The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1897-05-20
MAPLE SUGAR LORE.
Vermont Not the Chief Producer
of the Article.
Other states Are Now vying with
the Green Mountain state I'm
the Exceilence of Their
sugar.


sugar.
"vermont. for some reason" said q
commission dealer. "is generally sup
posed TO be the one great source of
the country's maple sugar supply, and
yet Vermont makes less than one-fif-
teenth Of the whole. Vermont's repu-
tation 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 1T Of climate. soil and
meteorological conditions. Vermont
maple sugar has national fame, as has
Goshen butter. although there is not
pound of butter made in or around
Goshen that enters market now. nor
has there been for years.
New York city dealers sold 12,0OO,-
600 pounds of maple sugar last year.
Three-ouarters of that amount was sold
as Vermont sugar. at least 100000
pounds more than that state produces.
To-day Delaware and Cattaraugas
counties in this state. some of the
northern tier counties of Pennsylvania,
particularly Snsquehnuna and Wayne,
and more particularly central coun-
ty of Pennsylvania --Somerset--besides
the counties of the Western Reserve Of
L. tpr II 70
the very best that ever came from Ver-
mo. :. Just as our Delaware and Che
mung counties. and certain counties as
far away as Illinois. are making the
butter that people set in their ways are
to-day buying under the old name and
fame of Goshen butter. So. while
maple sugar bought as Vermont sugar
in this city may not be the Green
Mountain state product. buyers may
rest easy. The chances are that they
have got sugar made in New York,
Pennsylvania or Ohio. but it is just as
good.
''The true maple sugar season begins
about March ]. and lasts until the mid
die of April. vet one sees every year,
early in February. in the high-priced
fancy groceries of this city. tempting
looking bars and cakes of maple sugar
labeled ''Vermont-First Run The
grocers buy that article for Just what
they represent it to be to their GUS
toners. but instead of being the first
run of the Vermont sugar camps it is
the last run of the year before. and
something else. At the close of 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 sirup
and sugar they have on hand. These
dealers send out agents through the
country to hunt up this inferior tail
end stock. 1t 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 sirup
and sugar are boiled together with
large additions of cheap brown sugar
and glucose. The result of this re-
vamping 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. Although it has none of the
flavor of genuine maple sugar. the city
folks buy it at fancy prices and gioat
over it.
1T is the popular belief that pure
maple sugar is invariably known by its
dark, damp-looking 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 it was full
of impurities all the same. No adulter.
ations. but natural impurities. Now
adays it 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 else.
where is of light, clear, dry. glossy
brown-so very light. indeed, that il
looks like clarified beeswax."-N. Y
Sun.