St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1908-03-25
The Closed Sugar Camp.

Stephen Waterman, who has a fine
farm on the Danville hills and who is
well-known in St. Johnsbury, writes to
the New England Homestead concern
ing subject which is particularly timely
this week:
During my three sugar seasons have
had sufficient experience to convince
me that the lot of the honest sugar
maker is not lucrative. This being so,
have about decided to leave orchard
untapped this coming season, and
possibly for the future. as | cannot or
will not put an inferior article upon the
market.
-Four years ago | purchased farm
Of nearly 400 acres in northern Vermont.
After some experience with dealers |
finally confined my efforts with the con-
sumner with whom, as a rule, have met
with fair success. The first year found
me with nearly 400 gallons of syrup in
cold storage, and to aid in it's disposal
| advertised in The New England Home
stead, and the money was well spent.
Instances which | might quote clearly
show the absolute ignorance among
those of the intelligent class, people who
ought to know better, or who could, at
least, inform themselves about maple
products. Their tastes have become so
vitiated with poor stuff and imitation
syrup that the good is not recognized
nay, even disliked.
There is one law requirement that is
rather detrimental. 1t directs that the
finished syrup shall weigh II pounds to
the gallon. The result in a number OF
cases where the sap is of unusual sweet
ness is very large percentage of crystal
lization. In one gallon last season
found the amount to be over two
pounds. nearly one-fifth of the whole.
This encourages the ignorant buyer and
sceptic TO accuse you of adulteration.
Were we allowed to put up syrup little
under weight. the trouble could be avoid
ed and our customers would be better
pleased.
Methods Easily Mastered. - The
methods employed in making the purest
and best of maple products are by no
means difficult, and there is no excuse
tor any bad syrupor sugar existing. The
following things are absolutely necessary
for the best results, the first of which is,
OF course matter Of fortune or luck, a
maple grove SO situated and of a vegeta-
ton that it yields the highest quality of
sap Maple orchards differ as indi-
viduals in their qualifications, a certain
grove on high ground will vary greatly
from one in the bottoms, and slope to |
the east is preferable to those of the |
north and south for the run of sap. To |
get the best the sap should melt quickly |
after sunrise and freeze again at early |
sunset.
After the orchard comes the tapping, |
gathering, and boiling, and the remain
ing requisites for pure, lightcolored syrup |
are absolute cleanliness in everything. |
all receptacles, pans, piping, ETC.. must be
thoroughly scalded before and after the
work, and kept clean during the same
All snow, rainwater, bark, bugs, dirt,
rust, smoke, and scorched matter must
be scrupulously avoided, and by fast and
steady boiling the sap should be trans
ferred from the tree to the finished pro-
duct in the shortest possible time Con-
slant Swimming and repeated strainings
IN process are necessary to extract I'M
purities not otherwise prevented. OF
these the injurious calcium malate. a
gritty deposit which is precipitated in
great quantities during the boiling pro-
cess, is the worst and often a difficult
problem to hands.