JULY 15, 1915 



601 



you it is worth sonietiiiiig to be able to en- 

 joy the wheat, sugar, and honey as I did, 

 after my long fast as you might call it. 



Do you wonder how 1 am going to get 

 my three rambling stories hitched together 

 when they are so diverse? While I had in 

 mind a longing for more physical strength 

 to run that cultivator, Mrs. Root reminded 

 me we had not had any maple sugar nor 

 syrup since we came back from Florida; 

 but we found some very good syrup in the 

 market. Remembering the days of child- 

 hood I sugared off some and stirred it while 

 cooling until it was white and had a soft 

 fine grain. During the forenoon I ran the 

 cultivator a little more than usual because 

 the gi'ound was exactly right after a sum- 

 mer shower. Now, a good many times when 

 1 get tired I take a nap and then go to work 

 again; but Avhile sweating and thirsty, some- 

 how I feel a great longing for some of that 

 nice maple sugar; and while eating it it 

 occurred to me that I had read in the gov- 

 ernment bulletin entitled " Sugar as Food," 

 that there is quite an element of strength in 

 sugar where the digestion is able to manage 

 it. The lady who Avrote the bulletin said 

 she had Avatched the colored babies in the 

 South when sugar-cane began to be ripe 

 enough for them to chew it and suck out the 

 juice. She said they got all over their infan- 

 tile troubles, and became fat and healthy 

 and happy all at once, under the influence 

 of vnsfinted sugar-cane juice. I thought I 

 would make a test to see if a good lot of 

 maple sugar would not take the place of 

 the motors I have been talking about to 

 back me up with the cultivator. I guess it 

 was a month ago that I made the experi- 

 ment. T thought I would not mention it till 

 T had given it a good test; and it rejoices 

 my heart to be able to tell you that a good 

 lot of nice pure maple sugar is all the motor 

 I want. I chew it very thoroughly, and 

 drink plenty of pure (boiled) cold water 

 with it ; and it bracks me up to do a pretty 

 fair man's work, even if I am " going on 

 7fi." In fact, T doubt if we have a man in 

 our lumber-yard who can clean out a gar- 

 den, or who would clean out a garden, a.s 

 quick as T do it and do it well. May God 

 be praised for sugar, and especially for 

 maple sugar.* 



* Tt is now July 1, several days since the above 

 was put in type; and it is proper to say that the 

 rravine for maple sugar has gradually disappeared; 

 but T still take a little every day — say enough to 

 eo with my strawberries and cream which I have 

 been eatin? On place of apples). Tf I am correct, 

 my rravine for sweets was because T have been eat- 

 inif so little suear that nature called for it; and, by 

 the way, T believ-> that an unperverted appetite will 

 direct us wisely and faithfully, as a general rule, 

 in regard to diet. My digestion is now in excellent 

 condition. The great amount, comparatively, of 

 maple sugar I ate daily for two or three weeks did 



Just now T do not know that I enjoy 

 anything much more than using that culti- 

 vator and my hoe in our pretty little gar- 

 den. I would rather work in the garden 

 than to travel, go to conventions, picnics, 

 etc. There is another thing that makes me 

 enjoy it; and that is, such work hears fruit. 

 The children often caution me, telling me 

 that so much sugar would do harm sooner 

 or later. But the harm has not come. My 

 digestion is better than it has been for years. 

 Of course, we are not alike ; and, still more, 

 at different periods in our lives things agree 

 or disagree. Some of you may ask why I 

 say maple sugar. Well, I have tried cane 

 sugar, but, for some reason I cannot under- 

 stand, it does not " fill the bill." And, 

 finally, my beelveeping friends will ask why 

 honey does not answer. I have tried differ- 

 ent kinds of honey, both comb and liquid, 

 and it does not answer like the maple sugar. 

 I do not really know why; and I am sur- 

 ]jrised to find that sugar taken with fruit 

 does not seem to answer the same purpose. 

 Maple sugar furnishes the most strength 

 and the most perfect digastion, taken at 

 different times during the day when I am 

 tired and sweating. Lest you think I am 

 getting wild, and have simply got astride of 

 a new hobby, let me ask you to read the 

 chipping below : 



RX:«.\K AND THE GERMAN SOLDIER. 



A German exchange reports a letter from a Ger- 

 man soldier who is at the front in which he lauds 

 tlie use of sugar. He writes: "We made some re- 

 markable and surprising discoveries in observing 

 ourselves and others. Even though a soldier had no 

 liking for sugar this article became his best friend on 

 marches and during severe cold weather. In most 

 places that we visited the stores were 'stormed' and 

 all the sugar was bought up. This great need for 

 sugar, which is easily converted into muscle and 

 heat properties on the march and in camp, is per- 

 fectly natural. The particle of instinct that still 

 survives the trjing circumstances cries out for su- 

 gar, or tea heavily seasoned with sugar. And this 

 is particularly noticeable in those who have had an 

 aversion to sugar heretofore." — Louisiana Planter. 



If it were honey I am wi'iting up in the 

 way T ha^e above, I should feel a little deli- 



not impair my digestion nor interfere with my health 

 in any way. Perhaps the physical exercise I have 

 been taking daily has had something to do with the 

 need for sugar. 



Very likely honey will answer .iust as well for 

 most people. Perhaps I might remark that maple 

 sugar, if T am correct, is a product of the New 

 World — America, and I believe I have read some- 

 where that when our forefathers first began boiling 

 maple sap and found it would grain and make sugar 

 there was great reioicing; and I feel quite sure, also, 

 that inasmuch as it does not pass through the same 

 chemical process as does our white sugar from beet 

 and cane, it is a more natural diet, and more whole- 

 some. In Florida much syrup is made from differ- 

 ent varieties of cane grown in the gardens; and I 

 believe the people who make th^ir own syrup in 

 this way find it more healthful and wholesome tlian 

 the sugar made in the great factories from beet and 

 cane. 



I have seen it stated somewhere that our own 

 state of Ohio producer more maple sugar and syrup 

 than any other state in the Union. 



