Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1899-04-27
A Poor Sugar Season.

A Poor sugar Season.
The Vermont maple sugar crop for 1885
is far short OF the average In amount. Ii
fact, poorer sugar season has not oc-
CURED in recent years. Doubtless PURE
New Vermont Maple Sugar. will continue
TO be offered in unlimited quantities to
the unsopbisticated city resident, whose
conception is that the sugar season be-
gins in Vermont early in Decem Der and
! that syrup runs in an unceRsing stream
from every maple for about three solid
months-at least we may judge so by the
readiness with which the aforesaid resi-
/ dent grabs at any old thing labelled as
above at any time after New Years.
/ Inasmnch as the Vermont Sugar Max
ers' Market lately established at Ran
dolph depended for its supply mostly on
/ the surplus syrup which the farmers had
after filing their individual orders, 1t can
be understood why the Markets capacity
is not taxed this year. In place Of 10000
to 10000 gals. which 1t could have
handled its output may not exceed 5000
gals. There are orders unlimited from
lotion or carload lots down, and at almost
any price, but not hing to fill them with.
Even some OF our home makers have been
Obliged to apply to the Market to help
them ill their own small orders. The
Market is handling about 100 gals. day
now and shipped a carload to Boston
Tuesday.
However, the promoters are in no wise
discouraged, for they have found the
ready market which they believed existed
for pure sugar put up under a guaranteed
abel and propose to follow the idea to
complete fruition in succeeding years.
The margin OF profit this year is large for
the product handled.
There is considerable speculation as to
the cause OF the poor sugar season. BY
al In ~ Ia al
tributed TO the rsvages OF worms the past
two seasons. It has been feared that com
plete destruction lay in store for our
naples and that Vermont maple sugar
would ere long be as extinct as the
megatherium OF the ichthyossurus.
To determine this point, as well as to
secure other crop information, Manager
Spear sent inquiries to so leading sugar
producers in all parts OF Vermont. he has
received replies TO many OF these. The
questions asked were -
Have the maple trees Of your locality
been seriously damaged by the forest |
worm?
To this, more than half respond with
simple "No." Others answer, "No worms |
here Greensboro yet" Yes, about %
per cent OF them" NO. Fairfax; "Some |
of them quite seriously. but back on the |
hills not much" (Gaysville); practically |
none" EAST Hardwick; "Not any, but |
south OF us they have done considerable |
damage" (Peacham); ITO some extent"
derby CENTER; etc. The worms seem to
have done more damage through Orange |
and Windsor counties and in southwest
ern Vermont than in other parts Of the
state. Northern Vermont knows almost
nothing OF the worm pest-yet. 1t may
go that way later.
Another question asked was, What pro-
portion OF the sugar makers of your town
are not tapping their trees this spring
In reply, ii appears that nearly all have
tapped.
What is the prospect OF the maple sugar
crop this year compared with an average
year ? The answers varied all the way
from 20 to go per cent of an average crop
most OF them from a quarter to half an
agerage crop. Prices also vary from 40c.
to II 90 gal. for syrup and to l0c. Id.
for sugar, but fair average price would
be 65c. to Soc for syrup and Sc. for sugar.
Prices rule lower in the northern part OF
the state, there more sugar seems to have
been made, although crop returns are
about the same the state over,
An unfortunate accident at the Market
Tuesday morning interrupted the work.
The jacketed aluminium kettle in which
he syrup is cooked burst under the steam
pressure at the bottom and the kettleful
d syrup was scattered all over the room.
fortunately, no one was near the kettle at
he time or they would have been badly
calded. new kettle was wired for at
,nce and will soon be in place.