The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1911-07-28
SUGAR OR LASTS.
Eliminating Maple Groves Due TO DC
mand for Timber for Shoe Las's'

Everv wear about this time the pupiio
notes with renewed regret that hSp p,r
.near is scarcer than ever ana that w"
Epcland no longer boasts OF the great nu ai
her of fine sugar orchards 1t once ppsse1s 49,
yrbere with the advent OF spring, the t mIop.
'ina of The san into the buckets beat liVels
nInnsic for the sugar harvesters on u warn
sunny day following sharp iiee1e Wy
night before. So far as Massachusetts =
concerned the situation with Iespeu, III
meh orchards may be roughly nui'i Wer'
mn by the words, 1t has none, are
mont still has them, but thes he
smaller and fewer than they useu ooI;ned
The maple sugar industry mas ue. 1,,no,,
ranidiy Improved appliances Tor sugar
making along with the pure-iood Jaw hs az
resnlted in a marked improvement III tne
manie product offered for sale IN the MAJ,
lei hut, contrary to the experience II ~
many other cases. better facilities haNe
| failed 10 build up the industry, a,lo
And vet, the public is. fond Of mapie
s,gar and laments the decline. OF sugar,
mst;ng on New England farms III ~
The rural sections this decline Is regie,1!t;eu
esnecialN because of the social leslNlsl. .
that formerly attended the sugar ma. W.,
! In view of the new agricultural aWdhehine
that is causing the planting oil aPbIe on on
chards on our hillsldes ana is ElNns o.
imnetus TO the business OF truck garueh'
mo we are moved TO ask, is there no re,
wal ahead for the maple sugar INDUSTRY ;
Is Ire policy that led to the cutting u
many fine sugar orchards Tor lumber anu
fuel, following the drop IN price OF VIII VIZ
sugar 10 be permanent! VIII not soms
80 benefactor of New England arise ana
herald forth a formula for making the
maple sugar industry an economic sueeess
| in these parts! -, H. ann,
II l. Of interest to note that the com
mnnities formerly receiving a udy ihcoin a.
from the maple sugar crop, ana lne 80 IL,
number of consumers having a pdr tIaAty
for the maple product, are not aioie s,. - :,
protesting against the growing so". ~,
OF the fine maple trees tnat onJe IN
Tho nride of rural New England. Inc
last makers say that the passing, oil lhe
sugar maple is a menace to their business
and shoe manufacturers complain because
the price OF lasts has mounted 10 an uh
lheard. of.tiure. A writer IN the Lynn ltell
saws that no satisfactory substitute lol
mamie has been found Tor making ldsts
No other kind Of wood serves the purpose
tbongh great many have been tried
English beech wood is found TO be aDoul
as good as maple, but 1t is too scarce, ano
lie insufficient to supply the demand u
England. The result has been that Eng
llish last.makers send to this country Iol
maple and bid up the price. IL Is sae
that 100000 maple last blocks are an
nmally shipped from this country to Eng
LAND and this is a decided factor in ad
vancing the price OF maple wood. AT
temnts have been made to produce satis
factory lasts from steel. wood .hbre; pa
nor and other materials, but all snch az
temnts have failed, for one reason or an
other And with a continuous ana ~
creasing demand for sugar or rock maps
wood for this purpose, the price OF maps
blocks has scared -.
While trees that have been much uset
for sugar-making are found TO be oil sec9h
diary quality for last-maklng purposes NC
cause the continued drain thus llnpose'
upon them serves TO make the hoIe so4sel
and more porous, there is reason 10 DC
IGeve that the heavy demand Tor roci
Imaple wood for the purpose OF MAKING
lasts constitutes a large and perhaps IN
nrincipal factor in the decline OF the mapi'
sugar industry. In short, the last-makers
being Obliged to have maple wood, hav'
been willing to pay more for maple Tree
than thew were worth for sugar-makng
land having largely exhausted the New Eng
LAND supply they are now buying mater
Iiai TO a big extent from the forests OF tn
West. Such being the case. II may o.
that the most practical relief Tor the manu-
Ifacturers and consumers OF delicious mapl
sugar may consist in the discovery OF SOM
new material for making lasts that VII
take the place of maple and permit tina
fine tree 10 regain its former prestige a
a thing Of dignity and beauty in itsel
land The source of good factor that man!
generations OF Americans have esteemed
Ia highly. Springfield Union.