The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-04-19
PRODUCTION OF MAPLE SUGAR.
Bureau of Forestry Seeks to Develop
and Extend the Industry.

The Bureau Of Forestry has been
studying the maple sugar industry with
the view of securing a large use of the
maple forests. Since 1850 the area of
maple sugar farming has greatly chang.
ed and shrunk In early days maple
sugar was commonly made, even in
many parts OF the South, because cane
sugar was virtually unobtainable. No
longer is there even Il limited produc-
ton in South Carolina, Georgia, Ala
bama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Ar
kansas. This is because cane sugar
can now be bought everywhere at a low
price, and is preferred to maple sugar
for sweetening. In Indiana, Michigan
and Illinois, the maple trees have been
extensively cut for lumber, thus reduc-
ing the opportunity for tree tapping.
In those states also the markets are
giutted with limitations, which removes
the incentive to extending the industry.
In other states, as in western Maryland,
West Virginia, Ohio, New York and in
New England, the maple sugar industry
has held its own or been increased
The best sap flow is secured in the
cooler northern states, yet good results
can be expected in most Of Pennsylva-
MIA and West Virginia, in western
Maryland, all of Indiana and Kentucky,
eastern Tennessee, and western North
Carolina. At present the largest pro-
ducers of sugar maple products are
Ohio, Vermont, and New York The
sugar and black naples yield the most
aud the best sap, although some other
species OF maple may be worked to
advantage when neither Of these is
available
The maple is 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 inn
portant consideration is for the tree to
have full and heavy crown. Yet it
should also grow under forest condi-
tions which maintain a ground cover
Of litter and humus.
AS d 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 been prepared
and viii soon be published Many yalu-
able data regarding the profit in MAX
ing maple sugar were also collected.
From these it appears that a farmer
can easily clear about SIS an acre from
sugar grove. The expenses in this
estimate are placed at maximum; all
the labor and hauling are charged in
at market rates, though as matter
of fact the sugar season falls at time
when the farmer has little other EN-
ployment for himself or his horses.
In actual practice, Tor the farmer who
can do most of his own work the profit
should be considerably larger. And the
land thus utilized viii yield little OF
nothing under any other use
Maple trees now furniah but d small
per cent of the commercial maple sugar
and syrup. While the demand for both
these commodities has constantly in
creased, the output from maple trees
has decreased during the past twenty
years. The trade has been supplied
only by radically adulterating the pure
goods, or by manufacturing a product
entirely from foreign materials. 1t is
conservatiyely estimated that seven
eighths of what is sold as maple syrup
and sugar Is a spurious article. Most
u t'ic ldpiictttiOHa are enliTely HaTm-
less, but they are not the real thing.
Those fortunate enough to have eaten
the genuine article viii always demand
it, and conditions should be such that
they may get it if they are willing
to pay the price,
The fault does not lie with the pro-
ducers, those who tap the trees and
reduce the sap to syrup and sugar, but
wit Che middlemen who buy the sugar
and mix and adulterate it most profit
ably for themselves. The extent Of
this adulteration is illustrated by the
fact that while the amount of the raw
product has largely increased and its
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 sy
rup are other sugars and glucose. Much
of the so-calIed maple syrup on the
market is nothing but combination
Of sweets with d 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 obtain
ed by adding to the compound an ex-
r,ck 81 i,sol<r~x~ Ia&f- NIKE axz4o,4ntxto