By boiling this juice, it becomes very sweet; and at last when all the
thin watery part has gone off in steam, it becomes thick, like honey; by
boiling it still longer, it turns to sugar, when cold. So you see, my
dear, that the Indians may have found it out by boiling some sap, instead
of water, and letting it remain on the fire till it grew thick."
"Are there many kinds of maple-trees, that sugar can be made from, nurse?"
asked the little girl.
"Yes, [Footnote: All the maple tribe are of a saccharine nature. Sugar has
been made in England from the sap of the sycamore.] my lady; but I the
sugar-maple yields the best sap for the purpose; that of the birch-tree, I
have heard, can be made into sugar; but it would require a larger
quantity; weak wine, or vinegar, is made by the settlers of birch-sap,
which is very pleasant tasted. The people who live in the backwoods, and
make maple-sugar, always make a keg of vinegar at the sugaring off."
"That must be very useful; but if the sap is sweet, how can it he made
into such sour stuff as vinegar?"
Then nurse tried to make Lady Mary understand that the heat of the sun, or
of a warm room, would make the liquor ferment, unless it had been boiled a
long time, so as to become very sweet, and somewhat thick.
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