St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1901-04-17
VOL. LXIV---NO. 1927
The napie Sugar Situation.
Why Canada's Product is More Popular
than vermOnTs.

| why Camada's PRODUCT Is more Popular
than VermOnTs.
The maple supar crop is not failure
after ALL although the situation up to
Thursday was indicative of one of the
poorest seasons ever known. A few
days of ideal sugar weather is all that is
needed to change poor sugar year into
a good one, and those few DAYS came
just in the nick Of time. George c. Cary,
the maple sugar magnate of this section
of Vermont, has kept in close touch with
the situation, not only in this state but
in all parts of the sugar producing area,
since the opening of the season, and this
review is made up from the daily reports
received by him.
From April to the 10th the situation
was extremely discouraging. There was
no frost at night and the run of sap was
small. Reports up to the 10th showed
that the yield in Franklin and Washing
ton counties was about one and one
fourth pounds to the tree, and in Gale
donia and Orleans counties only about
one-half pound to the tree. On the night
of the 10th there was a sharp frost and
the following day was reported as the
best sap day up to that time. Frost at
night and the warm sunshine of the 18th
and 18th made ideal sugar days and re-
oil
rank among the best ever known. This
changed the situation, and what promis-
ed to be the poorest year on record began
to look like an average season. On the
18th the flow of sap fell off considerably
in most sections and the reports of the
18th indicated that the sugar season
was about over. A conservative esti-
mate places the production in Caledonia
and Washington counties at about one
and three-quarters pounds to the tree;
in Orleans county about two and one
half pounds, in Franklin county two and
one-half to three pounds.
In Canada the season followed closely
that in Vermont and the total yield is
estimated at two pounds to the tree.
In Ohio the crop is considerably small
er than last year, which was the best
year ever known there. Pennsylvania
produces little more than last season,
and in New York, Michigan and Wiscon-
sin there is about an average yield. Mr..
Cary says that to estimate conservatives
ly the production of Vermont will aver
age two pounds to the tree.
1t may be surprise to many to know
that the great popularity of Vermont
maple sugar in the general market exists
in part in name only. The Canadian
output, which is largely shipped to this
country, commands higher price than
ours. The duty on Canadian sugar is
four cents pound and among the west
ern dealers it sells at about that amount
above that produced at home. Tnis is
attributed to several things. The Can
adian sugar is made into cakes. so of
course it is harder and the shrnkage is
less. Then it has stronger flavor, ow-
ing to the method of manufacture. The
TACT that this flavor is foreign to the pure
product does not count in the reasoning
of the dealer. Another reason given is
that it is all sugar, while in the Vermont
sugar the purchaser frequently fin DIS that
he has bargained for bricks, stones, wood
and sometimes sand. This may seem
like curious statement, but If the reader
will visit Mr.. Carys storehouse he will
be convinced that there are some Ver-
mont farmers who are not over careful
as to what goes into their sugar tubs.
The most conspicuous example of this is
35.pound sugar tub with thin layer
of sugar on top weighing about four
pounds. This rested on a smaller tub
cover and under it was two bricks, some
pieces of wood and rags and over 20
pounds of gravel. This outfit came from
a man in Greensboro who because of
other irregularities Of conduct lett the
country just before the fraud was dis
covered. There is large dealer in Chi
cago who has about half a barrel of
stones as souvenirs of his transactions
in Vermont maple sugar and now under
no Conditions will he handle the product
from this state. A more common method
of cheating is the partial filling of tub
or can with an interior article and then
completing it with sugar OF a good
quality. Such frauds are Of course con-
fined to a few of the many producers in
Vermont. but it is case where the many
must suffer for the dishonesty of a lew
and Vermont's famous industry is dam
aged thereby.