Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1902-02-21
MAPLE SUGAR DAYS.
What Vermont VIII BE Doing Shortly
and How 1t VIII BE Done.

What Vermont VIII BE Doing Shortly
and How 1t VIII BE Done.
1t will not be very long now before
the maple sugar season is at hand.
Maple sugar makers, especially In
Vermont, which is the headquarters
of this industry, are already shining
up their big brass pans, collecting their
sap spouts and wooden buckets. Many
country boy is looking forward to
the maple sugar parties which are soon
to come, and the delightful features of
"sugaring-off."
The process of making maple sugar is
a comparatively simple one, although In
these days more scientific methods are
employed than in former times. The
first thing done is to tap or bore the
trees about an inch and half at con-
venient distance from the ground. A
spout is then driven into the hole, and
bucket hung to catch the flow ing sap
Times when it freezes hard at night and
thaws during the day make the best
sugar weather, and the sap sometimes
flows in steady stream, with that
''drp, drip" which is dear to the sugar
makers heart.
Modern methods have revolutonized
even the spout used in sugar making. In
the old time during the long winter
evenings the sugar maker, by his big
wood fire, would make his own spouts
Now spouts are purchased by the scores
and hundreds ready made.
One of the most interesting features Of
sugar making is the collection of the sap
With horse and sled the collector goes
about carefully emptying the contents of
each bucket into the huge vat on the
sled. Years ago with two pals slung
from yoke which fitted over his should
ers, the collector would wander about
on his tour until the pals were full,
when he would seek the sugar house
and empty his load.
The boiling is the next step, and this
is done in huge pan in the sugar house.
There are quick-acting evaporators,
closely watched to prevent scorching, and
to keep out all dirt. The sap is boiled in
these evaporators to a syrup weighing
about 10 pounds to the gallon. The
bulk of the sugar is sold in this way,
while the remainder is boiled until it
graduates, and is poured into buckets
and pals, or moulds. and makes its
journey out into the world.
In the old days the sap was boiled in
an old iron kettle usually hung on a
pole, resting on two forked sticks driven
into the ground in gypsy fashion. In
some places in Vermont this system is
still carried out. and the very dark
colored sugar, which is sometimes seen
on the market, is usually made in this
way.
The sugar makershas many fads and
fances, especially as to the time and
place for tapping the trees. In order to
secure the largest run of sap it is neces-
sary to tap tree on the weather side.
He always taps the trees on the south
side, excepting toward the close of the
season, when he changes this method,
longest on the north side.
Vermont is paradise of sugar makers.
In prosperous years the output amounts
to as much as 100000 pounds of
sugar. Ohio is the next largest pro-
Queer, and markets an average of 12,000-
900 pounds. Maine, northern New York
and some parts of Massachusetts, espe-
cially the western and nOrtherly por.
tons, produce good quality. Other
states along our northern border pro-
duce more or less maple sugar, and the
hill countries of Maryland land Virginia
are coming to the front in this industry.
Boston Herald.