Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-03-29
INDIANS TAUGHT US TAPPING
They Produced Maple Sugar
Prior to 1873 in Vermont.
Bulletin Of Agricultural Kxpe riment
station Describes sugar1ng OFF
and the Mechanics Of the Flow
Of Sap.

Maple sugar-makins was a pioneer in
oustry established among the Indians
prior to 1879, says a bulletin of the agri-
cultural experiment station. "The early
Vermont settlers learned the art from
them and depended almost entirely on
the maple for their domestic sugar sup
ply. Indeed this practice was still much
IN vogue generation ago. Maple goods
now however. are used an D luxury, com"
mand a relatively high price, and the re-
ceipts from their sale buys Q much great
er weight of refined sugar.
"Vermonters know all about 'sugaring
Off
ut begins to warm up a bit along late
In March In Vermont. The nights are
still frosty. but the sunny days are genial
and there is suggestion in the air of the
coming Of spring. II. at this time, the
trunk of the sugar maple IL tapped by
boring into 1t for depth Of three inches
or less and sap spout or spigot Is in
serted. the sap exudes and falls, drop by
drop quickly or slowing according to the
weather and the time Of day. The flow Is
erratic, and Is governed by multitude
of conditions. as will be noted later in
this bulletin.
THE sap at first is water-clear and
slightly sweet lidnid; but. as the season
progresses the flow tends to lessen, and
the sap is apt to thicken and to become
cloudy or even somewhat Shiny at times.
The sap il essentially dilute solution
OF sucrose, carrying. also small amounts
Of proteids. Of mineral matter, more es.
pecially lime and potash. ana Of acids.
mainly nalic acid. Traces OF reducing
sugars are sometimes found, usually TO-
wards the last Of the season. The dura-
| NJ hn L. n
weather conditions. 1t may be fairly con-
tinuous for some time. but is commonly
broken UP into several distinct periods
known as runs The swelling OF the
leaf buds preparatory to bursting marks
the end of the flow or season" More
over It flows mostly In the daytime. oc-
casionally at night, and to any extent on
ly on what are known a. good sap days.
A good sap day. or "a good run OF sap
occurs only after the air temperature has
remained below the freezing point for
some time. II. following this. the tenn
perature rises materially above that
lpolnt, the sap flows II the day be too
bright warm and sunny. the flow Is apt
to start up briskly and soon lessen or
cease; or II winds be high. the flow Is
soon checked. II the sky be overcast. and
the air has warmed up little. salts
factory run is likely to ensue Alternate
freezing and thawing. moderately warm
days followed by freezing nights. are the
ideal meteorological conditions which
lpromote the now. 30 long a. the air
Temperatures remain constant. whether
warm or cold, there IL little or no sap
flow.
I'm sugar making It In customary to
tap the trees about breast high. TO drive
into the tap-hole n spout or 'spiie, ana
to suspend underneath this a bucket to
catch the Dripping cap. This bucket II
made Of tin or wood and In the better
works IL covered to exclude rain and 9TH
er foreign matter. The contents OF these
buckets are emptied into a large tank.
which 10 drawn through the woods on q
stone-boat or sled, to the boiling house.
whence It passes into the storage tank.
The sap from this tank flows in q srnan
continuous stream into the evapora9or
This consists Of q large pan or series OF
pans. variously modified in different pat
terms. through which constant flow Of
boiling sap is conducted by a devious
course from the front to the rear. The
Ievaporator or pans are set directly over
} a fierce wood fire which roars under its
whole length. The sap boils furiously and.
las a result. the proteids are coagulated
J and rise to the surface. where they are
! removed by ''skimming." I. e. hand re-
Imoval with shallow tin sldmmers. Tho
concentrating sap works backwards to-
wards the rear Of the mechanism. iinpeIi-
: ed by the inflowing current. and 10 drawn
therefrom a. q more or less thick syrup.
, Some of the mineral matter (the so-called
"nitre" or sugar sand" Of the sugar
maker which Is sometimes an impure
calcium malate and sometimes little more
than soluble silica or. indeed. simple dirO.
10 burned on to the bottom OF the evap-
orator. thus becoming a source OF much
annoyance: but more passes off with the
syrup and may be removed in part. II de-
sired. either by liberation while hot
through q felt strainer or by sedimentA-
ton. II the product IN to be sold AZ syrup.
1t 10 customary to boil 1t down to a densi.
ty Of eleven pounds Of sugar to the gall
lon and to seal It UP hot II 1t IL to he
made into sugar. the syrup. when accuIn-
ulated in sufficient quantities. 10 boiled
over a brisk wood fire. in a pan smaller
than the regular evaporator. to . con-
centration such that II will crystalise into
, sugar upon cooling. Methods OF determine
ing when this sugaring point IL reached
vary with different sugar-makers. some
|, depending upon its consistency ~ shown
BY the .hairing' when 1t Is poured. 9TH
ers by the boiling temperature which ran
, ges from "a degrees to 40 degrees 1t rs
then removed. stirred or dipped until
granting begins. when It IL poured into
:, moulds. tubs or elsewhere to harden.
THE sap wood contains the living calls
As its name indicates, IL Is the sap con-
Quoting tissue. whereas the heart wood Ia
lifeless and. therefore. functionless. ex-
cept In mechanical ways. This woody It's
sue consists of closed cells and vessels
packed closely together. which have no
intercellular spaces such as occur In the
stems of some species OF plants. All the
water, food substances. and gas which In
contained In the wood is. therefore. In
closed within these woody cell-walls.
These may for present convenience be
classified as living matter (protoplasm)
, water. solid foods (chiefly starch. solu-
BILE matters su.5ars, etc). and gas. The
\ ingredients which are chiefly referred to
In the following pages are the water. the
carbohydrate foods (starch and sugars)
. and the gas. All the water of course en-
' tiers the maple through the roots. No sat
isfactory explanation of the ascent of the
water in the woody stem has as yet been
made, and it would be out O fplace here
even to suggest the various theories Suf-
flee It to call attention now to the fact
' discussed in the body of this bulletin (see
n page 10y that there Is no evidence that 1t
: ia forced into the maple trunk by root
q pressure at any season.
3 THE carbohydrate foods (starch. SUI
g CARS. etc) are all manufactured In the
u green leaves under the influence of the
h sunlight. 1t is important to emphasize
4 this fundamental point, because the SUI
Y o,r onrt ant NJ tho san dopends unOn the