PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS' CLUB. 361 



at the thousand cares of the farmer — to pity the useless toil and the sleep- 

 less anxieties of the ancient tiller of the soil ? Is the order of nature, 

 through all past time, to be reversed ? Are the entire constitution of so- 

 ciety, and the habits and pursuits of the whole human race to be completely 

 altered by the progress of scientific knowledge ? To such end it is to be 

 hoped that science is not destined to lead, as it would be sinful to wish for it. 

 Adjourned. John W, Chambers, Secretary. 



April 19, 1864. 



Mr. Nathan C. Ely in the chair. 



The chairman said he was gratified to-day by the presence of Mr. Solon 

 Robinson, who has been confined to his house with severe sickness for the 

 past two weeks, and he hoped the Secretary would record the pleasure we 

 feel by having him with us to-day. 



C. S. Osgood, Coos, N. H., furnishes the following information : 



Making Spirits of Turpentine at the North. ' 



I U'Oticc an inquiry as to whether, at present prices, spirit of turpentine 

 could not be profitably procured from sapling pines in our Northern States, 

 Years ago I conceived the idea of distilling the boughs of sapling pines, 

 cut for wood, for procuring the oil of pine, which I suppose to be identical 

 with spirits of turpentine, and now that the article is so higli, I apprehend 

 it might pay. Spruce oil used to be sold here as low as 18 to 20 cents per 

 pound, which is probably equal to about $1,60 per gallon, and I apprehend 

 that pine tops would yield much more oil than spruce. 



Maple Sugar. 



There is every indication that we are to make a very light crop of maple 

 BUgar here again this season, which will make the third successive poor 

 season. The sap will run but little in tlie most favorable weather, which 

 "we attribute to the thawy, irregular weather of the past winter, causing 

 the sap to circulate so many times heretofore, that it has got tired of it. 



But why should your market ever be glutted with it to the extent that it 

 will find no sale at 7 or 8 cents ? Do city people think it only fit for 

 children to gnaw as confectionary? Hereabput we use no other sweeten- 

 ing when we can get that; but when from a short crop or any of us not 

 having a sugar orchard, we cannot well get' it, we have to put up with 

 cane sugar as you city people do. For my part, for all kinds of cookery, 

 preserves, &c., I prefer the maple flavor to most of the flavoring extracts 

 in use, and in tea and coffee I regard it as agreeable rather than objection- 

 able, and wild strawberries well preserved in it are not bad to take. So 

 likewise the sugar, remelted with a very, little water, and brought to the 

 table hot, makes no unpalatable addition to the buckwheat cakes or other 

 bread. Maple sugar contains less foreign matter than raw sugar from 

 any other source, and that little agreeable. 



But do you know that people who never went a "sugaring off," know 

 nothing about eating maple sugar ? It is comparitively worthless for 



