SECRETARY'S REPORT. 49 



the first time. The reasons for these variations, like many other facts in veg- 

 etable physiology, are yet unexplained ; the facts, however, are too well estab- 

 lished, by many years observation, to be now questioned. 



Age and size of Trees. The age of the tree is not material, provided they 

 are of suitable size, say, from tea inches to two or more feet in diameter. 

 But in all cases thriftily growing trees, with large, branching tops are pref- 

 erable. Very young or small trees, though they yield a good quantity of sap 

 in proportion to their size, and of fair quality, are, nevertheless, not so profit- 

 able as larger ones ; more tubs being required and more labor in gathering. 

 Moreover, the injury to the young tree is great ; the liber, or inner bark, not 

 yet having acquired sufficient thickness and toughness, and the outer bark 

 being still brittle, the action of the gouge, or the driving of the spout has a 

 tendency to cleave off patches of bark, thus causing unsightly and injurious 

 •wounds, and permanently diseased trees. 



"Very old trees, particularly where they stand in a thick forest growth, with 

 long timber trunks and small tops are not good ; usually yielding but little 

 sap, and of a poor quality. 



The best trees are those of good size, and, as before remarked, with large 

 branching tops and thrifty growth ; such are most often found as isolated 

 trees in old pastures, or by the borders of fields or road-sides, called " second 

 growth" trees in distinction from the old or forest growth. 



Location. Like all other farm labor, that which is near the farm buildings 

 being always moat cheaply performed, so the labor of sugaring is very much 

 relieved by having the orchard near home. But on no account invade the 

 kitchen with sugar operations. If the orchard be situated upon a gentle 

 declivity, with the boilers placed at the lowest point, the collecting of the sap, 

 which must usually be done by human labor, will be comparatively easy ; for 

 a full barrel loaded upon a sled adapted to the work, will move more easily 

 down the slope than one half full up, or even upon a level. 



It matters little what is the exposure ; a Houthern or western will start a 

 few days earlier in the spring, while a northern or eastern will hold out 

 longest. 



The character of the soil, probably, hag an influence upon the quantity and 

 quality of the sap, though upon this point doctors disagree ; some claiming 

 that a high and dry soil is best, while others affirm that a moist, not bjggy, 

 soil yields an equally good sap and in greater quantity. 



Mode of Tapping. This should be done in a way to secure the greatest 

 amount of sap consistent with the least degree of injury to the tree ; the 

 injury here intended is the wound inflicted upon the tree, and not the loss of 

 its circulating fluid. The operation of tapping is performed in various ways, 

 some of which are as follows : 



WiLh tlie Axe. This is done by making a V shaped incision by two down- 

 ward strokes of the axe upon the tree, cutting into the wood, then a horizon- 

 tal one is made by an upward stroke directly under the former, thus, V ; this 

 last incision is to receive a flat piece of wood to serve as a conductor of the 

 sap from the first incisions to the vessel set to receive it. This, at best, is a 

 barbarous treatment of the tree ; as large scars are made which require years 

 to heal, and which in fact, never become perfectly sound. It is moreover, a 

 wasteful method, as much of the sap flowing from these large wounds trickle 

 down upon the bark, and failing to strike upon the conductor, is lost. 



A second method is with the gouge. This instrument is usually from one 

 and a half to two inches wide, with the bevel mostly upon the inner side. 

 This is driven with an upward cut through the bark into the wood so as to 

 cut off several grains, or years' growth ; directly below this incision the 

 gouge is again driven, but more lightly, only into the bark if it is thick, or if 

 thin, slightly into the wood ; this last incision is for the reception of a gouge 

 shaped spout which leads the sap to the receiving vessel. Spouta made of 

 aheet iron or heavy tin are sometimes substituted for wooden ones ; these are 



