Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-03-27

Tho Early Spring is interfering With
Maple Sugar Industry.

Dealers in Augusta report that there
is great scarcity of good maple
syrup this year caused by the early
spring and the unfavorable weather
for syrup making. To have good
run of sap there must be plenty of
snow on the ground and the days must
be warm. and the more it freezes at
night and thaws during the day, SO
much better will the sap run. In late
years, however, there has been a very
noticeable decrease in the maple syrup
and sugar supply. This is due to the
mild winters which have been expert
enced in Maine and maple sugar max
ers say that unless we begin to have
later springs, there will be gradual
falling off of syrup and it's products
until 1t will cease altogether.
The scarcity of maple syrup has
caused the market to be flooded with
adulterated syrups of every con-
ceivable quality. Dealers report that
they have to be OH the lookout for
these adulterated syrups for some of
the maple sugar makers have the art
OF making good limitations of maple
syrup down pat and it is pretty hard
real article. Most of the limitations are
made of brown sugar or molasses with
a little maple syrup added to give the
required flavor.
But these make poor substitutes and
anyone who has tasted the real article
would have no difficulty in dis
tinguishing between the real and the
fraudulent. Most of the limitations
find their best markets in the large
cities where customers are unfamiliar
with the genuine article and will
readily take anything that is offered
them.
Then there is another kind of syrup
that is called golden syrup" There
are two kinds, the imitation and the
real thing. The imitation is made
from starch and glucose, and is one Of
the most indigestible products that
can be found in a grocery store The
real thing, however, is one of the best
syrups made and immense quantities
are sold.
The price of maple syrup has gone
up notch this year and is bringing
$1.25 a gallon. This is about rs cents
higher than usual. An Augusta grocer
when asked by a Journal reporter con-
corning the maple syrup supply, said:
Yes, there is great dearth of maple
syrup all over the country this spring
and this applies to Vermont as we'll as
Maine. which is the largest maple
syrup producing state in the country.
Unless I can get a fresh supply of
syrup from some of the producers, I
shall have to increase the price of my
syrup and this is the rule all over the
city.
Yes. we always have 10 contend with
the imitation and these will flourish
this year on account of the scarcity of
the real article. Why, 1 remember
several years ago that one of the |
farmers who made regular trips into
Augusta used to come in with load |
of sugar that was for the most part |
made from brown sugar or molasses
and he would make the rounds of the |
grocery stores in the morning, holler- |
ing Maple sugar, maple sugar. but |
everyone knew what kind of sugar it |
was and he did not find many Gus tom-
ers.
"Well in the afternoon, the same fell |
low would show up but this time it |
would be molasses sugar that he would |
be selling and IS in the case of his |
morning rounds he had pretty hard |
time selling his product. I think he |
found out that we were onto him, for /
have not seen him for a long time |
and I guess he has departed to more |
favorable parts. There are lots just |
like him. and we have to keep on the
watch for them.
Some of the limitations are all |
right for a substitute but when it
comes to choosing between real maple
syrup and an imitation, well you can
count on me taking the real article
every time