Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-09
The First Spring Work of the New
England Farmers.
THROUGH SNOW TO TEE ORCHARD
The Process Of Making the Sugar
for tR Market.
OLD-TIME AND MODERN WAYS


hundreds of maple sugar orchards that
have been only recently in full operation
There are many interesting features in the
working of such an orchard" grove"
or "bush,'' one is variously termed, and
"sugaring time" is pleasantly Anticipated
Eot only by the average small boy with a
sweet tooth. but as we'll by the farmer who
hopes to pay his annual store bill with the
receipts from his surplus sugar crop, or to
turn this in as barter, which is the same
thing. The lateness of the recent sugar
season, crowding, as 1t did, the early plow-
ing. was due 10 a backward spring, and it's
height was seen during the first three
weeks of April rather than, as is often the
case within the limits of it's windy pre-
decessor
Little seems to have been written of this
Industry, so conspicuous in one of our old
est states. The census of 1870 showed the
total production Of maple sugar in the
United States to be 2S,443, 645 pounds in
tw enty-eight different states. Vermont
produced nearly nine million pounds, New
York little less than six and three-quarter
millions. Ohio three and one-half millions
ard New Hampshire. Pennsylvania and
Indiana between one and two millions each,
in the order named In the year of 1893 the
total production was about three and one
quarter million pounds. and in about the
same comparative amounts. / presume.
The SugarinE Season.
improvement in the means of sugar pro-
duction has been varied and extensive
as is seen in other branches of farming
The process formerly was very crude, and
in some instances Is so now. AT the early
approach of spring the farmer looks anx-
iously for frosty nights and warm mid
Cay. A winter of little or no snow brings
10 gladness to the prospective sugar maker.
A hard winter, as the farmers say and an
early open spring under the above condi-
tons hasten the cleansing and airing of
the sap buckets, spouts, pals, holders and
other paraphernaiia necessary to modern
sugar outfit. The first step necessary Is
breaking the road to the sugar house If the
farmer Is fortunate or forehanded enough
to have one; otherwise TO the heart of the
BUSH, where he doubtless finds the old
arch three feet under snow. The small
farmer breaks a foot-path, the farmer of
means road for his OK team.
We will trace the steps of the former
His pathway open. his arch cleared and
reset he returns to the house for his pan"
unless perchance he had left ii the year
previous turned bottom up against a tree
three-eighths augsr., Ratchet, neck yoke
and wooden or tip, buckets Imagine an
arch or stone clumsily built capped by an
iron pan 6x4 feet ard with large pile Of
rough wood. seasoned since the previous
1all, although unapEered, near at hand
all this in sheltered nook, IL possible out
OF the penetrating winds. Again imagine
the farmer of means supplanting the above
Win more modern sugar house cOmforta-
bic. commodious and well equipped accord
ing TO the plant necessary for the orch ard
Here with your iron arch, iron chimney
anu eVaporators, fuel carefully prepared
metal tubs. rubber tubing. siphon and reg
ulator. shining pals and strip tub, haul
Ing holders and OK sled, or perchance your
chutes or wooden cutters from orchard to
sugar house. you wonder at the changes
that have resultedIin what is termed pure
sugar., even at the risks of easy adultera-
tion. that have msde disappear the hardy
woodsman who gathers his saps with buck
cts supported by the primitive neck yoke.
while wife or sweetheart stands with skim
mer in hand at the arch side in a cloud
of maple-Scented steam and Sitting snoLa
robbing, as they do. the bush of all its
poetry and sentiment. About you are
those giant naples tapped on the warm
or sunny side. on two sides maybe if the
tree is large and sheltered, with old spout
or spill holes apparent showing the dir
ferent intervals of tapping from the
previous seasons darkened aperture all the
way to scar on the bark, marking a lapse
OF ten or a dozen years. A decayed beech
dugout brings dim recollections of a
hatchet wound in the side with dripping
sap from quarter-moon metal 'spile.'"
rms gives place to memories of the
wooden pail hung en- rusty nail and, in
time, to visions of the modern tin bucket
supported by the wire heck hanging from
the wooden ut. about three inches in
Inree-elghths hole an inch or two in depth
This spout slants dowpwar and thereby
fangs tale. young man, city bred-and
m poor health, retited to the green hills of
Vermont purchased an unabandoned hill
SIDE farm, and sought returning strength
In honest toll. His first work was in the
sugar season. reighbor called to give
MIN good cheer, found him in the sugar
place, and was astounded to see the spouts
in nearly every tree slanting upward at
argies Of ten to twenty degrees The Of
fect on the neighhor was Lot less than that
produced on the widow at the sight of iler
pet geese tipsy after feaSting on the BRAN
died cherries.
The Work ut a Sugar Camp,
A maple sugar camp in Vermont is still
Well worth seeing. While the primitive
conditions would interest yeu far more.
still the many improvements of recent
years have not wholly taken away its
cfarms Even with the added conveniences
and comforts of house, and the modern
evaporators. the work is much the same
Inc tapping Of the trees, the gathering
OF the sap and the final "sugaring off, are
Httie Changed. The number of trees tap
PED runs all the way from two or three
hundred to 5000 or more and good rum
means hustltng for every one. with boiling
day and night.
A good-siZed apparatus for boiling Is
ABOUT Okla feet. The arch has rear depth
OF about foot, then gradually sloping
IRON: the CHIMNEY cad to the trent it has
depth of from two to two and one-half
feet A single long pan. with trap parti-
tons, or e. series CT pans, with siphon at
tachments. are variously employed for re-
ductag the sap to strip and sugar. In
either case the sap is fed into the evap-
orator from the holder through hose with
strainer attachment and a regulator grad
uating the supply. Then. passing from
apartment to apartment through trap or
through siphon, the, sap gradually changes
In color ard INCREASES in density until it
reaches the last and Is drawn off by
spiggot as sirup,, Weigi ing about eleven
pounds to the gallon This approximates
the strip OF commercial use but it is usu-
ally taken to the house in pals. from three
to half dozen at a time. when it Is boiled
anoW to remove arg, remaining impurities.
can for strip or 'ssboil down" for removing
solid into tin cans ct different sizes. or for
"sugaring off" to q make into cakes or to
grain dry. The more sugar is stirred, or
butter is worked" the finer the grain and
lighter the color. The latter is also due to
care in gathering and in boiling. keeping
the sap as free from rain. dirt leaves or
twfgs as is possible. These are impurities
that largely pass away in the scum and
this Is sometimes made into vinegar
Little AdultcrntlOn.