Page:Husbandman and Housewife 1820.djvu/85

 It is easy to explain the operations as a manure. The skin is principally gelatine; which from its slight state of cohesion is readily soluble in water, fat or oil; is always found in fishes, either under the skin, or in some of the viscera; and their fibrous matter contains all the essential elements of vegetable substances.

SCALD your buckets for catching sap before tapping the trees.

The sap should be kept clean from dirt through the process of boiling.

Avoid leaving your sap long in an iron kettle, as the rust will give it a dark colour.

When nearly boiled down to sirup (or thin molasses) a little lime thrown into the kettle will be of use.

At this stage of boiling as well as in sugaring off, care should be taken to avoid heating the top of the kettle too hot, or any other way burning, as it will injure the colour, as well as the flavour of the sugar.

When the syrup is boiled down, turn it while hot, into a clean wooden vessel, let it stand two or three days and settle : then turn it carefully from the dirt at the bottom and strain it.

Hang it over a gentle fire, and when it is warm, stir in one pint of milk to four or five gallons syrup, which will rise as it begins to boil, and must be taken off with a skimmer,