Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1886-04-20

Tn sugar-mAking season is bow up.
On W. and ho, fires cause the sap kettles
70 hum a vigorous A. well a. merry tune.
Considerable syrup i made in Maine.
and in some localities fair quantity Of
sugar: While In New Hampshire And
Vermont greater attention j, paid 10 the
manufacture Of the more solid article.
In proportion 70 is area. Vernon, leads
The world in the quantity Of maple sugar
produced. and for quality the Green
Mountain State eAnno; be exeelled. The
.oil seems 20 be peculiarly adapted 10 The
growth q rock NAPLES. ard the valleys.
slopes, hill.sides. and even the noun
,ains, are clothed With extensive groves
of these majestic and useful trees. We
have ia mind i've sugAr-orchArds, belong-
ing 10 a. many separate farms. lying one
above the other. and forming a eon,ina-
ou. forest which is bounded on one side
by river bAnk AID on the other by the
top Of a mountain spur.
IL VA, our fortune 10 visit town in
the cen;ral par; Of Vermont during the
early DAYS Of this month, where We Wit
messed With interest the process Of sugar
making. The owner Of the orchard
tapped some seven hundred trees, and
II the season Is an average one expects
20 make a ton Of sugar. With the help
Of one hired man the work in the orchard
i easily attended 70. in addition 10 the
labor incident 20 farm Of Abou, two
hundred acres Tin sAp-,ubs are used.
,hsy being found by experience 10 Be the
mosi economisal AL ,hinss considered.
The sap Is gathered with oxen. two uips
being made 10 al points daily on smAf,
sap days: thu. the liquid j, boiled in .
frrsh state. The factory" Is subs;An-
italy constructed Of ,imbers. boarded and
covered. And is located on bank into
which the arch Is built; the solid earth
acts a. = suppor; TO the lining wall. Of
the arch and conhnes the heat jus, where
IL i wsnitd-diree,ly under the pAns in
which the sap is svAporaied. The arch
j. high. and 20 allows plen,y Of room for
bulky fuel: the wood Is always dry. be-
ing Gu, AID piled A. the close Of the pre-
vious season'. labor ia the sugar-orchard
The arch is furnished with chimney.
which affords the requisite amount Of
drAf,. The sap receives three ',rAininss
before Il touches tie heater: once when
gathered. again when poured into the
siore-iub., and then AZ the bottom OF
,hese tabs before IL is drawn OF for eyAp-
Grafton. Two large. shallow pans and
one deep heater are se; upon the arch ;
the heater has large number Of hues
Ike a s,eam-boiler. and keeps the sap
intensely hot. From the heater the sap
j. conducted 20 the central pan, then by
= siphon 10 the froni pan which Il di-
yidsd by partition really into two pans.
Prom the lsft inclosure the siPhon con-
,ey, the sap. which by this time has be.
come pretty sweet, back TO the second
pau, where. =; the close Of each day, IL "a
"syruped Off" BY this me,hOl there Is
a great saving Of time. labor and fuel,
and II the FIRE Is kept At booming hea,
a large Amoun, Of sap Is speedily con-
vsr,ed into syrup The syrupi IS careful.
/ " strained into pals and allowed TO stand
,weniy-four hOars. when IL Is "sugAred
off."-being poured into tight wooden
tubs after i; has reached . certain stage
that will insure It's hardening into solid
mas. when completely cooled. Bat
minimum Of fuel Is required TO "sugai
Of," q. only a slow simnsring Is allowed,
The sugar made in this orchard. and
BY the process hastily skelehed. has fo'
years been Of excellent flavor and text
ure. and finds a ready sAle ., market
rates; but, alas, these latter rule low
now.a-days-,he quotations in Boston
April 10, reading: "The demand 4
| lighter than usual; large cakes And pail
Sc and &c These figures mean a, leas
one cen, less for the producer. AT ih'
date Of our visit. however. country mer'
chants were exchanging goods for print
sugar AZ The rate Of &c. :.
The sugar-makins time Is general,
looked forward to with plsasan, an'iei
pa,iOns by mos, people engaged IN 1t
Manufacture and there Is, indeed. no
ticesbls quicksning Of the pulse: a. ,h'
snow begins to mslt.-the breath oi 'h'
wind becomes ~armer.--,he return o
the birds filing the forests with animated
soug.--,hs air hazy with the smoke o
hundred samP-hrss in valley and o.
mountain hsishi.-,he clear. frosty night
and warm. sunny days. that somesime
stimulate the trees to ovsr-Produetion o