36 



Initial expenditure: 



15 acres of maple woods, at $15 per acre $225 



Equipment: 



Sap buckets, 1,000, at 20 cents each $200 



Covers, 1,000, at 5 cents each 50 



Spouts, 1,000, at 2 cents each. 20 



Gathering tanks, 2, at $10 each 20 



Storage tank 20 



Sugarhouse 125 



Arch and evaporator 125 



Sugaring-off pan and arch ' 20 



Sirup cans and molds 12 



592 



Total 817 



From this the annual cost may be figured as follows: 



Rent of land, 6 per cent on $225 ." $13. 50 



Wear and tear, 10 per cent of cost of equipment ($592) 59. 20 



18 cords of firewood, at $2 per cord 36. 00 



3 laborers, including teamster, for twenty days, at $1.25 per day, inclusive of board. 75. 00 



Team for hauling sap, twenty days, at $1.25 per day 25. 00 



Sirups cans, sugar pails, boxes, etc., for packing 14. 00 



222.70 



The returns, counting 3 pounds of sugar, or its equivalent in sirup, 

 per tree, will be 3,000 pounds of sugar. At 9 cen^ts per pound this 

 will bring in $270, or a net profit of $47.30, equal to 8 per cent on 

 $592 the amount invested exclusive of the value of the land. 



This is not a heavy return, but it must not be forgotten that the 

 figures are purposely made conservative. Many farmers will find 

 the labor charge, or the rent item, too high, or they may even be 

 able to cut them out entirely. Maple sugar making is possible only 

 at a season when farm work is usually slack, and the time devoted 

 to it may be virtually saved. Each prospective operator will be able 

 to make his own calculation from the figures here given, but it should 

 be remembered that the industry has its limitations, and the number 

 of people who can go into it will always remain comparatively small. 

 No attempt has been made to put into figures the probable results 

 of improved forest methods in the sugar grove, but such considera- 

 tions are believed to be of the utmost importance. This phase of 

 the matter will receive particular attention in the experiments now 

 being carried on by the Forest Service. 



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