THE EMIGRANT'S HAND- BOOK, 861 



The common method of extracting the sap from the 

 maple is, by boring into the tree, about two inches, with 

 a three-quarter inch bit or auger. The sap is then con- 

 veyed into small tubs, holding three or four gallons each, 

 called sap-buckets, by spiles slightly inserted into the 

 tree. It takes about four gallons of sap to make one 

 pound of sugar. The season for making sugar in Ver- 

 mont commences between the middle of March and the 

 first of April, as the spring is more or less forward, and 

 lasts about three weeks. One hundred good trees will 

 yield sap sufficient to make from three to five hundred 

 weight of sugar. 



The following person received the New-York State 

 Agricultural Society's first premium, for the best maple 

 sugar. 



To the Committee on Maple Sugar of the New- York State Agricultural Society. 



GENTLEMEN : I herewith submit to your inspection 40 

 Ibs. of my maple sugar. The following is a statement 

 9f the manner of making and clarifying the same : 



In the first place I make my buckets, tubs and kettles 

 all clean I boil the sap in a potash kettle, set in an arch, 

 in such a manner that the edge of the kettle is defended 

 all round from the fire. I boil through the day, taking 

 care not to have anything in the kettle that will give color 

 to the sap, and to keep it well skimmed. At night I leave 

 fire enough under the kettle, to boil the sap nearly or 

 quite to syrup by the next morning ; I then take it out of 

 the kettle and strain it through a flannel cloth into a tub, 

 if it is sweet enough, if not, I put it into a caldron kettle, 

 (which I have hung on a pole, in such a manner that I 

 can swing it on and off the fire at pleasure,) and boil it 

 till it is sweet enough, and then strain it into the tub and 

 let it stand till the next morning. I then take it, and the 

 syrup in the kettle, and put all together into the caldron, 



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