The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-06-03
TAPPING THE MAPLE TREE.
Interesting Facts About Great and Dis.
tinctiyely American Industry.

tinctiyely American Industry.
''If could make the maple sugar of
the country, wouldn't care who made
either its songs or it's laws. said New
York commission man. Last year the
maple belt of the United States gave up
enough sap to yield 20, 600, 900 pounds OF
sugar. This year, from all reports, this
distinctive American product will be
increased at least 5000. 600 pounds. This
will be due in great part to the govern
ment bounty on maple sugar, and in no
small degree to the fact that 1898 will
be an exceptionally good sap year. The
winter was extraordinarily cold, but it
was even in temperature. There was
much snow in the woods, Spring in its
approach has kept the golden mean be-
tween lingering cold and sudden
warmth. This is as it should be for
proper sugar weather. Spring weather
in January or February starts the sap
before it's time Winter weather in
March or April checks its flow. There
will be more maple sugar made this
spring than was ever made before, and
of better quality than has been known
the government bounty, the maple
sugar crop netted the farmers 10 cents
a pound 1t will no be less this year.
They may confidently calculate on re-
ceiving 81. 500, 900 for their crop in 1898.
Who would not rather make the maple
sugar of the country than either its
songs or its laws?
Vermont, for some reason, is gener-
ally supposed to be the great source Of
the country's maple sugar supply, and
yet Vermont makes less than one
fifteenth of the whole. Eermont's rep
utation for producing the finest quality
of sugar is deserved, for the sugar
makers of that state were the first to
recognize the Importance of the com
modify as factor in domestic as well
as foreign commerce, and to bring to
its manufacture not only scientific helps
but the potent aid of observation and
study of the maple tree, and the effects
upon it of climate, soil and meteorolog-
ical conditions. Vermont maple sugar
became of national fame, the same as
Goshen butter became a household word
for ali that was superior in the art Of
butter making. And Vermont sugar,
like Goshen butter. holds that fame to-
day, although there is not a pound of but
ter made in or around Goshen that en-
tiers market now, nor has there been for
years. New York city sold $4,000. 900
pounds of maple sugar last year.
Three-quarters of that amount was
sold as Vermont sugar, at least 4,000,-
900 pounds more than that state
produces To-day Delaware and
Cattaraugus counties in this state,
of Pennsylvania, particularly Susque-
hanna and Wayne, and more particu-
larly central county of Pennsylvania
Somerset county-and notably. the
counties of the western reserve OF Ohio,
are making maple sugar equal to the
very best that ever came from Vermont;
just as our own Delaware and Chemung
counties, and certain counties as far
away as Illinois. are making the butter
that people, set n their ways, are to-
day buying under the old name and
fame of Goshen butter. So, while ma
pie sugar bought as Vermont sugar in
this city may not be the genuine Green
Mountain state product, buyers may
rest easy. The chances are that they
have got sugar made in New York,
Pennsylvania or Ohio. It is just as
good. 1t certainly is if it happens to
come from Delaware county, \. Y.
THE true maple sugar season begins
about the LIST of March and lasts until
the middle of April yet one sees every
year, early in February, in the high
priced fancy groceries of this city,
tempting looking bars and cakes of
maple sugar, labelled 'Vermont-First
Run The grocers buy that article for
just what they represent it to be to
their customers, but instead of being
the first run of the Vermont sugar
camps it is the last run of the year be-
fore-and something else. At the close
eff every maple sugar season certain
Vermont dealers, and dealers in
other sugar-making localities, too,
buy up from the farmers all
the poor or refuse strip and
sugar they have on hand. These deal
ers send out agents through the country
to hunt up these inferior and tail-end
stocks. It is bought cheap and is kept
over until the next winter. AS early
as January the dealers begin to prepare
it for the market. The strip and sugar
are boiled together with large additions
of cheap brown sugar and glucose.
The result of this revamping of the
last years inferior goods into goods
still more inferior is shipped to New
York and other cities as the very first
of the new crop of Vermont maple
sugar before tree has been tapped for
the seasons run of sap. And, although
it has none of the flavor of the genuine
maple sugar, the city folks buy it at
fancy prices and gloat over it.
1t is the popular belief that pure
maple sugar is invariably known by its
dark, damp-looling appearance. In
the old days of maple sugar making the
product was necessarily very dark, be-
cause the simple processes then in use
could not make it light But il was full
of impurities all the same. Not adult
erations but natural impurities Now
adays il is not the dark maple sugar
that should be regarded as the pure
article. for it is more apt to be the most
impure. The very best maple sugar
that comes from Vermont or elsewhere
IS Of light. clear. dry. glossy brown
so very light, indeed, that it looks like
Il ;+al