Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1905-03-27
OUR FARMERS.
MAKING MAPLE SYRUP.

article of maple syrup is growing
greater each year, and it will con-
tinue to grow in the future because
the supply will grow smaller eacn
year, caused by the decline of mapie
forests. The man who has nice
thrifty maple grove has something
that will be the source of as much
revenue for the time and money eA-
pended as anything upon the farih'
provided the right methods are
adopted and carried into execution
The time is forever past when sip
shod methods will go in making maple
syrup. The man that will succeed III
this line of farming must adopt up
to-date methods, and above all else 20
strictly honest, always and under all
circumstances furnishing exactly
what he represents his goods to be-
The successful sugar maker will IN
the future have his own private
customers and sell direct to them,
and as maple syrup is luxury
insteadiof necessity, skill must De
used in making and putting it up,
because just the moment we make
filthy, dark colored article and put lt
up in an unattractive manner, IL
ceases to be a luxury, and we are
compelled to take the "down" price
| for it.
Neatness, cleanliness and quickness
of dispatch are rules that must be
observed, and to carry them into
execution we must have good sugar
house, good supply of dry wood, a
modern evaporation, vessels either OF
metal or wood; if wood, kept well
painted inside and out; If metal,
painted on the outside, and at all
times the vessels, and in fact every
thing connected with the work, must
be kept scrupulously clean by the
frequent use of hot water.
People used to think that maple
syrup to be pure must be DARK ID
color and have a strong taste, but |
am glad to say that this is far from
true. l use every means possible to
make it as light in color and mild IL
taste as it can be made, and 1t IL
within our power to control these
things.
When sugar making comes we have
our work arranged so that we cal
devote our entire time TO it, ant
whenever the sap begins to run We
are ready to care for it; every hour
we leave it exposed to the weathe!
and elements we are adding to iUi
color, and strongness to it's flavor
We make it rule to begin hauling
and evaporating whenever the vessel
contain from quart to half-gallon
We also aid in making it light in colo
by evaporating it as quickly as pos
sible, and this part of the work looi
after myself, setting the automatic
feed so that it will keep the water IL
the evaporation just as shallow
is possible to keep it without burning
By this method I am enabled t
evaporate much more than If tn
water was kept deep in the pans
because the steam bubbles form a
the bottom of the water and if it
too deep they burst before coming t
: the surface and the work is to do
} over again, while on the other han
if it is shallow they come to til
; surface before bursting, the stea1
escapes, and the evaporating goes
very rapidly. We use sacchromete
to test our syrup, and take it directl
} from the evaporation, weighing
5 pounds to the gallon, and filter
. through felt or flannel to remove TT
silica; put it up in attractive pacf
= ages and sell direct to the consume
The only trouble is, we have not bee
able in the past to make enough
!. supply all our orders.-Cor. On
/ Farmer.
The yearly milk product of co
= very closely approximates the val
i of the COW. Thus if COW will give
l. milk product worth $50 she is Wor
$50. If she can show up S75. she
&C worth that sum. The rule, howeve
II does not hold good as to COWS viii
will only produce milk worth $50
f year. Such a beast is only worth j.
n what the local butcher will give
ct her or what she will bring as a cann'