CHAP. XXII. ACERA\CER. ACER. 413 
maple turns greenish, and the white maple and the red-flowered maple 
change to a deep blue. 
The extraction of sugar from the maple is a valuable resource in a new 
country abounding in forests of that tree, and without much foreign com- 
merce; but it is evident that this mode of obtaining sugar is only destined 
for a certain stage in the progress of society, and must, in America, very 
shortly give way to the sugar of commerce, produced by the cane; for this 
reason, we shall give but a short account of the process of manufacturing 
maple sugar, and this chiefly as a matter of historical interest, rather than of 
practical utility. In America, wherever there are canals and railroads, the 
making of maple sugar must soon become an unprofitable occupation. 
The process of making maple sugar is commonly begun in February, or in 
the beginning of March, while the cold continues intense, and the ground is 
still covered with snow. The sap begins to be in motion at this season, two 
months before the general revival of vegetation. In a central situation, 
lying convenient to the trees from which the sap is to be drawn, a shed is 
constructed, called a sugar camp, which is destined to shelter the boilers, and 
the persons who tend them, from the weather. An auger 3 of an inch in 
diameter ; small troughs to receive the sap; tubes of elder or sumach, 8 in. or 
10 in. long, corresponding in size to the auger, and laid open for a part of 
their length; buckets for emptying the troughs and conveying the sap to the 
camp; boilers of 15 or 18 gallons’ capacity ; moulds to receive the syrup when 
reduced to aproper consistency for being formed into cakes; and, lastly, axes 
to cut and split the fuel, are the principal utensils employed in the operation. 
The trees are perforated in an obliquely ascending direction, 18 in. or 20 in. 
from the ground, with two holes 4in. or 5in. apart. Care should be taken 
that the augers do not enter more than half an inch within the wood, as ex- 
perience has shown that the most abundant flow of sap takes place at this 
depth. Itis also recommended to insert the tubes on the south side of the tree, 
The troughs, which contain 2 or 3 gallons, are made, in the northern states, 
of the white pine, of white or black oak, or of maple; but on the Ohio, 
the mulberry, which is very abundant, is preferred. The chestnut, the black 
walnut, and the butternut should be rejected, as they impart to the liquid 
the colouring matter and bitter principle with which they are impregnated. 
A trough is placed on the ground, at the foot of each tree; and the sap is 
every day collected and temporarily poured into casks, from which it is drawn 
out to fill the boilers. The evaporation is kept up by a brisk fire; and the 
scum is carefully taken off during this part of the process. Fresh sap is 
added from time to time; and the heat is maintained till the liquid is reduced 
to a syrup; after which it is left to cool, and then strained through a blanket 
or other woollen stuff, to separate it from the remaining impurities, when it 
is poured into the moulds. The boilers are only half filled; and a steady 
heat is kept up till the liquor is reduced to the proper consistency for being 
poured into the moulds. The evaporation is known to have proceeded far 
enough, when, upon rubbing a drop of the syrup between the fingers, it is 
perceived to be granular. If it is in danger of boiling over, a bit of lard 
‘or of butter is thrown into it, which instantly calms the ebullition. When 
refined, this sugar equals in beauty the finest consumed in Europe; but it is 
used only in the districts where it is made, and there only in the country 
places, as, from prejudice or taste, Michaux observes, imported sugar is used 
im all the small towns, and in the inns. 
The sap continues to flow for six weeks; after which it become less abun- 
dant, less rich in saccharine matter, and sometimes even incapable of crystal- 
lisation. In this case it is consumed in the state of molasses, or exposed for 
three or four days to the sun; when it is converted into vinegar by the acetous 
fermentation: a kind of beer is also made of it. The amount of sugar 
produced by each tree in a year varies from different causes. A cold and 
dry winter renders the trees more productive than a changeable and humid 
season, It is observed, that, when a frosty night is followed by a dry and 
