Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1890-12-15
About Maple Sugar.

cent by the polariscope test, and 3-4
cents a pound on that above 80 per
cent. Inquiry in regard to what the
polariscope is, and what shall consti-
tute the so or the 80 per cent requir-
ed, is general. So far, we have been
unable to find out exactly what sort
of an instrument the polariscOpe is.
We notice the secretary of the treasu-
ry speaks of chemical test on sugar,
and intimates that it will require a
chemical examination. 1t will be
sufficient for this purpose to say that
the instrument will determine by
chemical or other means the purity of
the commodity sold as sugar. Water.
dirt of any sort, malate of lime (nitre)
or any substance other than sugar,
will doubtless constitute an impurity,
and the amount of all such substance
es combined, which the so called su-
gar contains, will enter into the per-
centages. Water in ordinary sugar
is the larger of the foreign substances.
In dry stirred sugar we suppose the
per cent to be small, perhaps not over
from two to five per cent. In soft
tub sugar the per cent may run from
ten to twenty per cent. The foreign
matter, except the nitre, would con-
stitute only small per cent ordinari-
ly in weight or in bulk. The nitre,
in seasons when this is plentiful,
would add considerably to the weight.
1t will be understood that in order to
obtain the bounty dry and pure sugar
must be made. Some sugar makers
are already making very dry tub or
stirred sugar; others do not know
how to make stirred sugar, and resort
to the, to them, easier way of making
a syrup more or less thick and turn
it into tubs, when a portion of it crys-
talizes (grains), and the remainder
drizzles out or remains in the bottom
of the tub as molasses.
Every sugar maker ought to know
how to make dry stirred sugar; it is
better to handle, more uniform in the
amount of sweetness, and is to the
examiner a sort of known substance.
Most farmers have utensils at this
time of such kind and make as to en-
able them to make the sugar dry. We
consider the whole secret of making
sugar dry-almost entirely free from
water-is to so cleanse and to so keep
buckets, holders, etc. that there will be
no acid in it. Every vessel in which
sap is caught or stored should be free
fror niS, sourness. If the buckets
and ho11cSA are thoroughly scalded
both when they are put in and when
they are put out, there will be little
trouble from sourness. Sometimes
during the last of sugaring a little
white or sour matter accumulates in
the bottom of the buckets or holders.
1t is generally believed that the
process of boiling, evaporation, should
be rapid, and that the syrup should
be converted at once into sugar.
We once knew one of the very best
sugar makers in town to keep nearly
his whole production Of syrup till the
very last days of sugaring before it
was ''sugared off, He made his
syrup very thick, set it in good-sized
tubs and put it in cool place, and
whatever was the philosophy or the
secret of the matter we will not say
the fact was he made first-class
sugar. Setting the syrup aside for
day or more has the advantage, we'll
known to all who practice this, of al
lowing the nitre, the ashes and other
foul matter to precipitate to the bot
tom of the tub. This is certainly ad-
vantageous. 1t is claimed that some
sugar makers have q secret method
of taking out the nitre by stirring hot
sap in the syrup.
There is only one other thing nee
essary in making sugar dry, and that
is to boil it down. 1t will not burn
if rank heat and blaze are kept from
it. If the syrup is not sour, let it be
be put on to the fire and made TO
''hum' until it begins to cap on snow,
then remove the strong fire and the
blaze and do it down till it is almost
as hard as glass on the SNOWFALL.
Turn it out into the stirring trough
take clean hoe, and almost while
you are talking, it will rise and break
down into sugar. Work the hoe live
ly when it commences to crystalize
and keep the Jumps out of it.
Most sugar makers are already pro-
vided with some good boiling appar-
atus, evaporation, etc. Many have
tin or other good buckets, and there
is little need of making poor sugar.
In some sections the buckets are cov-
cred with wood or metal cover that
keeps the storm out and prevents the
sun from heating and souring the sap.
Covers need not cost much and they
are a good thing.
1t is stated and probably is true
that the bounty does not apply
to maple honey. There would be too
much water in the honey to stand the
test. We see no reason why the law
would be broken or abused if the
manufacturer made his sugar dry,
took his inspection and then remelted
and reboiled his product, putting it
in his cans. He would get just as
good, and little purer syrup by this