The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-02-27

Vernal season sets in. This is the be-
sirring of the change of life, from the
dead and drear winter to the bursting
of the buds that reveal the wonders
of
Natures Ever Changing Attitude.
The farmer takes advantage of this
unknown to him-strange piece of work
Of nature, and appropriates to himself
what rightly belongs to and is needed
to the support of the great maple trees
that lend a helping hand in identifying
the landscape of his rural abode.
The average farmer, however, does
not go much on sentiment of this kind
and cares less for scenery; and so. in
the clearing and the cultivation of his
farm has carefully selected e sugar
grove of giant trees, plucked out the
smallest, trimmed the suitable ones.
in season, of course, grubbed out the
underbrush, sowed the land in grass.
ana here and there nailed UP a sign:
NO Treaspa1sin' heer''-to be in force
only during the hunting season. In
summer time this fine grove answered
Tor the browsing grounds of hundreds
OF head of sheep and cattle, and. If
near a village, is brought into usa Or
caslonally by picnickers and outing
parties. So it is that many farmers
once reckoned on the proftableness of
keeping sugar grove.
The Preparatory Scenes
of sugar making are quite interastin, nh
few days preceding the opening Of tho ca,n~
are fraught with much animation ahou- thc
old homestead. when every merttrr IF tbo
household is kept On the go looking into tic
oetalis OF this and that and seeing that su
is IN readiness before the eventf1l ,:draI-
ping day arrives The bousev,fe CT
AZ 10
securing up the dlppers and swimmers VIII IN
perhaps had given service to manv genera
n niGns a De sugar makers The hooks and cr5n-
mes are searched cut. c0oWebs brus h d away
and every available vessel that viii boid
water is brought forth to BE- pat in use: and
IL IL Glten happens that an Did chu7n or wa h.
DoIler is Drought into reQIisition.
The canning utensils are brought out. given
cleansing and rejuvenat.ug 10 be in reaSi
all other work about the home is done IN
and things put in ship shape to be in ,eaIf-
ness when clearing off, time " comes nf1,,s
While the women foIks'' are thTe 6,,.ial
the men folks are not at all idle.
The Old Camp Furnace.
where the "bilin' down" is done, is gwen a
thorough overhauling. First, he great ron
kettles are taken out and cleaned of q
years rust; the iron bars Of the CRATE are
pulled and Strengthened and relieved of their
surplus OF rust and wood ashes; the ashes
and other detrius are cleaned from between
the furnace walls; the chimney is straight
ened and plastered up; the lose stones rut
in their respective places, and many ether
necessary things take place before the work
Of boiling can commence. Wood is hauled
and chopped into sizes to fit the furnace:
and if coal is used it must be hauled from
some country bank a mile or so awly The
camp shed is looked after and patched ID
where needed to keep out the wind aud
rain; fresh straw and leaves are put in 10
replace the bed of the year previous and
other necessary comforts attended to before
the season opens.
Some years nearly two weeks are con-
sumed to complete the preparations. But 1t
all derends on the size OF the camp and
after all this fitting up is done the farmer
retires to his home and waits for Providence
TO bring about favorable day for tapping
and putting in the spies and placing the
buckets
week or two sometimes passes before