Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1921-03-03
MAPLE SUGAR
Time IS HERE
Only United States and Canada
Produce This Much-Prized
Product on Large Scale.
EARL! | TAPPING IS FAVORED
First Runs Are Usually the Sweetest
and Therefore the Best Producers
Ten to Fifteen Trees Enough
for Family.

Washington.-Rem the days
when you went to the maple sugar
parties? Well, maple sugar time is
here. The sugar and strip industry
is American and offers good CONNER
cial opportunities. Only the United
States and Canada produce this much
priced product on commercial scale,
which Is at once delicacy and a
highly nutritious article of diet.
Warm days and cold nights are es-
sential to a satisfactory flow. and the
sugar content may vary considerably
from day to day. Tapping Of sugar
trees If done properly in no way in
jures the tree. Trees have been
tapped for more than 100 years and
are still in good condition.
The maple Is well up among the
leaders In the American Forestry assO-
cations vote for national tree.
Early Tapping is Favored.
Tap early in the season. says gen.
eral bulletin. to obtain the earlier
runs, which are generally the sweet
est, and therefore the best producers.
Makers have lost half and even more
of their crops by not being prepared
for the first run.
In general, the association points
out, the season Is ready to open dur
ing the first or middle of February
in the southern section and later In
the northern regions when days are
becoming warm-when the tempera-
ture goes above freezing during the
day and at night below freezing. If
the days are very bright, warm, and
sunny the sap Will start with rush,
but soon slacken. or II high wind
starts the flow Is checked
A thirteen thirty-seconds Of an inch
1882 inch) bit Is often used. Its d.
rection should be slightly upward in
to the tree. the slant allowing the
hole to drain readily. With an or
binary tree the hole should not be
over one and half to two inches
deep at the best.
Apparatus for strip and sugar.
making does not necessarily repre-
sent a large outlay. number of sap
spOuts, either wooden or metal, are
needed. The strip is usually gather
ed In buckets.
From ten to fifteen trees usually
will yield enough strip for family
use to make tapping worth while, and
in many cases will afford surplus
. which can be sold at remunerative
price. The flow Of sap depends upon
the age, condition and habit OF
growth Of the trees, also upon the
character of the weather and con-
dition Of the soil during the sap-fow-
ing season.
Figures as to Yields.
In a good season tree fifteen
inches In diameter will yield suffi-
cient sap to make from one to six
quarts of strip, which In turn can be
concentrated into two to ten pounds
of sugar. Larger trees under the
same condition will produce CORE
spondingly large yields of strip and
sugar. All hard maple trees, eight
inches or more In diameter, may be
safely and profitably tapped for sirup
and sugar production.
This industry Is not confined to cir
cumscribed areas in New England
and New York. There are many "sug-
ar bushes" throughout eastern and
northeastern United States and south
to include North Carolina and Tennes-
see; west to northern Missouri, Iowa
and Minnesota.
A considerable number of maple
trees of q sugar-yielding species are
found In Washington and Oregon.