Boiling the sap. -- A smart fire should be kept up while the sap is boiling, and a table spoonful of slacked lime put into each 15 gallon kettle, while the sap is warming, and before it boils, to raise the scum, and give the sugar a grain.

When the scum rises, it should be skimmed off. When the liquor is reduced one half, discharge it into the one half of the kettles, continuing the process till the whole is placed in one kettle, filling up the empty ones as soon as possible with fresh sap.

When the liquor in the last or aggregate kettle becomes a syrup, it should be strained through a woolen cloth, before it becomes too thick.

When thus cleaned, it should stand in buckets or other proper vessels 12 hours, that the whole sediment may fall to the bottom, and the clarified syrup to be poured off into a kettle or boiler.

WESTERN NEW- YORK. 1125

The sediment to be boiled up again with fresh sap. In graining, cleaning, and whiteing the sugar, the method of the sugar-bakers to be used.

In gi-aining the sugar, pour the syrup into a boiler after having stood 12 hours, and place it over a smart fire of charcoal, so as to prevent any flame, using butter or hog's lard to Lreep down the sap when it rises to the top. This should be carefully attended to when the sugar is graining.

The mature state of the boiling is known by taking a little of the syrup from the boiling stick, and trying if it ropes or draws into a thread between the finger and thumb ; then it should be put into a tub or cooler, and stirred incessantly until the grain can be felt, when it is in a fit state to be poured into the moulds.