FACTORS INFLUENCING QUALITY. 

 Composition of 1908 and 1909 maple sirup from the same makers. 



97 



In four of the six cases the 1908 sirup is darker in color than the 

 1909, in the other two the reverse is noted. The ash content, insol- 

 uble ash, lead number, and malic-acid value vary so little that 

 definite conclusions can not be drawn. 



COMPARISON OF SIRUPS FROM COVERED AND UNCOVERED SAP 



BUCKETS. 



The question of covering sap buckets has been already discussed 

 (see p. 11). In the course of this investigation opportunity was 

 afforded at one camp in New York to make sirup from the sap col- 

 lected from both open and covered buckets. The results indicate 

 what has previously been said, namely, that covered buckets give a 

 lighter-colored sirup. A slight difference in composition is also 

 noted. 



Comparison of sirups made from sap collected in covered and uncovered buckets ( New York) . 



The color difference is slight, but the ash content of the sirup from 

 the uncovered buckets is greater than from the covered ones. 

 This increase occurs in the soluble ash, as there is only 0.04 per cent 

 difference in the insoluble ash of the two samples. There is a marked 

 difference in the lead numbers, but not in the malic-acid values. 

 More work should be done on this point, but the results on these two 

 samples indicate that the use of uncovered buckets, which allow the 

 rain, washings of the trees, and insects to enter, influences both the 

 color and the composition of the sirup, which would be expected. 

 48874 Bull. 13410 7 



