The Opelousas courier., 1892-05-14
In A MAPLE SUGAR CAMP
MODERN METHODs OF MANUFAC.
TURE ON A LARGE SCALE.
Tapping an misunderstanding the
Sap-The Process OF Evaporation
Drawing OF the Sugar.

~ NE improvement after another
has followed, till To- IN the
' best-conducted camps in Yer
mont (Which all remember
makes more maple supar than any other
state), a large, tight, finished sugar
house stands in a convenient part of the
orchard, and all the utensils when not in
use are stored in the house.
The process from first to last, in a
model camp, is practically as follows: At
first three men work most effectively
tapping and putting in order a large Or
chard in one day; 1900 to ZOO trees
are at least a fair average forthe orchards
throughout the State. The first man,
armed with a bit-brace, goes ahead. and
with a hree-eighths-inch bit makes an
~incision about an inch deep in the fibre
of the wood on the lee side of the tree.
A second man inserts a round double tin
Spite or spout from two and a halt to
three inches long in the ~aperatuIe. The
Spite not only conducts the sap, but has
an arrangement by which the bucket IS
suspended beneath its mouth. Lastly,
| iltC Shp"DuINSuS IL hudS"
and tin buckets are used.
The work of gathering has been much
simplfed. Many still put a pair of
stout horses to a strong short sled carry
ing a holder, as the large wooden tub
holding several barrels is called, and
drive from tree to tree collecting the
sap; but a better and easier way IS to
run leaders through the orchard, collect
ing in sap-pails and emrtying into lead
ers, which are wooden cutters run
through the orchard like arteries, and
terminating in a store tank at the sugar
house. Though several different varle-
ties of eyaporators and pans, alike in the
main. are in use, we will describe the
process with what is conceded to be the
best apparatus. In a brick framework
in the sugar house is set an iron arch
with a square iron chimney. An arch
for a large bush is 5x20 feet, perfectly
level on top, the bottom s~lanting from
24 feet deep in front to ten inches at the
chimney end. In this arch is set the
evaporator, a deep b~oiling-pan in
front and four smaller and shall"
lower pans further back. The bot
tom of the evaporation is deeply CORFU
gated, nearly doubling the surface ex-
posed to the heat. Rapid boiling is a
great point in sugar-making-the shorter
the time from sap to syrup the better the
quality. The sap in the holder or store
tank flows through a s~trainer and rubber
hose into a regulator, which is adjusted
by automatic gauge to keep the supply
in the boiling-pan at a certain depth.
When the sap in the boiling pan has
reached a certain stage in evaporation,
it is emptied into the pan next back by
means of a siphon, which removes only
the syrup, leaving the scum behind. The
boil1ng-pan is again filed with fresh SAP
and the process repeated. The pans art
connected with each other by siphons,
each pan perfecting the work of the
preceding pan until the fourth and las
pan is reached, which ~evaporates the
liquid to the syrup of commerce, weighing
eleven pounds to the gallon.
Whether canned or made into sugar
the syrup is drawn off through a faucet
So far, from sap to syrup, the machiner.
runs itself after being started, if fires ar
kept up. If properly canned, the syruI
is allowed to cool before being put up il
pint, quart, half-gallon or gallon glas
or tin cans; the latter are much bette
and more desirable every way. If came
hot, the syrup contracts one-hal
pint to the gallon in cooling. The al
at the top of the car is the main caus
Of mildew, mould or capitalization if tn
syrup is not soon used. But to the on
locker the most delightful part is ''sug
airing off," The great pan filled with
mass of amber liquid, evenly boiling a
over, slowly rising to the line of swet
cream around the rim of the pan, abov
which twill not go, The great fun {
~tstrying" 1t to see if it is done, enter
tains the children and inexperienced
Long before it is done,a little is droppe
into water to see if it wont t'crackle,
but it slowly dissolves and make
a sickish-looking liquid; the spoonft
dropped ON an adjacent SNOWMAN
quickly disappears from view; prolonge
stirring will not induce it to grain; Il
novice, blowing drops of it off a knotte
birch twig, beholds his syrup sail off
bubbles instead of fine gauze-l lii
threads. At last the s~ugarmaker diI
into the seething mass of small, fr
bubbles. and watching it drip off IL
edge of his dipper, says calmly, "Tl
sugar seems about right to eat" The
the rush begins, and the sweet liquid
poured on the clean, hard snow in a
sorts of fantastic forms. Nothing mo
delicious can be imagined. and, for
time at least, eaehone is at peace with a
the world, if abundantly provided wit
pickles and thin pink slices Of dried be,
or ham. Later a dish of it is stirred
} iaky whiteness with the fragrant lit
birch paddles the boys white out viii
waiting.
In the meantime the sugarmaker
most busily employed in removing Il
:, pan from the areh and rapidly stirrir
the whole mass until sufficiently coo
and having a fine, even grain, when it
turned into tubs holding from ten to O
hundred pounds each. If made in
9 cakes it is stirred longer, till it becom
Q dry enough to retain its shape. T
o whlteness OF maple sugar does not by a
means determine its price. The diff
!. cnce in soil, the length of time the s
J. stands before boiling, whether or n
= snow or rain has fallen in the sap, t
q rapidity with which it is converted il
!. s%yrup-all affect it somewhat. The pit
!. tub or cake maple sugar is a brown