SUGAR. 211 



to allow the fire to come into contact with the iron only. These pans cost hut 

 a trifle, and, owing to their large surface, the evaporation is rapid. 



Another cheap construction for hoiling with economy is, to make a tight box 

 of plank, some four or five feet square the width of a wide plank will answer, 

 and then put into it, almost at the bottom, a piece of large copper funnel, say 

 ten or twelve inches at the outer part, and then smaller. This funnel, begin- 

 ning near one end, should run back nearly to the opposite side, then turn and 

 come out at the opposite end, or at the side near the end, as most convenient, 

 being in only two straight parts, that the soot may be cleared out. Each end 

 should be made tight, with a flange nailed to the box. At the mouth of the 

 large part there should be a door, to reduce the draught ; here make the fire, 

 and at the other end have a funnel to carry off the smoke. In this case, there 

 is only sheet copper between the fire and the sap which surrounds the funnel, 

 so that the heat is readily taken up by the liquid, and very little escapes. 

 This is an economical plan for cooking food for stock, steaming timber, &c. 



For catching the sap, various kinds of vessels are used. The cheapest are 

 made of white birch, which last one season, or less. Troughs of pine, or 

 linden or bass wood, may be made for a few cents each, and they will last for 

 a number of years, if inverted in the' shade of trees. But these are incon- 

 venient ; and, after the first year, they become dirty, and clog the sap. Pails 

 with iron hoops are the best, and, eventually, the cheapest. By painting and 

 carefully preserving them, they will cost, for a course of years, about one cent 

 each for a year. 



Mr. Alfred Fitch, in the " Genesee Farmer," says : 



In clarifying, I use for 50 Ibs. of sugar one pint of skimmed milk, put into 

 the syrup when cold, and place it over a moderate fire until it rises, which 

 should occupy thirty or forty minutes ; then skim and boil until it will grain ; 

 after which I put it into a tub, and turn on a little cold water, and in -a few 

 days the molasses will drain out, and leave the sugar dry, light, and white. 



Mr. E. W. Clark, of Oswego, furnishes the following : 



On Fining Maple Sugar. The sweet obtained from the maple tree is un- 

 doubtedly the purest known ; but from mismanagement in the manufacture 

 it frequently becomes very impure. Its value is lessened, while the expense 

 of making it increases. I am sensible that the method which I shall recom- 

 mend is not altogether a new one, and that it is more by attending to some 

 apparently minute and trivial circumstances, than to any new plan, that my 

 sugar is so good. Much has been written upon, and many useful improvements 

 been made in, that part of the process which relates to tapping the trees, and 

 gathering and evaporating the sap, &c. ; but still, if the final operation is not 

 understood, there will be a deficiency in the quality of the sugar. I shall 

 confine myself to that part of the operation which relates to reducing the syrup 

 to sugar, as it is of the first importance. My process is this : When the syrup 

 is reduced to the consistence of West India molasses, I set it away till it is per- 

 fectly cold, and then mix with it the clarifying matter, which is milk or eggs. 

 I prefer eggs to milk, because when heated the whole of it curdles ; whereas 

 milk produces only a small portion of curd. The eggs should be thoroughly 

 beaten and effectually mixed with the syrup while cold. The syrup should 

 then be heated till just before it would boil, when the curd rises, bringing 

 with it every impurity, even the coloring matter, or a great portion of that 

 which it had received from the smoke, kettles, buckets, or reservoirs. Tho 

 boiling should be checked, and the scum carefully removed, when the syrup 

 should be slowly turned into a thick woollen strainer, and left to run through 

 at leisure. I would remark, that a great proportion of the sugar that is 

 made in our country is not strained after cleansing. This is an error. If ex- 

 amined in a wine-glass, innumerable minute and almost imperceptible particles 

 of curd will be seen floating in it, which, if not removed, render it liable to 

 burn, and otherwise injure the taste and color of it. 



A flannel strainer does this much better than a linen one. It is, indeed, 

 indispensable. As to the quantity of eggs necessary, one pint to a pailful of 



p 2 



