LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL 



U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 



BUREAU OF CHEMISTRY, 

 Washington, D. C., May 25, 1910. 



SIR : I have the honor to transmit for your approval a report on the 

 manufacture and analysis of maple-sap sirup prepared in the Sugar 

 Laboratory of this Bureau after an extensive investigation. Though 

 considerable work has been done along this line by individuals on a 

 comparatively small number of samples representing restricted areas, 

 no systematic study covering such a wide field as in the present case 

 previously has been made. The analyses given represent 481 samples 

 of maple sirups of known purity from the most important maple- 

 producing States of this country and from Canada; they form, there- 

 fore, a basis for the comparison and grading of maple sirups. The 

 studies of the effect of environment on the composition of this product 

 constitute another contribution to the general investigations on the 

 effect of environment on composition, especially of sugar-producing 

 plants, which have been prosecuted in this Bureau since 1887. 



The bulk of the analytical work reported was performed by C. G. 

 Church and S. F. Sherwood of the Sugar Laboratory. Acknowledg- 

 ment is also made of the valuable suggestions offered by Mr. C. H. 

 Jones of Vermont and Mr. J. H. Grimm of Canada, especially in 

 regard to the production of maple sirup in their respective localities, 

 recommend that this report be published as Bulletin 134 of the 

 Bureau of Chemistry. 



Respectfully, II. W. WILEY, 



Chief. 

 Hon. JAMES WILSON, 



Secretary of Agriculture. 



3 



