The New Orleans Crescent

Maple Sugar.

A VISIT TO THE SUGAR BUSHES—HOW TO MAKE IT, HOW TO EAT IT AND ALL ABOUT IT.

A Watertown (N. Y.) correspondent of the New York Mail writes as follows:

Last week a kind invitation was received from a member of the Agricultural Society, inviting us and our cousins to drive out to his old homestead and eat warm sugar in the leach; so on the following morning all started and soon were going "Over the hills and far away."

We drove, and how the natives stared; we drove, and how the natives swore! We met cutters and turned out; we met teams and turned over! Cousins on the back seat added greatly to the pleasure of the ride by making comments on our style of guiding horses and screaming when ever the sleigh went through a "pitch hole."

The home of our rural friend finally came in view; a large, old fashioned stone mansion, with huge chimneys at each end of the building—an intimation of the fire-place beneath, filled with crackling hickory logs. Had Jingle, of Pickwick, been one of the party, he would have described the hospitable reception we received, by saying: "Drove up—no dogs—great wonder—one in the house though—see him—kind old gent—nice old girl comes out—all go in—big room this—seed corn hung to the rafters—dried pepper too—apples up stairs—smell 'em—good people—good dog—good fire—good everything—very!"

After a substantial dinner of ham and eggs, baked beans, hot waffles, mince and apple pies, tea and coffee, we were invited to go out to the sugar bush. In a short time all were comfortably seated under the shanty watching the sap as it boiled in the evaporating pan, and while watching for the sap to turn into molasses, and the molasses into sugar, I will stroll through the bush and explain.

THE ARRANGEMENTS, AND HOW SUGAR IS MADE.

A good sugar season is one where the ground is frozen deep, and warm days are followed by cold nights. Such a spring is the present one. The nights being cold the sap is retarded in its progress, and during the following day it starts afresh, in greater quantities, and of a better quality than it otherwise would.

The sugar maker's first labor is to tap his trees; which is done by boring a hole about two inches in depth into the trunk of the maple. Next he drives in the spout, leaving a little room back of it, so that the sap may have a reservoir to collect in. The iron spout and tin bucket have generally superseded the wooden ones, and are considered much better, for the sap keeps sweeter a longer time, and less of it is wasted; still, some farmers persist in using the funnel, and occasionally a sugar bush is found where the sap trickles through its wooden spout, with the wooden bucket beneath as of old.

When it is a good day the buckets are usually emptied once—rarely twice—and often but once in two or three days. If the woods are free from underbrush the sap is gathered with a team, and they return to the shanty puffing and blowing, dragging after them a hogshead filled with the fluid which is soon to be made into molasses, packwax and solid cakes for the market.

A pound of sugar to a bucket and a half of sap, and three pounds to a tree, is an average yield. Few of our farmers make more than 500 pounds, the most of them only two or three hundred. In St. Lawrence county there are many who manufacture four or five hundred lbs. in the course of a season.

In 1865, 656,466 pounds was made in this county; 551,103 in Lewis; 1,156,455 in St. Lawrence, and 102,770 in Oswego county. The whole production of the State was 9,635,200 pounds; and of the United States 41,248,926, making 41,248 hogsheads of 1000 pounds each; valued at $6,197,338 70.

In addition to this, 2,524,680 gallons of molasses were made, valued at $3,155,850, making the total valuation of the maple sugar crop $9,355,188 10. Think of the buck wheat cakes such an amount of molasses would cover.

To some the sap has a sickly taste; but most persons enjoy a good draught from a bucket, particularly if it is cold; like some other things, it is more palatable iced. It is not now poured into the evaporating pan as it was into the huge kettles once used, but is put in a barrel and run into the pan through a faucet; the lading in this way is easier superintended, and much better sugar is made than by the old method.

Many of our readers will remember those large kettles which hung on a sweep in their grandfather's woods years ago, and where the sap hissed and boiled, in their boyhood; those kettles over which they have leaned at the risk of falling into the cooling sap, while they scraped the sides with a bass-wood chip. Was ever mortal so blessed as a boy with his cast-iron stomach under such circumstances? Was ever morsel half so delicious as the one secured in this way, and divided with some bright-eyed little girl?

SUGARING OFF.

On returning to the shanty, we found preparations were being made to "sugar off," which means that the molasses having been boiled sufficiently, the fire is allowed to burn low; the sugar is run into moulds, and when cooled is ready for use. It is also the time for eating it warm.

A snow bank was soon shoveled off great pail of the melted sugar poured upon it, and our party stood around, each provided with a nicely whittled stick waiting in sweet expectation for the packwax to cool. One of the "cousins" first gave little rap with her stick then each of us tried, and finding it was hard, commenced feasting on the maple.

Besides the packwax, we were treated to stirred and caked sugar, the latter being the usual form it is found in the market.

After eating—no matter how much, it was warm and good—we gathered around the fire and listened to our host, who told us of the good old times and Indian legends until the notes of a horn summoned us back to the house, and what a jolly ride was that across the lots, through the bars and up to the barn, seated between, pallid girls and pans of maple sugar!

In the evening a bright fire lit up the large kitchen, where the corn was popped, and as Whittier has it:

"Between the andirons' straddling feet
The mug of cider simmered slow,
The apples rustled in a row.
And close hand the basket stood
With nuts from brown October's wood."

Recreation and pleasure, that which we sought, were found here, without dissipation, and enjoyed in a comfortable, harmless way.

The old clock in the hall struck nine before we were prepared for it, but as that was the hour agreed upon to return home, the horse was brought around, and after many "good byes," we started, thanking a kind Providence for creating sugar bushes, and placing us in a position where we are enabled to visit them.

D. A. B.