Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1905-06-21
NEED MORE MAPLE SUGAR.
Bureau Of Forestry Pans to Extend
Production.

Bureau of Forestry Pans to Extend
Production.
The bureau of forestry has been
Studying the maple sugar industry
with the view Of securing a larger use
of teh maple forests. Since 1856 the
area of maple sugar farming has
greatly changed and shrunk. In ear
- days maple sugar was commonly
made. even in many parts of the
south, because cane sugar was virtual
ly unobtainable. No longer is there
even a limited production in South
Carolina, Georgia Alabama, Mississip-
pi, Louisiana and Arkansas. This is
because can sugar can now be bought
everywhere at a low price and is pre-
ferred TO maple sugar for sweetening
In Indiana. Michigan and Illinois the
maple trees have been extensively
cut for lumber, thus reducing the op-
portunity for tree-tapping In those
states, also, the markets are glutted
with limitations, which removes the
incentive to extending the industry
lr other states, as in wez+ern Mary.
land, West Virginia. Ohio, New York
and in New England, the maple lgar
industry has held its own or heen in
creased.
The best sap flow is secured in the
cooler northern states, yet good re
suits can be expected in most OF
Pennsylvania and West Virginia. in
western Maryland, all Of Indiana and
Kentucky, eastern Tennessee and
western North Carolina. At present
the largest producers of sugar maple
products are Ohio, Vermont and New
York. The sugar and black naples
yield the most and the best sap al
though some other species of maple
may be worked to advantage when
neither is available.
The maple is hardy and vigorous
tree and readily reproduces itself, so
there need be no fear of failure of sap
supply For sap production the all
important consideration is for the tree
r. have a fail and heavy crown. Yet
II should also grow under forest con
ditions which maintain a ground cover
OF litter and humus.
As n result Of the study recently
made definite directions for the man
agement and improvement of existing
groves and for the establishment OF
new ones in suitable localities and
under different conditions. have oeen
prepared and will soon be published.
Many valuable data regarding the
profit in making maple sugar we're
also collected From these 1t appears
that a farmer can easily clear about
50 an acre from a sugar grove. The
expenses in this estimate are placed
are a maximum; all the labor and haul
ing are charged in at market rates.
though as a matter Of faCt the sugar
season falls at time when the far
mer has little other employment for
himself or his horses. In actual prac-
tfce. for the farmer who can do most
Of his own work, the profit should be
considerably larger And the land
thus utilized will yield little or moth
ing uHQef any OtheT use.
The old method of collecting the
SAP by making diagonal cut in the
tree was abandoned long ago because
IL injured the tree so that it could be
worked for but a few years. The
approval practice now is to bore a hole
one inch deep and three-eights Of an
inch in diamete- into the sunny side
Of trees over twelve inches In diane
ter. and to make but one hole In each
tree. except possibly where the trees
are especially large and productive.
Vast improvements have also been
made In appliances for handling the
sap and boiling It down 10 sugar and
sirup.
Maple trees now furnish but a small
per cent of the commercial maple ST.
rup and sugar. While the densnd
for both these commodities has con
stantly increased, the output rom
maple trees has decreased durfn the
last twenty years The trade has been
supplied only by radically adulf 81 ating
the pure goods OF by manufac' lring
product entirely from foreign materi-
ais. II IS conservatively estimated
that seven-eighths Of what is sold as
maple strip and sugar Is a spurious
article. Most OF the fabrlcations are
entirely harmless, but they are not
the real thing Those fortunate
enough TO have eaten he genuine ar
ticle will always demand t. and con
ditions should be such that they may
get #. If they are willing to pay the
price
The fault does not lie with the
producers. those who tap the trees
and reduce the sap 10 strip and sugar.
but with the middlemen who buy the
sugar and mix and adulterate It most
Droftably for themselves The extent