The Republican journal., 1905-05-04
THE PRODUCTION OF MAPLE SUGAR,
The Bureau of Forestry Seeks to Develop
and Extend the Industry.

studying the maple sugar industry with
the view of securing larger 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 limited produc-
ton in South Carolina, Georgia, Alaba-
ma, Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkan-
saS.s 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
glutte! with limitations, which removes
the incentive to extending the industry.
In other States, as in western Mary
land, West Virginia, Ohio, New York,
and in New England, the maple sugar
industry has held its own or been in
creased.
The best sap flow is secured in the
cooler northern States, yet good results
can be expected in most of Pennsyl-
vania 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
and the best sap, although some other
species of maple may be worked to ad-
vantage when neither of these is avail
able.
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 i'm
portant consideration is for the tree to
have full and heavy crown. Yet it
should also grow under forest condi-
tions which maintain ground cover of
litter and humus.
AS 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 un-
der different conditions, have been pre-
pared and will SOON be published. Many
valuable data regarding the profit in
making maple sugar were also collect
ed. From these it appears that farm
er can easily clear So an acre from a
sugar grove. The expenses in this es-
innate are placed at a maximum; all
the labor and hauling are charged in at
market rates, though as a 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, 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
nothing under any other use.
Tho old M tbO6 ,,f COL laofiy,u tho can
by making a diagonal cut in the tree
was abandoned long ago because it in
jured the tree SO that 1t could be work
ed for but few years. The approved
practice now is to bore hole one inch
deep and three eighths of an inch in
diameter into the sunny side of trees
over u inches III diameter, and to make
but one hole in each tree, except posi-
bly, where the trees are especially large
and productive. Vast Improvements
have also been made in appliances for
handling the sap and boiling it down to
sugar and syrup.
Maple trees now furnish but small
per cent of the commercial maple syrup
and sugar. While the demand for both
these commodities has constantly in
creased. the output from maple trees
ilas decreased during the last twenty
fSdlo. ne u dtt HAS DteH Supplleu
only 10y radically adulteTating the pure
goods, or by manufacturing product
entirely from foreign materials. 1t is
conseryatiyely estimated that seven
eighths Of what is sold as maple syrup
and sugar is 4 spurious article. Most
OF The fabrications are entirely harm
less. but they are net the real thing.
hose fortunate enough to have eaten
the genuine article viii always demand
II. and conditions should be such that
they pay get 1t. ii they are willing to
pay the price.
The fault does not lie with the pro-
duceps, those wha tap the trees aud re-
-uce lie sap to sSrnp and sugar. but !
with the mia1dienisu Nho buy the sugar
and unz and adulterate it most profit |
ably for themselves. The extent OF +
this adulteration is illustrated .by the ,
fact that while the amount o. .ne raw
product has decreased, the whole guam
tlty sold has largely increased and its
market price has been reduced. OF +
late wears the price has fallen in direct
relation ~ .he decrease in the price of !
Gang sugar, Il
The fiiost common substitutes used ,
~ the aduteration OF maple sugar ana !
syrup are other sugars and glucose. !
Much of the so-calied maple syrup on :
the market is nothing but comblna- !
ton of sweets with little maple mo-
lasses added to give the maple flavor. !
There is also maple syrup which con !
.ains no maple at all, but the flavor is
obtained by adding to the compound an
extract OF hickory bark. This extern
aesixe adulteration forces the producers
Of pjlRtrsx maple syrup to compete with
cheap ftnftsations The price of their
raw product Is 1KEast down, and the for
ests of maple are na6dssas profitable to
their owners as they otherwise might
be. saessA,,
The consumer is entitled to paTe
goods, and the producer is entitled to
have his syrup and sugar bought and
used for what it is. The remedy is in
the. hands of the producers, and they
can effect a change for the better iRa
two ways. They can assoclaeksth EN-
selves in State and largesa6cal COM
panies, and, by :selhngafrect to con,
sumers, cut Observation-Disclosures; and
they can also Aps'thei product on the
market in ffss form not of sugar but OF
syrun;s which is most in demand. The
Z. pNfafc will not object to paying little
y higher price for guaranteed pure goods.
The cost of making and handling syrup