192 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



After the sap is reduced to the consistency of syrup, the process 

 of making it into sugar, is as follows : it is first strained into deep 

 narrow vessels and allowed to settle for a day or two, when it is 

 poured out, free from the settlings, into a smaller kettle and placed 

 over a slow fire. Sweet milk or beaten eggs are put in to raise 

 the scum, which is removed as fast as it appears. After the scum 

 has been all taken off, the fire is increased and the syrup boiled 

 until it is of sufficient thickness to cake, which can be readily told 

 by its becoming hard if dropped upon snow. It is next poured 

 into a trough or tub kept for the purpose, and briskly stirred for a 

 short time, when it is dipped into moulds, usually made of tin, and 

 previously wet to prevent the sugar fi'om adhering, and when cold 

 is ready for the market. The price, per pound, is twelve and a 

 half cents. 



Farmers who only produce sap enough for their own use, boil it 

 into molasses, which is much better for ordinary purposes than 

 sugar. Maple molasses, however, readily finds a market at all 

 villages in the county, where it sells for one dollar per gallon, 

 and many prefer to manufacture this rather than sugar. 



Maple sugar often contains oxide of iron, which it dissolves 

 from the iron kettles in which it is commonly boiled down, and 

 this causes it to turn black ; hence it is highly important that 

 great care should be taken to have the kettles well scoured with 

 vinegar and sand, and all operations conducted with extreme neat- 

 ness. Pains should also be taken that the syrup is not burnt, by 

 having too hot a fire at the close of boiling down. If acid, a little 

 clear lime water put in the syrup will saturate it, and the principal 

 part of the lime will separate with the scum, which must be often 

 removed during the process of boiling. 



The sap begins to flow freely about the first of March or middle 

 of April, but the exact period varies much with different seasons. 

 The product of a single tree of the sugar maple, varies considera- 

 bly with its size, and according to the season. By some formers 

 it is said to amount to five or six pounds (of sugar,) per tree, 

 while others estimate it much higlior. I think the average cannot 

 be stated at more than two pounds, taking the seasons together. 

 Sugar and molasses making are j^rofitable and pleasant parts of 

 farm labor, and in this county, as previously mentioned, are occu- 

 pations of much importance. It should be also remarked that their 

 manufacture is carried on at a season of the year when the general 

 operations of the farm have not resumed their activity ; the whole 



