1901 



AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 



6 7 



of the sugar makers taking the trouble to 

 provide a stock of dry fuel for the pur- 

 pose. No shed or house was used, but 

 the work was carried on in the open air, 

 in all kinds of weather, rain or snow, wind 

 or calm, storm or sunshine. Smoke, steam 

 and falling cinders surrounded the boiling 

 kettle, discoloring and flavoring the prod- 

 uct accordingly. By constantly adding to 

 the contents of the kettle the sap was 

 boiled from early morning until late at 

 night. The scum and various impurities 

 rising: to the surface were skimmed off as 

 fast as they appeared. Small quantities 

 of milk or white of eggs were thrown 

 into the kettle from time to time to clarify 

 the syrup and by coagulation assist in 

 bringing the impurities to the surface, an 

 old-fashioned practice still adhered to by 

 many sugar makers. Whenever the liquid 

 was liable to boil over, a lump of fat pork 

 or small piece of lard was thrown in to 

 prevent this. Some sugar makers pre- 

 vented the overflow by an automatic ar- 

 rangement which consisted in hanging a 

 piece of pork over the kettle within a few 

 inches of the boiling sap ; and some ac- 

 complished the same result by greasing the 

 rim of the kettle with lard. The test of 

 granulation was usually made by pouring 

 some of the boiling syrup on the snow. 

 If it ' waxed,' and on cooling became brit- 

 tle, the time had come to ' sugar off.' 

 Sometimes a twig, bent and fastened at 

 the end into a loop, was dipped into the 

 boiling mass; if a film would form 

 across the opening with enough tenacity 

 and elasticity to stretch outward when 



blown upon, the test was deemed satisfac- 

 tory." 



Now improved appliances and more in- 

 telligent methods are everywhere resulting 

 in greater economy of production, and a 

 much purer product. Of this Col. Fox 

 says : " The complaint is often heard that 

 maple sugar is adulterated, and that it 

 lacks the true maple flavor of the old- 

 fashioned product. The genuine article 

 as now made is so different in color and 

 taste from the product of former years 

 that the consumer is suspicious of its 

 purity. But the ' true old-fashioned ' 

 flavor was too often due to impurities, not 

 purity. The peculiar taste was caused 

 largely by sour sap, burned sugar, smoke, 

 cinders, leaves, bark and the rain or melted 

 snow that dripped from the trees into the 

 open tubs and buckets. People acquired 

 a taste for this compound, just as they 

 learned to relish other unwholesome arti- 

 cles of food. On the other hand, the 

 efforts to produce an absolutely pure arti- 

 cle has resulted in a whitish, hard, flinty 

 cake in which there is little left of the 

 maple taste. 



"The refining process maybe carried 

 too far. A pure article that is merely 

 sweet will not satisfy the consumer. Cane 

 sugar is equally sweet and costs only half 

 as much. The extra price for maple 

 sugar is paid in order to obtain the deli- 

 cious flavor peculiar to that product. The 

 work of refining should cease as soon as 

 the impurities are eliminated, in order to 

 retain as far as possible the distinct taste 

 of the maple." 



