8 



very poor. For this reason the figures do not fairly indicate the pres- 

 ent condition of the industry. 



It is plain that for climatic reasons the maple-sugar industry will 

 always center in the North, but there is nothing to prevent most of 

 Pennsylvania and West Virginia, western Maryland, all of Indiana, 

 and parts of Kentucky, eastern Tennessee, and western North Caro- 

 lina from being included within the area of greatest production. Out- 

 side of these limits progressive farmers in favorable situations may 

 profitably cultivate the sugar maple, but a general extension of the 

 industry is barred by natural conditions unfavorable to the production 

 of sap in paying quantity. 



SUGAR "MIXERS" AND FABRICATORS AND THEIR WORK. 



If complete figures were available to show the amount of so-called 

 maple sugar and sirup turned out by large houses in the eastern and 

 middle western cities, they would offer a startling contrast to the 

 census report of the amount of maple production on the farms. (See 

 pp. 6 and 7.) Every maple-sugar dealer in a producing section tells of 

 the large orders for coarse sugar which come from the cities, and of the 

 many carloads which are shipped there every year. A large amount 

 of such sugar is also imported from Canada. It is asserted by those 

 who have studied the trade that not more than one-eighth of the 

 maple sugar and sirup which reaches the market is a pure product. 



In the present state of our knowledge, it is difficult to determine 

 in any particular case whether or not other sugars have been added 

 to maple sugar. There are of course some differences between the 

 maple sugar of commerce and other sugars, which serve as indica- 

 tions for the analyst. The consumer who is familiar with genuine 

 maple sugar and sirup can protect himself to some extent by tasting 

 a sample before buying. Under present conditions, however, the 

 best guaranty of purity is the word of an honest producer or dealer. 



One of the most common adulterants used is glucose. Common 

 cane sugar is also used. A flavor like that of maple is said to be 

 imparted to sirup by mixing with it an extract of hickory bark. An 

 Indiana man a few years ago took out a patent to protect him in 

 the use of such an extract from the wood and bark of hickory trees 

 for flavoring sirup. 



In spite of the well-known fact that the demand for maple sugar 

 and sirup has increased and is increasing enormously every year, 

 the price of both sugar and sirup has steadily declined from 13 

 cents a pound for sugar and $1.25 a gallon for sirup in 1882 to 11 



o See United States Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Chemistry, Circular 23, 

 Method for Examination of Maple Products, by J. Hortvet. Also Jour. Amer. Chem. 

 Soc.. 1904,26: 1523. 



252 



