The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-05-06
An OverprOduction of Spleen.

Mr.. Editor:-An editorial article headed
"The Production of Maple Sugar" in the
ArgltS of April Goth, attracted my attention a
few days ago. Having been engaged in that
production every spring but one for about
fifty years, | felt interested in the subject
and began to read the article, hoping to
gain some sound information and encour-
agement in that important industry. The
first part of the column seems to be an
oreyproduction ofspleen towards The WATCH
MAN and Timothy Wheeler. Well, don't
care anything about that. The Argus may
rail at Moses and the prophets iii wants to.
1t may prove The WATCHMAN silly and Mr.
Wheeler a sap-head If it can-they are able
to take care of themselves. But when it
comes to answer The WATCHMANs argu-
ment, " that our farmers have never devel-
oped the maple sugar industry as they
ought" it only proves its capacity to con-
dense the largest number of errors into the
smallest space. Take for example, the fol-
lowing extract from the argus screed: "lt
is untrue that the farmers of Vermont have
not developed the maple sugar industry as
they ought. For many years they have
made annually all they could sell, and often
more. If they were to double the produc-
ton, as The Wdtchmdn calls upon them to
do, they would simply cause the price to de-
crease below the cost OF making, and, more
over, have large quantities remain upon their
hands. Take the present season as an eX-
ample Sugar makers like c. NJ. Fisher of
Cabot, e. r. Towle of Berkshire and w. o.
Brigham of Bakersfield, who have kept ac-
curate accounts of their expenses, are agreed
that maple sugar cannot be made for less
than seven cents a pound, and many others
estimate the cost to be at least eight. In
Vermont this season, between six and seven
cents has been the average price which buy
ers have been giving for good sugar, and be-
tween fifty and sixty cents per gallon for
very good syrup. The reason for the low
price is simply overproduction. The mar
kets for maple sugar and maple syrup are
limited" The facts are that ii is almost the
only profitable industry left in which Yer
mont leads the nation, and the quantity
might be doubled or quadrupled to the
great advantage of the state. Talk about
the market being limited. So is creation
limited to the power of the Creator. The
production of maple sugar is limited mainly
to a few of the northern and central states
and the British provinces, but the demand
may come from the whole world. The de-
mand does increase every year and in COM
parison with other products the price is
higher every year. As to the farmers hav-
ing large quantities remaining upon their
hands" half the farmers sell all they make
and buy cane sugar. If there ever should
be an overproduction they could use some
of it, and you don't have to salt it to keep it.
Then the Argts man says: Take the pres
ent year as an example" That is just what
| want to do. The sugar season, about an
average one, began late, April LIST, and closed
April 21st. In that time from five hundred
trees we made eighteen hundred pounds.
The work was done by two young men and
a horse. who in the same time did some ten
days work five days each) at other farming.
The wood used was refuse tree tops, from
which saw-logs had been cut, and other
wasting timber. The tools were worth $50,
and the land and sugar-houses $500. | esti-
mate the expenses to be: For labor, $50;
wood $50: packages S15: use of land and
tools, S27; total cost, S92, or five and one
ninth cents per pound. We sold thirteen
hundred seventy-four pounds for cash, mt an
average of nine and one-eleventh cents per
pound, receiving S124.91; two hundred ten
pounds at nine cents, S1470; two hundred
sixteen pounds ON hand at eight cents,
SIPS; total receipts, Sl55.S9; profit, S63S9.
| don't know as ours is any m ore than an
average of well-arranged and fairly-man-
aged sugar orchards in the state. We try
to make it well and sell it well, and find
both profit and pleasure in tending the same
old place where my grandfather began to
make sugar about 1898, and we don't borrow
any trouble about overproduction. There
are some other errors in the article that |
would like to notice, but this letter is al
ready too long. | have no ill-will towards
the Argus or its editors, but when they or
any other public instructor try to mislead
farmers who have trouble enough already it
puts me out of patience, and though | don't
want to swear. | should like to affirm what
seems to be right, from the farmers stand
point, FARMER GRIMES.