The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-04-24
MAPLE SUGAR LORE.
Vermont Not the Chief Produce,
Of the Article.
ether States Are Now vying with
the Green Mountain State In
the Excellence Of Their
Sugar.

commission dealer. lis generally sup
posed to be the one great source o,
the country's maple sugar supply, and
yet Vermont makes less than one-fif
teenth Of the whole. Vermont's repu
-fation 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
it's 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
meteorological conditions. Vermont
maple sugar has national fame. as has
Goshen butter. although there is not a
pound Of butter made in or around
Goshen that enters market now, nor
has there been for years.
'New York city dealers sold 12,ooo..
900 pounds of maple sugar last year.
Three-quarters of that amount was sold
as Vermont sugar, at least 1900. 900
pounds more than that state produces.
To-day Delaware and Cattaraugas
counties in this state, some of the
northern tier counties of Pennsylvania,
particularly Susquehanna and Wayne.
and more particularly central coun.
~ of NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
the counties of the Western Reserve Of
Ohio, are making maple sugar equal to
the very best that ever came from Yer.
mont. just as our Delaware and Che.
Inung counties. and certain counties az
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 1, and lasts until the mid
die of April, yet one sees every year,
early in February, in the hign-priced
fancy groceries of this city, tempting
looking bars and cakes Of maple sugar
labeled "Vermont-First Rum 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
some thing 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 ali the poor or refuse strip
md sugar they have on hand. These
dealers send out agents through the
to hunt up this inferior tail
end stock. 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
arge additions of cheap brown sugar
ard glucose. The result of this re-
of tho last years inferior
foods into goods still more inferior is
shipped to New York and other cities
Is the very first Of the new crop of
Vermont maple sugar before tree has
Been tapped for the seasons run of
;ap. Although it has none of the
lavor of genuine maple sugar, the city
olks buy it at fancy prices and goat
,ver it.
1T is the popular belief that pure
maple sugar is invariably known by its
lark, damp-looking appearance. In
he old days of maple sugar making the
product WIS necessarily very dark, be-
,ause the simple processes then in use
could not make it light. But it was full
# impurities all thesame. No adulter- |
Itions, but natural impurities. Now
days it is not the dark maple sugar |
hat should be regarded as the pure |
rticle. for it is more apt to be the
most impure. The very best maple |
ugar that comes from Vermont or else
where is Of light. clear. dry, glossy |
very light, indeed, that it
colls like clarified beeswax."-N. y. |
,ul.