The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-03-09
THE MAPLE SUGAR SEASON.

their SCneme involves the same QdnSGIS
THE MAPLE SUGAR SEASON.
One of the earliest signs of spring in this
latitude-so early in fact that it is some
times disappointing as a standard of reck-
oning-is the appearance on the local mar
ket of new maple syrup. The Journal is
well aware that this article, like many
other products Of nature, is basely initiated
nowadays, but there is still quite a good
deal of genuine maple syrup and sugar
made and no doubt sugar maple trees are
more carefully preserved now than they
were in former times, when they were cut
down and burned without mercy to clear
the land There is no surer and scarcely
any earlier sign of the reviving activity Of
nature after her winters sleep than the
upward movement of the sap in sugar
trees. 1t comes with the first mild days Of
February or March. The frost is scarcely
yet out of the ground and the snow often
is not yet melted before the machinery
begins to work that is soon to clothe the
sugar trees with buds and leaves. That is
the time when the maple sugar maker
compels the trees to part with a share of
their sap. Other naples. the birches,
hickories and some other trees yield a small
amount of sugar, but none nearly as much
as the sugar maple. The tree is not found,
for sugar-making purposes, outside of
North America, being confined to the
northern parts of the United States and the
British possessions. The secret of making
sugar from it's sap was probably obtained
by the early white settlers of America from
the Indians, and formerly it was an indus
try of no small Importance. According to
the census of 1870 the total production of
maple syrup in the United States the pre-
ceeding year was 2S,443,645 pounds in TWEEN
ty-eight different States, of which Vermont
contributed the most-S,S94 ,3O2 pounds. In
diana's record that year was 1,332, $50
pounds. The total quantity of maple mo-
lasses returned was 92l, O57 gallons-not suf-
ficient to constitute a great factor in ma
tional wealth, but enough to sweeten a
great many buckwheat cakes. The pro-
duction is not as great now as it was then,
though the machinery and facilities for
the manufacture have been greatly i'm
proved. For some reason or other Yer
mont has always led all the other States
in the production of maple sugar-perhaps
because the thrifty farmers of that State
had foresight enough to preserve their trees
and perhaps because they found it a con-
venient way to exc out small incomes. In
1892 Congress passed a law giving bounty
on sugar of any kind manufactured in the
United States that reached a specified
standard of excellence, and out of 1900
sugar makers in the entire country who
complied with the law, filling out blanks
and taking preliminary steps to secure the
bounty, 1900 were in Verm mt.
But to a great majority Of people what
sugar is more interesting that the CONNER
cial side The number of persons who have,
probably in early life, experienced the
pleasure of visit TO a sugar camp is vastly
greater than the number of those who profit
by it's manufacture, and the perennial
sweetness of the memories engendered by
these visits outweighs that of any years
product Most of the jewellers in American
cities have in early life either lived on
farms or visited them, and if they were
brought UP in the North the chances are
they have been privileged to visit sugar
camp during the few days Of activity in
spring when the process of making sugar
and molasses was going on. If so. they
have never forgotten the experience. and
as long as they live the taste of maple
sugar or syrup, like the odor Of some flow
ers or the melody of some songs, recalls
sensations long dormant and starts a train
of thought that makes them, for a brief
period of forgetfulness, imagine they are
young again.