49 



en pans; and stir it moderately until it is grained and stiff as 

 dough ; after which we put it into a larger vessel, such as a 

 large tray or bowl holding nearly two pails full; and stir it 

 powerfully to prevent its having hard knobs in it, until it is 

 cold and lively. Bat the stirring of maple sugar to make it 

 good, cannot be learned but by seeing it done, or by a long 

 course of practice. If stirred too fast while graining, it tends 

 to make it fine-grained and clammy ; if not stirred enough, it 

 Avill be knobby." — This account, it is obvious, is that of a plain 

 common farmer, and is given as the ordinary process of man- 

 ufacture. By an improved method, undoubtedly a very su- 

 perior article may be made. As yet no attempt has been made 

 to refine the maple sugar on a large scale. 



It has been stated that the sugar-maple reaches to the age of 

 one hundred and eighty years, yet seldom measures more than 

 four feet in diameter. It may be tapped when about two feet 

 and a half in circumference ; and if done properly, in the man- 

 ner described, neither the growth nor the duration of the tree 

 will be affected. 



A farmer in Pennsylvania gives the following directions for 

 forming a sugar orchard. " To plant out a sugar camp or or- 

 chard, let the trees be thirty-three feet apart or forty-six trees 

 on an acre. One acre thus planted, will, in a good season, 

 yield 130 lbs. of sugar. I tapped 160 trees this year, and al- 

 though I lost as much sap as would have made 100 lbs. of su- 

 gar, I made at least 500 lbs. The farmer must not expect to 

 derive any benefit from the land beyond the sugar, as the shade 

 of the tree is very injurious to grass and ruinous to grain." 



This subject of sugar from the maple is of great importance 

 and by no means appreciated as it should be. In large portions 

 of our State the tree would find a congenial soil and flourish 

 luxuriantly. There is good reason to believe that by proper 

 attention to this subject on the part of the farmers, the State in 

 comparatively a few years might meet from its own soil its or- 

 dinary demand for this useful, agreeable, and now necessary 

 article of life. As an ornamental tree, the rock maple is ex- 

 7 



