176 LITERARY PILGRIMAGES 



not deep and the run of sap steady and prolonged. 

 Then the farmer makes money. During other 

 years the snow may be so deep that it is necessary 

 to shovel out the roadways in the grove and go 

 from tree to tree on snow shoes. Last year, 

 owing to peculiar weather conditions, there was 

 but a light run of sap, and it was soon over, last- 

 ing hardly three weeks. In consequence the crop 

 was light. Yet maple sugar is distinctly a luxury 

 for which the demand is greater than the present ' 

 supply, and is likely to steadily increase. It is 

 probable that the planting of large areas to 

 especially productive trees on which the most 

 scientific business methods were used would result 

 in large profits. The trouble is that the season 

 of production is short and all trees must be worked 

 at the same time. Moreover, it takes twenty 

 years for a seedling maple to grow to producing 

 size, and the average investor does not care to wait 

 that long for the first of his returns. In any case, 

 it is a matter for the capitalist rather than the 

 farmer, who does not usually look so far ahead 

 for returns on his money. 

 Along with the improvements in the sugar 



