable
sugar orchard in Lunenburgh which
for many years had produced a very
large yield, this last season reaching
six and half pounds to tree and that
with quite a proportion Of second
growth trees tapped for the first time.
One tree in this orchard had produced
as high as II pounds. This orchard
sloped to the southeast and above
it adjoining was sheep pasture. The
single tree referred to stood a short
distance from where ashes were thrown
from the ,sugar-house. This fact led
to experiments with ashes in sugar
orchards with good results. He also
spoke of increasing demand for maple
sugar all over the land as well as in
sugar having been sold in
London for sixty cents per pound. He
believed the price of good maple sug-
ar would rapidly increase while the
price of poor sugar would decrease !;
no competition with other sugars need
to be feared because maple sugar is a
luxury, and analysis showed that Nc
other sugar or composition could take
its place. Recommended plugging
the hole when the spout is removed,
and favored low tapping. Cattle
should be kept out of sugar orchards
tin buckets unless carefully washed
and dried, should be put away with
out washing, leaving them coated ov-
err with sap they would not rust. A
profitable discussion in the informal
manner of questions and answers fol-
lowed. Adjourned to two o'clock.
Mr.. NJ. w. Davis of Westminster,
gave a description of the celebrated
cow, Jersey Queen, of Barnet, recent
ly sold by Mr.. HENDERSON, to New
York man for the snug little sum of
$4,000. In butter making this cow
bids fair this season to beat the world.
She weighs 1875 pounds. Up to De-
cember first, the time when he saw her
she had made 481 pounds of butter.
There remained 1853 days at that time
to complete her year and with the
same yield would give 326 pounds
more or 807 pounds in the year. By
the conditions of the sale she is to re-
main in the state till end of year to
show what she can do. Her feed is
four quarts bran, four quarts oats
ground, three quarts corn meal and
eight quarts of carrots day, in two
meals, with what early cut hay she
will eat. She is MIXED three times
day.
DR.. H. A. Cutting, spoke upon the
Homes of the State" from a sani
tary standpoint. He forcibly por,,
trayed the neglect Of the farmer about
his home, especially in regard to his
cellar, and often as regards his water
supply also: He urged them to see
to both and also to other surround
ings, and thereby ward off those fell
destroyers, diphtheria and typhoid
fever, which were admitted by all to
be diseases originated by foul air and
impure water but afterwards become
He condemned in scath-
ing terms the present system of VEN
tilation by letting windows down at
the top, and recommended instead the
fitting of strip of board under the
bottom sash so that the window could
be raised four inches and thus leave
chance for pure air to come in at the
middle of the window between the
sash, and thus get the pure air with
out the danger.
His praise of house plants, (Which
certainly make our homes more enjoy
able, and which all women admire)
showing them TO be not only as all
know ornamental, but truly healthful,
should encourage further cultivation
of them. What he said Of the adul-
teration of what we buy is too true,
and we wish with all that our laws
would protect those that vend good
articles, and punish the offenders
against, not only our purse, but our
health.
Probate Court.