New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-03-27
THE MAKING OF MAPLE SUGAR.
MORE SCIENTIFIC THAN IDYLLIC.

MORE SCIENTIFIC lDaN IL ih|iC'
There have been many changes and Improvement
g., ,ha mahne OF mani. sugar during the last 10"
years Indeed the old "s<gnr bush itsei mas u,'
appeared and We have instead the "sugar orcAatu'
II YOU please, OF the modern scicnthc HdpIe 'u-"'
maker. The locality and ule trees however -"
rot changed Northern ewEngand eepeclaii, vs.
mont and New Hampshire, sull take ue nohV i".N
IT, this typical American Industry. 10 Is e"e o'"' %
msple grows In other States. Us Michigan Wisconsin
and Minnesota: but for some reason these ''ae' w
not produce so much good sugar.
The beat sugar producing tree Is the rocR ulapie
The next best variety Is the red maple OF the oo'Ns
called the wtate maple by the ew-hgiahd idr"e,'
what the botansts call the white maple Is called VIC
soft or swamp maple by the farmers. II produces
plenty o, sap. which contains an abundance OF sus"
but It also contains 70 much coorins matter anu 90
many vegetable acids on account Of Its growing II
low damp ground, that the sugar made from IL >
vety poor Excellent sugar may be made rom '"e
red mamie mentioned above. but care must be taken
20 keep tIe drip from the bark from getting mo I'VE
sap To obviate this, the hole m'iec oe tppcu oeep
and a very solid spout must be used
There is wide range OF apparatus uscd oy sugar
makers Prom the tapping of the tree to the market
able SUGAR the choice OF articles Is greater no" VSS
ever before. Indeed, the very conventional puscSS
nan of to-day who used 10 work In the sugar ouS"
when boy. would open his eyes III aslohishHieH'
at the many new-fangled things now In use ist
spout for instance. A perfect spout does not allow
sap to leak and run down the tree since II Ter
ments and kills the bark. II does not require
hole 80 large that it will not readily heal IL HoidS
firmly when driven just through the bafk' ~ IS
covered on top 50 as to keep out tie dnp from the
bark And when tin pals are used, II has an attaoO
ment 10 hold the pail. That is the perfect spout
but any sugar maker will tell yOu that it doesn't
actually exist thoug1. there many varieties ap-
nrOo q The tin pail would be a nONtUN
10 some Of the Old boys, who used TO sugar OH III
the primitive back townships. The lin pail Is III
decd al evolution. the only practical answer TO the
demand for "A sapbucket at once lit and hght HE
present practice Is 10 hang 1t on TIE spout ana 50
the spout must be strong TO hold II in high wind
An objection to the tin pail is that 1t draws the suns
heat and SO the sap; but then, on the otter
hand the old wooden bucket Is not only heavy, bat
abSorbs the sap and becomes sour. There are draw
backs to both. which, however. overcome 10y
care. Indeed. TO make good maple sugar an amount
Of care almost approaching genius Is needed
OF course covers used for the pals. 10 Keep out
the dust bits Of bark, They generally painted
a different color on eac, SIDE that by turning
them when the sap is gathered they will show AT A
glance Whether they have been visited or not. Tic
covers also keep out rain and snow which would
iengthcn the time OF boiling down
What old Northern New En- gland boy does not re-
member the time honored neckyokc used by the sap
Cathcrer on which to balance hi, pals In the big
orchards" nowadays this work done by oxen else
ihe sap Is conveyed 10 the sugar house In a series
Of rough wooden spOuts. lazy mans way, and ono
that deeoratcs the quality Of the sugar. since IN,
spou,s quickly become sour Tin spouts nre now
sometimes used, but these also seem to have bad
effect the sugar.
Then we come to the sap-holder, the fruitful
of great deal Of sour sugar. As thus When the
sap comes from a good tree II is quite pure con
tanning besides the sugar small amount Of mineral
matter and larger amount Of vegetable matter,
the latter being variable IN quantity according TO
where the grows. The best sugar Is made from
trees high land. Now II this sap could be evap-
Grated at once, before it becomes sour or Impurities
get into 1t, the result would be snow white sugar
that could not be told from the best granuajed sugar
OF commerce. But this Is not possible; fermentation
sets fl the moment the atmosphere strikes the sap
aud fermentation produces materials in the sap which
darken tho sugar. OF course the warmer the temp
eraure the fermentation there Will be. 80 that
1t IS obviously essential TO keep the sap icc-cpd II
possible, and boil 1t down very after gather
ing
The continued cvaporator is new fangled notion
that even the most conservative o!d boy must
prove OF. 1t takes sap in at one end in con
tlnuous stream, and delivers IT at the other end rs
syrup. Perhaps this takes rome Of the poetry away
from the making Of sugar. but IL also takes away
much Of IL, druGgery. OF course there are more
evaporators than you shake "a stick at I'm the
market. each claiming 10 be the best. some OF the
latest have a cover which keeps out the dirt and
works down the sap faster with les fuel ~ the
way, do You remember how eager yOu were 10 be let
OF from school IN order To 60 with the men 10 the
sugar bushl And then do you remember how tie
compulsory gathering Of fuel al first such fun became
at las. al intocrabc labor; Oh, yes. and that neck
yoke that you wore at nrst with such eager delight
how hateful It became; md the sugar which at first
tasted like the nectar of the gods, how 1t sickcncd
you were when Il tall over. ard you were free
about these old days now. you will refer 10 them a.
idyns Of your boyhood. and wish that you might 60
back % them.
Then there is the nitro TO be got rid Of Tho old
time farmer knew nothing about JIirc; what troubled
him was ihc "pcsky sugar sand II he was honest
no got I'D Of II in Of the old hOmcspun way ;
and II he wasn't well, he Just let II 20 IN for luck
Chemically this sand is mixture Of lime and MALE
acid maatc OF lime. and II Is also found In appics
At 10 IA pounds 10 the gallon, this malatc Of lime
won't all settle; at IL pounds to tn gallon. II
will but the syrup Is then rather thick for us~.
What usually done. therefore, IS 70 filter the syrup
through "a thick cloth. The standard for syrup IL
supposed 10 be IL pounds to the gallon. but p1c
commerce Is about 10 ID pounds 10 The gallon
Great IS the quantity Of Inapl" sugar and syrup
made much could very easily be made. ana Ii
is hoped that the maple sugar bounty offered by the
industry Rather strangely. however, very few maple
sugar makers took ont the licenses last July Tat
would entiuc them 10 the bounty this spring. liut
II is expected that during the coming GUNNER th"y
will realize their interest In the matter and take out
licenses that will cntltle them to bounty next
spring.