Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-04-20

sugar industry has held its own or been
increased.
The best sap flow II secured in the
cooler northern States, yet good results
can lie expected in most Of Pennsylvania
and West vcrgna in western Maryland.
all NJ Indiana and Kentucky. eastern
Tennessee. and western North Carolina.
At present the largest producers of
sugar maple products are Chic. YER
mont. and New York. The sugar and
black naples yield the most and the
hest sap. although some other species Of
maple may be worked to advantage
when neither OF these is available.
The maple Ia a hardy and vigorous
tree and readily reproduces itself. so
there need be no fear Of failure Of sap
supply. For sap production the all i'm.
portart consideration Is for the tree to
have n full and heavy crown. Yet It
should also grow under forest conditions
which maintain a ground cover of lit
ter and humus.
As a result Of the study recently made
definite directions for the management
and Improvement Of existing groves and
for the establishment Of new ones In
suitable localities and under different
conditions. have been prepared and will
soon be published. Many valuable data
regarding the profit in making maple
sugar were also collected. From these
II appears that a farmer can easily clear
| about 81 an acre from sugar grove.
The expenses in this estimate are plac-
cd at maximum; all the labor and
hauling are charged in at market rates.
| though as a matter Of fact the sugar
| seasin falls at q time when tho farmer
has little other employment for himself
o: his horses. In actual practice, for
the farmer who can do most Of his own
work the profit should he considerably
larger. And the land thus untilzed will
yield little or nothing under any other
| use.
The old method Of collecting the sap
by making "a diagonal cut in the tree
was abandoned long ago because II in
iurcd the tree so that it could be work.
ed for but a few years. Tha approval
practice now IL to bore a hole ono inch
deep and three-eiehths Of an inch in
diameter into the sunny side OF trees
over ~ inches in diameter. and to make
hut ono hole in each tree. except pos
sibly where the trees are especially
large and productive. Vast improve
ncnts have also been r,ade in appli-
II down to sugar and srup.
Maple trees now furnish but small
ror cent of the commercial maple strip
and sugar. While the demand fer both
these commodities has constantly in
creased, the output from maple trees
has decreased during the last 20 years.
The trade has been supplied only by
radically adnlterating the puro goods. or
~ ma II
fror, foreign materials. 1t Is conserva-
lively estimated that seven-eighths OF
what is sold as maple strip and sugar
is spurious article. Most OF the
fabrcntions are entirely harmless. but
they are not the real thing. Those fort
innate enough to have eaten the genuine
article will always demand It, and con-
d,tions should be such that they may
get it, il they are willing to ray the
price.
The fault does not lie with the pro-
ducers. those who tap the trees and re-
duce the sap to syrup and sugar. but with
the miidlemen who buy the sugar and
mix and adulterate 1t most profitably for
themselves. The extent Of this adultera-
ton is illustrated by the fast that while
the amount Of the raw product has de-
creased. the whole quantity sold has
largely increased and It's market price
has been reduced. OF late years the
price has fallen in direct relation to the
decrease in the price Of cane sugar.
The most common substitutes used in
the adulteration OF maple sugar and syrup
are other sugars and glucose. Much of
the so-called maple syrup on the market
is nothing but combination of sweets
with a little maple molasses added to
give the maple flavor. There is also a
maple syrup which contains no maple at
all, but the flavor is obtained by adding
to the compound an extract of hickory
bark. This extensive aduteration forces
the producers of pure maple syrup IL
compete with cheap limitations. The
price of their raw product is kept down.
and the forests of maple are not as profit
able TO their owners as they otherwise
might he.
The consumer is entitled to pure goods
and the producer is entitled to have his
syrup and sugar brought and used for
what it is. Tho remedy is in the hands OF
the producers. and they can effect a
change for the better in two ways. They
can associate themselves IN State and
, large local companies, and, by selling
direct to consumers. cut out the middle
, men, and they can also put their product
, on the market in the form not of sugar
but of syrup. which is most in demand
, The public will not object to paying lit.
, tie higher price for guaranteed pure
goods. The cost Of making and handling
syrup might be n little more than thai
Of sugar. hut the net returns would be
larger, the public better served and the
maple sugar industry profitably extended
The association plan has been adopted
in Nermbnt with excellent results. Annua
meetings are held. through whose in
fiuencc improved methods OF productio,
have been adopted. a central markc
established, and registered trade-mar ri
created which is guarantee OF absolute
purity. Inc this way trade of gooC
proportions has been built un.
OUR KALEIDOSCOPE.