The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-02-27
The Maple Sugar Industry.

At the meeting of the board of agri.
culture at Rupert, Hon. Victor 1. Spear
discoursed on maple sugar as follows:
zone third of the entire crop of the
United States is made in this state. 1t
should be matter of pride to foster
this industry. There is no immediate
danger of overlooking the market.
The industry could not be greatly ex-
tended because the number of maple
trees was limited. The present product
of fifty million pounds per year in this
country only gives about three fourths
of pound per year to each person.
The low price now received for sugar
is due to two causes-frst, the presence
In the market of adulterated goods,
made from glucose and cane sugar, that
are sold as maple goods; and second, to
the production of large amount of an
inferior quality. The first obstacle We
may not be able to overcome at present
and may have to wait until the govern
ment gives us purefood law, which
will take glucose, syrup and many
other frauds out of our market or at
least compel them to be sold for what
they are. The second objection, poor
quality, may and should be overcome
by the producers. The maker OF maple
sugar to-day should put aside the idea
of value in it from its sweetening quail
tiles, and depend upon flavor for fixing
the value. Maple sugar or syrup that
is purchased as a luxury commands
high price and is paid by the consumer
willingly. Many producers are receiv-
ing 81 per gallon for their syrup and
ten to fifteen cents pound for their
sugar.
"One trouble with the business is
that not enough people are getting
these prices. The man who makes a
fine article must find customers who
want it; he must put little business
into the work aud look up market.
Advertise in sections where sugar is
bought, and interest friends or rela-
tives outside the state to place his
product for him. The Maple Sugar
Makers Association is an organization
that is working for this same purpose,
and it is for the interest of sugar max
ers to unite and try to produce more
uniform product and improve their
methods. The farmer should consider
his sugar orchard as of special impor-
lance and provi lie modern utensils; be
ready to commence when the season
first opens and not lose the first week
of the sugar season in breaking roads
and getting ready. The sugar made
this first week is the best of the season
and brings the highest price. Care
should be taken in tapping the trees.
Tap where there is healthy, thrifty
appearance in the tree, with 16 or
10 inch bit, and bore from an inch to
an inch and a half deep. The extra
quality of sugar made from shallow
tapping is sufficient to make good any
loss in quantity.
"Sap should be gathered often and
boiled Immediately. The dark color of
sugar comes largely from allowing the
sap to remain exposed to the air. As a
rule, the less time it is exposed the
lighter the color of the product. Sap
should be kept as cool as possible.
Some form of an evaporator is nearly
indispensable in doing economical and
satisfactory work. He had seen excel.
lent results from using pans in some
cases, but the best average results are
from evaporators. He liked some form
of metal spout Are more easily kept
clean than wood. Remove the malate
of lime or sugar sand in all cases.
When cooked sufficiently for syrup, this
substance would settle if allowed to
stand in large can until cool. He
liked the felt strainer. This takes out
the sand, and syrup can then be put in
cans Immediately while hot and sealed.
Syrup is the form in which the maple
product will be wanted, and it is more
profitable to sell syrup than sugar.
Syrup should be made thick enough to
weigh eleven pounds to the gallon net.
This point is easily determined by the
meter or thermometers"