1908. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
403 
MAPLE SUGAR NOTES. 
How the Sap Runs. 
A . maker of maple sugar claims that 
the fluid taken from the trees in the Spring 
from which the sugar is made is a fluid 
that has remained all Winter in the trees, 
and comes down in the Spring; that the sap 
that comes up from the roots will not make 
sugar. He claims also that any tree, plant 
or other vegetable will not survive if the 
ground is frozen below the roots. I can¬ 
not find any data, scientific or otherwise, 
to affirm or deny the above theory, there¬ 
fore submit same to you. t. s. j. 
Brooklyn, N. Y. 
"i he Vermont Experiment Station (Bur¬ 
lington), has investigated this matter, and 
prints some interesting facts in bulletins. 
The direction of flow of sap and the 
strength of its pressure were carefully 
taken. Early in the season the downflow ot 
sap is stronger than that which comes 
from the roots. Eater in the season this 
is reversed, and the stronger flow is from 
below. The sap which comes from below 
is usually of poorer quality than that 
which comes down from the tree, but it will 
make considerable sugar. The reason for 
this downward flow is that during the 
Winter and early Spring there is a “storage 
of water in the tree. The sap slowly rises 
and pressure in the tree is increased. When 
the tree is tapped the hole becomes “the 
point of least resistance,’’ and the sap 
already in the tree is forced to it by the 
water and gas in the tree, and by the 
other forces which force the sap about. 
There is no doubt that sap or fluid remains 
in the tree over Winter. The Vermont Sta¬ 
tion reports that on January 23, a bright, 
warm day, sap ran in a maple tree at a 
pressure of four pounds, and also ran 
freely when twigs were cut off. It is re¬ 
ported by reliable parties that maple sugar 
TIIE MAPLE SAP GATHERER. Fits. 173. 
has been made every month in the year. 
As to plants or trees being killed by 
freezing Prof. Hills says: “The statement 
that no tree, plant or other vegetable will 
survive if the frost penetrates its roots is 
an absurdity. Grass lives right along, 
and that is a shallow rooted plant. The 
statement is perhaps true in some cases, 
hut is anything but true as a generaliza¬ 
tion.” 
Work in a Small Camp. 
This has been a model maple sugar 
season. I tap 225 trees and use 10 foot 
galvanized evaporator with iron arch. I 
commenced evaporating March 23, and 
“broke camp” April 2. Product was 
80 gallons syrup. We could have made 
100 gallons, as there was a good run 
later; but other work was pressing. The 
requirements for making a No. 1 article 
are much the same as for making high 
quality butter. The utensils must be thor¬ 
oughly washed and scalded at the outset, 
and care be taken to keep out dust and 
dirt at every stage of the game. Sap ages 
quickly and should be evaporated as soon 
as possible after running. I get 20 cents 
per pound for sugar in small cakes, but 
prefer to sell the syrup at 81.25 per gallon 
net. My supply never equals the demand. 
There are perhaps a dozen maple syrup 
outfits within a radius of 10 miles of 
Interlaken, N. Y., and I guess the Pure 
Food Law has no terrors for the propri¬ 
etors. D. C. BASSETTE. 
The Maple Sap Gatherer. 
SETTING PLANTS. 
Th writer has seen many ways for set¬ 
ting out small plants advocated. Many 
recommend the spade to save stooping. 
Some one will have to stoop to set the 
plants right, either the man or the boy 
helper. I prefer to do the stooping my¬ 
self, and see the plants are set at the 
proper depth. Boys are too careless to set 
out plants like strawberries and celery, 
though they can drop them as well as a 
man, and tramp the soil less. Our way 
with strawberries is to mark out the 
ground at proper distance with the- com¬ 
mon turning plow. If it has a straight 
landside tilt the plow so the landside of 
the furrow is a bit sloping. When enough 
is marked out have plants already trimmed 
placed at convenient places in dishes with 
a little water and soil in the bottom. 
Have a boy or girl drop the plants at 
proper distances, and the man follows on 
hands and feet and puts in the plants. 
An active man can put in a good many 
hundred in an hour. Pick up the plant 
with the left hand, spread the roots with 
the right hand, clasp them down against 
the side of furrow, and at same time draw 
a handful of earth with the right hand 
pressing firmly. Another handful or two; 
in a few seconds the operation is done 
and on to the next. Now when cultivat¬ 
ing and hoeing the ridges thrown up by the 
plow will level down and cover the weeds 
that start in the row. During rainy weather 
the plants can bo hoed oftener by this 
plan, as the ridges will dry off quickly. 
For cabbage plants we draw a chain or 
several pieces of chain attached to a 
crosspiece to mark the rows. My boy 
dropping the plants and myself setting 
them out we got in as much as 800 plants 
per hour; with celery 1,200. plants per 
hour. Difference of soil accounts for the 
difference of number of plants set, the 
cabbage soil being a stony loam, while 
the celery soil was clean muck. In set¬ 
ting raspberry and blackberry plants the 
same method is used as for strawberries. 
A 10-year-old boy can drop the plants 
readily if the plants are placed at conve 
nient. distances. The heavier plants go 
along the rows of the field and the celery 
plants are puddled in a convenient open 
ditch that has water in it. 
Crawford Co., Pa. wm. H. miller. 
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See Local Agents, or address 
The smiling citizen shown at Fig. 173 is 
not a milker going to meet a prize Jersey 
cow, but a sap gatherer in Chenango Co., 
N. V. Anyone engaged in such a sweet 
job might will look good natured, espe¬ 
cially in this season of good sap. 
Bananas in Florida.- —-Can anyone give 
information regarding the growing of 
bananas in central Florida, varieties, mode 
of starting, cultivation, fertilizing and lo¬ 
cation? I only have in mind a few for 
home use. G. e. c. 
Orange Co., Florida. 
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