The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1889-05-17
ABOUT MAPLE SUGAR.
NEW and OLD METHODS OF MAKING
THE SWEET.

| THE SWEET.
The Old-FashIoned Enjoyable "Sugar
Party" Now a Thing OF the Past
How the Market Is Stocked with New
Maple Sugar Ten Months OId-Aston-
1shing OId-Time Sugar Makers.
few years ago it would have been impos-
sible to obtain new maple sugar before tho
middle OF March; now the people can have it
any month in the year. This Is not owing to
n change in the seasons or to any climate
condition. The Vermont Yankee found out
some time ago that new sugar was q great
treat to many city people, and that the first
fruits OF the maple could be disposed Of in
short order at a fancy price. So he con-
ceived tho idea OF carrying over his stock Of
sugar TO be put on the market the next
spring before less enterprising people could
think OF tapping their trees. OF course the
sugar had to be melted oyer and made into
new cakes to give 1t the appearance Of fresh-
ness, but that was not an expensive job, and
he managed to clear q handsome profit.
| This feature Of the trade came to the knowl-
edge Of Northern New Workers, and they are
now able to beat the Vermonter on his own
ground.
Sugar that has been kept year does not
possess the fine flavor peculiar to that just
brought out from the sugar orchard, but no
moro than one purchaser out Of a dozen
knows tho difference. and there are few
drawbacks to the trade.
The flooding OF the market with new
maple sugar 10 months old is only one Of the
interesting features of the business. There
are others which are worth mentioning. A
few years ago an enterprising dairyman in
st. Lawrence county, N. Y, tried the plan Of
mixing oleomargerine with the butter made
at his creamery and it was found to be very
profitable until an agent OF the Farmers
bureau at Albany found him OFT. Following
the example of this dairyman some OF the
maple sugar makers have hit on a new plan
to Increase their profits. 1t is to buy com.
mon cane sugar ut 4 or 5 cents per pound
an mix itwith the maple which soils at and
10 cents. Ono part cane to two parts maple
can be used and only an expert can tell that
there is a mixture.
Outside Of the little innovations above de-
scribed there are some interesting things
about sugar. making. The old residents do
not have to rack their memories very much
to recall the time when almost everybody up
this way depended on the maple trees for
sweet stuffs. That was before the days Of
railroads, when cane sugar was hard to get,
and every farmer tapped the maple trees on
his farm. Now the business is carried on
by those who have large sugar orchards,
and only about one farmer out of every
twenty brothers with it. Some sugar-makers
In this section gather the sap from as many
as LOGO trees, and send to market several
tons Of maple sugar annually. In an extra
good season five pounds of sugar to the tree
is made, but that is big yield. The average
is about three pounds to each tree.
The manner in which the sweets are gath.
cred in these large orchards is quite aston-
ishIng TO the old-time sugar-mnkers, who
used to carry ON the work in very primi-
tive way. The old timers began by catching
the sap in wooden troughs which were made
from small trees with much labor, as they
had to be followed out with an axe, and
then charred over an open fire to prevent
the sap from running out through the pores
Of the wood. An augur was used in tapping,
and wooden spiles were driven in the trees.
The sap was carried by hand to the boiling
place, whore 1t was evaporated in large iron
kettles swung up on n crane over an open
fire.
The modern sugar-maker looks to the
economy OF things and makes the work easy.
In stead Of IN augur and wooden spiles, he
uses q patent galvanized iron spilo and tin
bucket. The spile is driven into the tree
with half n dozen blows OF u heavy mallet,
and the augur is dispensed with. The
bucket is suspended from the side OF the
treo by nail made for the pur-
pose Smooth roads through the or
chard in every direction allow it to be
traversed by n team, SO that the sap is all
drawn on sleigh, and the man has little to
do except to pour it from the bucket on tho
tree into the receiving tank on the two-horse
conveyance. Instead Of kettles, shallow
sheet iron pans set in an arch are used in
evaporation. The arch economies fuel, and
the pans shorten the process OF evaporation
about one-half An automatic feeder keeps
up the supply Of sap in the pans. AS this
part OF tho work is done in snug building
erected for tho purpose, instead of in tho
old-time sugar-making is done away with.
The people who used to carry sap long dis
tances In pals suspended on Il yoke, like
japanese porterS, and afterward boiled it In
tho open dir, exposed to all tho inclemencies
OF the season, call the present way Of making
sugar mere pastime.
Another feature OF sugar-making d1Y or
sixty years ago, which is now absent b tho
good old-iashioned sugar party. Those
were Joyous times when, in response to an
invitation, all the neighbors for mile or
more around would gather in farmers
''sap bush" to attend the "sugaring of" and
Ill their jackets with warm sugar. All of tho
boys and girls, as we'll as ths married folks.
attended these trolics, and four feet Of snow
with a cutting March wind. never kept them
at home. When party Of this sort assem-
bled around the boiling place" there was
music in the uir until the syrup had been
reduced to a consistency where it would
harden when poured on top Of the snow.
When this pointwas reached each member
of the party would give his or her undivided
attention to IL ball of ''jackwax" big enough
for two Of the most voraclous candy eaters
OF the present day. When the sugar had
been stirred in the kettle until it was par
italy cooled and nicely grained it followed
tho ''jackwax" uWeil all had fairly gorged
themselves.
Base FabrIcations.
Widow Johnson Doau' yo' fink DeakIn'