41 



-ulated state hard enough to cake into sugar. This granulated state 

 can be ascertained by various methods. One is by the thermometer 

 as already described. Another is by dropping a little of the boiling 

 syrup into a cup of cold water, and if this forms itself into a hard 

 lump at the bottom of the cup it is boiled sufficiently; but if it spreads 

 over the bottom of the cup it requires more boiling. A third plan 

 is to pour a little boiling syrup on packed snow or ice; if it hardens 

 so as to crack under pressure it is boiled enough but should it run 

 into the snow remaining soft more boiling is needed. After the oper- 

 ato is certain that the sugaring state has been reached the pan 

 is removed from the fire and allowed to slowly cool until it begins 

 to thicken when it is poured into small tins for caking. For soft or 

 tub sugar less boiling is required. An imperial gallon of standard 

 density weighs 13 Ibs. 2 oz. and will make about nine pounds of sugar 

 when cooled. 



Because maple sugar is usually made into hard blocks it may 

 not be generally known that it can be finished in a granulated or 

 pulverized state. When the syrup is boiled to the temperature of 

 240 to 242 degrees, it will hardly make a medium hard sugar. When 

 stirred sufficient to make the desired grain, it can be poured into 

 the moulds, and by continuous stirring the sugar will granulate and 

 form what is called " stirred" sugar. This sugar when dried out 

 thoroughly may be pulverized which would make it almost as fine 

 as flour and if of good quality almost as white. In doing this one 

 has to observe great caution to prevent the sugar from scorching when 

 drying. 



In boiling syrup, more especially as it approaches the finish- 

 ing point, the liquid has a great tendency to rise and froth in the pan 

 and if not watched very carefully at times it flows over the sides. All 

 sugar makers are familiar with this characteristic and with a means 

 of combatting it. In the days of the old iron kettle it was a rule to 

 suspend a piece of fat pork a few inches above the normal boiling 

 level. When the rising syrup touched the fat it immediately subsided. 

 Even yet this time honoured custom is followed and when the pork 

 is clean no serious objection can be taken to it. Un/ortunately, 

 however, all makers are not particular about the quality of the' oil 

 or fat they use, as lard and frying fats are made use of in some camps. 

 These, it need hardly be pointed out, tend to impart an undesirable 

 flavor. In any case a very small quantity of an oily substance is suf- 

 ficent to quiet the frothing mass and nothing will accomplish it more 

 effectively than a bit of good butter or a few drops of sweet cream 

 neither of which will impart an undesirable flavor. 



