The Squirrel Hunters of Ohio; or, Glimpses of Pioneer Life

by N. E. Jones

It has been suggested that the yearly “tapping” might injure the growth and shorten the longevity of the trees; but both experiment and observation tend to sustain the opposite opinion. A tree that has been under the notice of the writer for more than seventy years, and has been tapped in three to four places every year for the period named, is still a beautiful, healthy, growing tree.

It may be correct, that “it takes more than one swallow to make a summer;” but the evidence shown in the wood made into lumber after many years “tapping” for “sugar water” (not sap), is not significant of injury or decay. The cut made by the auger is soon closed over, which, no doubt, would be different if the sugar was obtained from “the sap” or wood-producing fluid. The fluid which contains the sugar is no nearer the “sap” (or blood of the tree) than is the milk, or other cellular secretion of a gland, near or identical with the blood or life sustaining and constructive element of animal existence.

A pioneer who owned a small cluster of sugar trees made his own sugar and some to spare, while those working camps of several thousand trees made it a “profitable calling and supplied others at reasonable rates of exchange,” so no one had occasion to stint or reason to complain. It required some labor and expense to equip a camp for making sugar; but once furnished, the material lasted many years. During the time unoccupied, the furnace and kettles under the shed would be surrounded with a temporary fence—the sugar-troughs, spiles, sled, water-barrel, funnel-buckets, etc., at the ending of the sugar season would be safely housed to remain until the next year. As soon as the icy earth began giving way to mild sunshining days in the latter part of winter, it was considered by the “sugar-maker” as the announcement of the near approach of “sugar weather.” At such times, on like indications, the “sugar-troughs” would be taken from the place of deposit and distributed to the trees; the better ones getting the larger troughs. The water-barrel underwent inspection—the funnel refitted—sled repaired—the pile of dry wood increased—store-room or annex renovated—tubs and buckets soaked—shortage of “spiles” and “sugar-troughs” made good—furnace and kettles cleaned, and every thing made ready for the work.

After this, the first clear frosty morning with the prospect of a thawing day, a man would be seen with an auger passing rapidly from tree to tree, closely followed by another, with a basket and hatchet, who “drove the spiles” and set the troughs as fast as the one with the auger made the holes.

It would have astonished a Havemeyer[2] to witness the rapidity with which the “tapping” was accomplished. In a few moments the surrounding forest seemed sparkling with the beauties of the rainbow, and echoing the music of falling waters, each tree dripping, dripping with a rapidity suggestive of a race and wager held by Nature for the one that first filled the assigned trough with sparkling gems.

A “run” of sugar-water was not dependent upon a special act of Congress, nor was the product a subject for public revenue. It was limited, however, to frosty nights and warmer days; and when a number of consecutive days and nights remained above or below freezing, the “sugar-water” would cease to flow, often making it necessary to remove the “spiles” and freshen the auger-hole at the next run to insure the natural ability of the tree.

Sugar manufactured in those days was made from the black maple or sugar tree. This tree was very productive—in an ordinary season would run ten or twelve gallons each in twenty-four hours, and during the season average enough for ten to fifteen pounds of sugar—the better trees have been known to produce over fifty pounds each in an ordinary season. This, however, was before Congress suspected a trust and combine would be a good thing for the common people or got up the Luxow investigation and whitewash of the sugar business by New York. The sugar maker knows quite well the kind of days he could obtain a run of “sugar-water,” and for that purpose one or more holes were bored into the tree three to five inches deep, and “spiles” driven in to conduct the fluid into the sugar-trough.

The “spiles” that conducted the water from the tree to the trough were made from sections of elder or sumac, eight or ten inches in length, shaved down to the pith from three inches of one end, which formed the shoulder, made tapering to close the auger hole of the usual size, three-fourths of an inch. The pith in the shoulder and body of the spile was removed so as to form a channel for the sugar-water to escape. The sugar-trough was a short trough two to four feet long made of some light wood, as the white walnut, and were carefully charred on the inside or concavity to prevent the injury of the delicate flavor of the sugar. Many persons, familiar with higher mathematics and languages named in the curriculum of Yale or Harvard, as well as words and phrases used in athletic games, and manly arts of self-defense, would be turned down if asked to describe or name the uses of many very simple things to an Ohio “squirrel hunter” of three score and ten years.

No doubt there are many more persons that have seen and felt the great Congressional Sugar Trust and Combine than are now living who have seen the headquarters of one of those primitive “sugar camps,” with its row of kettles placed over a furnace—under an open shed—parallel with and near the kettles under this shed, a reservoir made from a section of a large tulip tree, to hold the excess of gathered water during the day for night boiling—the sled and mounted barrel with, a sugar-trough funnel—the annex near the furnace to obtain light and heat, with other primitive articles or things connected with and used in the manufacture of sugar.

The annex or temporary residence of those running the camp was generally a strong well-built cabin with one door, but no window. The door occasionally showed a want of confidence by being ornamented with a heavy padlock and chain. This little building entertained many a jolly crowd. It was the manufacturer’s office, storeroom, parlor, bedroom and restaurant. It was always a pleasant place to spend an evening, and, still more, a delightfully-sweet place on “stirring-off” days—to watch the golden bubbles burst in air and with noisy efforts rising to escape, driven back by their master with the enchantment of a fat-meat pill and made to dance to the tune of Yankee Doodle Dandy; for then was the time to dip and cool the wooden “paddle,” and taste again and again the charming sweetness of maple sugar in its native purity.