Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-03-14
TtI
THE MAPLE SUGAR Season.
The Regulates for Making GiII-Edgtd
Goods.


What are the requisite conditions for
making gilt-edged maple molnsses am
swer from the school of experience that
scrupulous cleanliness and the use OF tin
utensils all along the line are essential.
have made fine sugar and syrup from wood
en- buckets and sheet iron boiling pans. hut
it was of a rosy amber color, ana was freed
from impurities 10y a rigid system of clean
ing The best way is to nave the sap clean
and pure from the start, and to keep 1t SO
through all of the process of evaporation
as much as possible ! apprehend that the
majority of your sugar making readers do
not use patent evaporaturs but boil their
sap in open pans, either of sheet iron or
those with galvanized sides, hence | shall
speak subject 10 these conditions.
For fine maple goods we must have ap-
pearance well quality the eye must
be pleased the palate Is catered to. Ma
pie sap Is very easily discolored by the
presence in it of dead forest leaves or by
the fluid standing in old wooden buckets or
troughs A discuoratiou of the sap means
a discoloration Of the syrup or sugar and
this change of hue can never be complete
" eradicated by even the most thorough
cleansing of the syrup The main thing Is
to collect the crystal drops OF sap IN an un
furnished vessel as they fall from the Spite
and carry the liquid through the process of
evaporation in as pellucii state as II
gushed from the tree. We must employ
tin buckets and draw the sap TO tine boiling
place IN tin vessels and not IN casks or bar
rels. For this purpose nothing can toe bet
ter than several large milk cans, such as
are found on nearly every New DIRK farm
where dairy Is maintained, and So entail
no extra cost for procurement.
d la mot 11 "a
tree With certain spirit Of prodignlty
they view only the present, and sink the
auger deep into the grain of the wood
thinking to extract more copIous sap flow
They should understand that the bulk of
the sap crcuates close 10 the bark where
the tree Is growing, and li they bore be-
yond this life line they yet no sap, and the
interior wood. being in a measure lIleless
and unable To- heal Its wounds, RIOTS around
the incision. You would better make "a
dozen inclsious IN "a tree each an inch u
depth than 20 make one pit two inches deep
In the former case the wounds will neal
readily over as the new wood forms. bile
in the latter IA decaved streak will follow the
heart of the timber upward for many feet
a blow at the vitality and longevity of tine
tree.
Use sharp bit and make the incisiou il
possible over a large root, as II will then bee
IN the line of a liberal How of sap Use
metal spouts, and tap the tree high enough
so that the buckets will hang ON them
three or four feet from the ground, Ii the
cattle are liable to roam through the bush
put them up higher. BY being hung up on
the sides OF the trees, but few leaves are
liable TO blow into the bucket,
Employ boiling pans of galvanized iron
rather than of common sheet iron, 10 IN
sure a perpetuity of light shade in the
goods DO not boil IN the open air. subject
70 rain, snow and flying leaves, but always
have sugar house of some description
The ire arch should be a substantial one.
and though it can be built of selected stone.
the best material for its construction is
brick Have your sugar house superior iu
architecture 70 an Indian vigwam, so that
the smoke from the tiue will mud advent Co
the air through a chimney and not VIA "a
ragged aperture IA the roof
Boil the syrup ill DO will break of Ia
square drops from the edge of the skillet
with which yuu remove the SCUM Strain
it while hot through "a thick flannel cloth iu
10 stone Jars Allow the lars of syrup %
stand undisturbed for at least "a hours. and
then carefully pour Oft most of the liquor
into another vessel The residue with It's
accompanying sediment should he cleansed
by boiling with a mixture of eggs and milk
Use the skinner freely 10 remove the dirt
as il rises Il Is often better 60 cleanse thu
whole batch after IL has been strained
through flannel Always do So II necessg
~ 70 remove impurities
Before the syrup Is ready % bee bottled or
iugged. il should when held 20 the light in
a Siass be Of a moderate amber hue. aud
as clear as the pellucid waters OF a crystal