SUGAR MAPLE TREE, 69 
There are three methods of reducing the fap to fugar. 
1. By freezing zt. This method has been tried for many 
years, by Mr. Obediah Scott, afarmer in Luzerne county, 
in this ftate, with great fuccefs. He fays that one half of 
a given quantity of fap reduced in this way, is better than 
one third of the fame quantity, reduced by boiling. If 
the froft fhould not be intenfe enough, to reduce the {ap to 
the graining point, it may afterwards be expofed to the 
action of the-fire for that purpofe.. 
2. By fpontaneous evaporation. The hollow ftump of 
a maple-{ugar tree, which had been cut down in the fpring, 
and which was found fometime afterwards filled with fu- 
gar, firft fuggefted this method. of obtaining fugar to our 
farmers. So many circumftances of cold and dry weather,. 
large and flat veffels, and above all fo much time are necef- 
{ary to obtain fugar, by either of the above methods, that 
the moft general method among our farmers is to obtain 
it. 3. by doling. For this purpofe the following faats. 
which have been. afcertained. by many experiments, deferve 
attention. 
1. Yhe fooner the: fap: is boiled, after it is colle@ed 
from the tree, the better. It fhould never be kept longer 
than twenty-four hours before it is put over the fire. 
2. The larger the veflel in which the fap is boiled, the 
more {ugar is obtained from it. 
3. A copper veflel affords a fugar of a-fairer:colour than an: 
iron veflel.. 
The 
ufed as a drink, and of the manner of obtaining it. ‘** The tree yields a fap which has a much 
pleafanter tafte than the beit lemonade or cherry water, and makes the wholefomeft drink in 
the world. This liquor is drawn by cutting the tree two inches deep in the wood, the cut 
being made floping to the length of ten or twelve inches, at the lower end of this gafha knife 
is thruft into the tree flopingly, fo that the water runs along the cut or gafh, as through a 
gutter and falls upon the knife, which has fome veffels placed underneath to receive it. 
Some trees will yield five or fix bottles-of this water in a day, and fome inhabitants of Canada, 
might draw twenty hogfheads of it in one day, if they -weuld thus cut and notch all the maple 
trees of their refpective plantations. The gath does no harm to the tree. Of this fap they make 
fwgar and iyrup; which is fo valuable that there can be no better remedy for fortifying the 
ftomach, ‘tis but few of the inhabitants that have the patience to make them, for as common: 
thingsare flighted, fo there are {carceany body but children that give themfelves the trouble- 
of. gafhing thefe trees,” 
