Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-05-14
MAPLE-SUGAR MAKING.
"A Profitable Industry to the Greer
Mountain State.

How the Toothsome Substance Is Exc
tracted from the Trees and Prepared
for shipment-The Reason Its
Manufacture Ii . Fedhi-
nine Blessing.
This is the harvest time Of the tim
smiths Of Vermont, for the ~maple-sugar
season is at hand, and in every shop
the workmen are busy making and re-
pairing eyaporators, pans, heaters,
buckets. cans. and other sugar sstools."
The best makers are getting to use
..stools" made only of tin or Russia
iron. wood having been pretty much.
discarded, owing to the injury to the
flavor Of the product which it almost
inevitably causes
Vermont produces more maple-sugar
and sirup in the aggregate Zone gallon
of sirup being equal to eight pounds Of
sugar. than any other State in the
Union. A large run Of sap is not ex-
petted this spring. since the weather
last fail was not favorable. It is adj
mitted by all competent judges that
the spring weather of Vermont is the
cause Of the flow Of the maple sap.
The month or more Of warmish days
and frosty nights in the spring are in
d~ispensable. This is proved by the
failure Of the sap-fow in the northern
and southern portions of the sugar
maple belt on this continent. This
bell. east Of the Rocky mountains ex-
tends northerly. as far as the south
shore of the st. Lawrence Gulf and
river. up to the mouth of the Saguenay
river. and thence westerly to the head
watersof the Ottawa river and to Thun-
der Bay on Lake Superior. The south
erhlimitisi in the hills Of middle Georgia,
Alabama. Mississippi. Arkansas, and
Northern Texas. On the Pacific coast
the southern limit is the coast range
north Of San Francisco. Its north
ern limit has not been accurately
determined. Yet little or no maple
sugar can be made in the northern or
southern end. Even in Aroostook
county, Maine. the winter breaks up
SO hate that there is no transition peri
cd. and summer comes on at once.
And in Canada, New Brunswick and
Nova Scotia. where there are plenty of
NAPLES. there is little or no sugar
made for the same reason. Vermont,
from her peculiar soil and climate, is
destined to keep the lead in the manu-
facture of maple-sugar. as she is in the
growth of merino sheep. She ALWAYS
has maintained her pre-eminence in
these respects and she always will.
The maple-sugar season is peculiarly
profitable TO the Vermont farmers, for
the reason that it comes "between
timos. when there is nothing going
IN about the conduct of their farms
except Che sschores." The logging
and wood.cutting are over and the
ground is not ready for cultivation.
The sales Of sugar and strip are for
cash down, and therefore they are en-
abled. TO acquire ready money with
which to make the spring purchases
and tide over until tho sales Of crops in
the fall. The farmers and their sons.
and the regular .shired men" do the
work. and there is no expense except
Tor s.tOois." For an orchard of 1900
trees it is estimated that the sugar
house. the eyaporator, the "sugaring
off" pan. the vat, the s%ap-holders,
the gatherers, the buckets, the spouts,
the cans. for the strip and the tubs fol
the sugar cost about $500. These.
having once been obtained. will need
slight repairs and requirements from
year to year. OF course the sugar-tubs
and sirup-cans must: be replaced every
spring. The profits o f'such an orchard
average about $500 a year-more than
most farmers spend annually for their
household expenses. Orchards OF
1000 trees r not at all uncommon,
and several farmers tap $500 and even
5000 trees.
Great improvements in the manu-.
facture Of maple-suggar have taken
place within the last, fifteen years
Forty years ago the boiling of sap il
iron potash kettles hung between log,
was still common. and in a few be
nighted localities the trees were tapped
with an axe. Pans set over IN arch o
brick, in which the fire burned, sue
ceeded tho kettles; and to-day, in mos
of the best-managed orchards, eyapor
ators Originally Invented for the man
ufacturc Of sorghum) have displaced
the pans. The ideal sugar-place is on,
of Vigorous trees. situated upon thu
side Of hill with a southern exposure
a brook running at the foot of the hill
Tho advantages ofsuch q situation ar.
~ that the sap can be easily carried
by mcans Of spouts running from
holders scattered through the orchard
into which the baskets are emptied, Il
the main reservoir; (2) that the sal
begins 10 flow earlier. than in = north
efn exposures ,o 81 that TIE water en- =
easily cieansed. an indispensable aid {.
the production 81 good sugar and sirup
In such an orchard the sugar-hous'
is placed at the foot Of the hill. beside
tho brook. Theyare0 ne-storiedw oodel
buildings. c~ontaining sufficient room