Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1893-05-27
TAPPING A MAPLE TREE.
a GREAT AND DIST1NCT1VELx
AMERICAN INDUSTRY
The Best Weather for n Big Yield
Curious Things About Sap and
Maple Trees.

II F / could make the maple sugar
OF the country. wouldn't care
who make either l.s songs or
Z. its laws said "a New York COM
mission man. Last year the maple
belt Of the United States gave ny
enough sap to yield 20, 1000, 900 pounds
Of sugar. This year. from all reports.
th5s distinctivelv American product viii
be increased at least 5000. 900 pounds.
This will be due IN great lnrt to the
Government bounty on maple sugar.,
ana in no small degree to the fact that
1898 will be all exceptionally good sap
wear. The winter was extraordinarily
cold, but it was even III temperature.
There was much SNOW III the woods.
Spring II It's approach KEEP: the golden
mean between lingering cold and sud
den warmth. This is as it should be
for proper sugar weather. Spring
~eather IN January or February starts
the sap before, It's time. Winter
weather in March and April checks .ts
flow. There will he more maple sugar
made this spring than was ever made
before, and of better quality than
has been known for laany years. Last
wear, including the Government
bounty, the maple SUGAR crop melted
the farmers ten cents q pound. 1t Will
not be less this 3ear. They may con-
ilentlv calculate on receiving $780,
900 for their r IN 1898. Who would
not rather make the maple sugar OF the
country than either its rongs or ltn
laws?
.'Vcrmont. fox rome reason, is gen
orally supposed to be the one great
sourcc Ct the country's maple sugar
slipplv, and yet Vermont makes less
tllan one.ffteenth of the whole. Yer
1nont's reputation for producing the
finest quality of Gugnr is deserved. Tor
the sugar makers Of that State were
tno first to recognize the Importance
Of the commodity "a n factor III
; domestic as we'll as foreign commerce,
! and to bring to its manufacture not
= ONLY scientific helps but the potent aid
: of observation and study of the maple
l tree. and the effects npon it of climate,
: soil. and meteorological conditions.
5 1t is the popular belief that pur"
Il maple sugar is invariably EEown ty it:'
i dark, damn-looking appearance. In
! the old days Of maple sugar making the
" product was necessarily very dana, be-
cause the simple processes then in use
I. could rot make it light. But 1t was
g. full Of impurities all the same. MOI
n > authorizations, but natural impurities.
IL NOWADAYS it is not the dark maple
ut sugar that should be regarded cs the
OF pure article, for it is more apt to b'
~ the most impure. The very best maple
10 sugar that IN from Vermont or else
es where is OF o light, clear, dry, gloss1
IS brown-so very light, indeed. that l
IA looks like clarified beeswax.
to "Many curious things about sap an
Ill maple trees nave been discovered b
~ ~ observant sugar makers. Fer the sal
ed to run freely there must be well-mln
:" cled conditions of hest, cold and light
Up In Vermont the sugar maker has foun
h that ne gets more and sweeter sap b
ee tapping his trees as near the roots q
he conveniently can, while in TN
~ State, especially in Western New York
N. a high tap yields the greater qunntit
and the better quality OF sap. A still
lot dry, dense atmosphere, with q no1tf
,nr west wind. is the best FOR steady sa
is running. When tie ground tLaws du,
to ing the day and freezes at night. IN
M "a there is plenty Of Snow IL the wood
al .'sap weather is said to be at its hes
Ter A southwest wind, with threats Of
81 storm, Will stop tho flow Of sap.
NO the storm is 8 SHOW storm, though, ar
The q freeze succeeds il, the sugar max
ler will be happy, for then the sap vi
tha start with reduubled ireedo
I'D. when the thaw that must quic
m. II follow comes. Sap runs bett'
q when the mir is highly oxvgenize'
\ tap on the south side OF Il tree WI
cry produce more sap her c tap on ii
lay north side. Sap that runs at mig.
.nt Will make more and better sugar thu
the the same quantity Of day sap. SAP
yal also heavier with saccharine matt
ssnae when caught lrlmedlately before
,as inst after . snow STERN Or "a freeze-u
by = few trees will produce ms much 81
will as g good many This apparent an
Iho malv is explained bv the curious in
no that trees standing close together divi'
hat the aggregate low made possible
the area Of soil they cover. which q
, ~ grcgate would be as grea: if the
the were half as many trees draining t
OF spot. An acre of good ground shou
the not he called upon to support no
~ than thirty trees tc he used in sug
,ar- making. More than that on an &C
my will decrease the supply Of sugar
that Is. TO matter how many tree.
farmer might tap On AZ acre, he wor
nan ret no more sugar than II he had !,
o. thirty trees Oh the acre. A well-ke
hey sugar bush should yield ten pounds
ist sugar u the tree. or 800 pounds TO
acre. Five gallons Of good sap y
make one gallon Of good syrup.
gallon II syrup viii make between
Of and tirht mounds ~ sugar. II Is
,ne hard maple tree sha. makes the sug
but HlIIL4L1 county. VI EOUleI