CHAP. XXI r. 



415 



maple turns greenish, and the white maple and the red-flowered maple 

 change to a deep blue. 



The extraction of sugar from the maple is a valuable resource in a new 

 country abounding in forests of that tree, and without much foreign com- 

 merce ; but it is evident that this mode of obtaining sugar is only destmed 

 for a certain stage in the progress of society, and must, in America, very 

 shortly give way to the sugar of commerce, produced by the cane ; for this 

 reason, we shall give but a short account of the process of manufacturing 

 maple sugar, and this chiefly as a matter of historical interest, rather than of 

 practical utility. In America, wherever there are canals and railroads, the 

 making of maple sugar must soon become an unprofitable occupation. 



The process of making maple sugar ivS commonly begun in February, or in 

 the beginning of March, while the cold continues intense, and the ground is 

 still covered with snow. The sap begins to be in motion at this season, two 

 months before the general revival of vegetation. In a central situation, 

 lying convenient to the trees from which the sap is to be drawn, a shed is 

 constructed, called a sugar camp, which is destined to shelter the boilers, and 

 the persons who tend them, from the weather. An auger ^ of an inch in 

 diameter ; small troughs to receive the sap ; tubes of elder or sumach, 8 in. or 

 1 0 in. long, corresponding in size to the auger, and laid open for a part of 

 their length; buckets for emptying the troughs and conveying the sap to the 

 camp; boilers of 15 or 18 gallons' capacit}'; moulds to receive the syrup when 

 reduced to a proper consistency for being formed into cakes ; and, lastly, axes 

 to cut and spUt the fuel, are the principal utensils employed in the operation. 

 The trees are perforated in an obliquely ascending direction, 18 in. or 20 in. 

 from the ground, with two holes 4 in. or 5 in. apart. Care should be taken 

 that the augers do not enter more than half an inch within the wood, as ex- 

 perience has shown that the most abundant flow of sap takes place at this 

 depth. It is also recommended to insert the tubes on the south side of the tree. 

 The troughs, which contain 2 or 3 gallons, are made, in the northern states, 

 of the white pine, of white or black oak, or of maple; but on the Ohio, 

 the mulberry, which is very abundant, is preferred. The chestnut, the black 

 walnut, and the butternut should be rejected, as they impart to the liquid 

 the colouring matter and bitter principle with which they are impregnated. 

 A trough is placed on the ground, at the foot of each tree ; and the sap is 

 every day collected and temporarilj' poured into casks, from which it is drawn 

 out to fill the boilers. The evaporation is kept up by a brisk fire; and the 

 scum is carefully taken off during this part of the process. Fresh sap is 

 added from time to time ; and the heat is maintained till the liquid is reduced 

 to a syrup ; after which it is left to cool, and then strained through a blanket 

 or other woollen stuffy to separate it from the remaining impurities, when it 

 is poiu-ed into the moulds. The boilers are only half filled ; and a steady 

 heat is kept up till the liquor is reduced to the proper consistency for being 

 poured into the moulds. The evaporation is known to have proceeded far 

 enough, when, upon rubbing a drop of the syrup between the fingers, it is 

 perceived to be granular. If it is in danger of boiling over, a bit of lard 

 or of butter is tlu-own into it, which instantly calms the ebullition. When 

 refined, this sugar equals in beauty the finest consumed in Europe ; but it is 

 used only in the districts where it is made, and there only in the country 

 places, as, from prejudice or taste, Michaux observes, imported sugar is used 

 in all the small towns, and in the inns. 



The sap continues to flow for six weeks ; after which it become less abun- 

 dant, less rich in saccharine matter, and sometimes even incapable of crystal- 

 lisation. In this case it is consumed in the state of molasses, or exposed for 

 three or four days to the sun; when it is converted into vinegar by the acetous 

 fermentation : a kind of beer is also made of it. The amount of sugar 

 produced by each tree in a year varies from dilFerent causes. A cold and 

 dry winter renders the trees more productive than a changeable and humid 

 season. It is observed, that, when a frosty night is followed hy a diy and 



