Within the past 40 or 50 years, great improvements have been made along the line of sugar implements; first the crude sugar shed was built and the kettles were incased in an arch; then came the large smooth bottom pans which were considered the height of perfection. But the ever restless Yankee was not content with this. First came the heater which heated the sap before it went into the pans; next the crude form of evaporator, with wooden sides and corrugations running across the pans but no opening beneath. Then the evaporator of the present day of which there are many kinds, all of which are good and capable of converting from twenty-five to a hundred gallons of sap into syrup in an hour; this will be explained later. The bit of small size has taken the place of the axe, tapping iron and large auger. The tin bucket with covers have placed in the background the old troughs and wooden buckets. The team and lines of piping have lightened the burden of the man with a sap yoke and snow shoes, and instead of boiling out of doors or in the old shed a comfortable, convenient plank floor sugar house is now used. Thus we see the change which has taken place along the different lines of the industry. It has worked itself into a trade or science and men make a study of it. Therefore instead of the dark colored article containing numerous flavors, the present product with the modern methods is light in color, flavored only with the aroma of the maple, and the fine qualities possessed by this article has already won for itself a reputation far beyond the limits of our state. It has already passed the point of being considered a necessity and its use is now limited to those who can afford it as a luxury; even the poorest quality the price per pound will purchase several pounds of cane sugar for home use. Thus the poor farmer cannot use it except as a delicacy. The total product of maple sugar in the United States as stated in our census is about 50,000,000 pounds. Of this Vermont is credited with about one-fourth of the entire output. We do not wish to be misunderstood; all the pure maple sugar is not of this fine quality; only the best grade which is a small percent of the amount manufactured is entitled to the high prices received. The small quantity of the so-called first class goods have led the producers to grade their product, so that we have the first, second and third grades with prices to compare with the quality; the reason of these numerous grades are several. First, the chemical changes which take place with the sap being exposed to the weather, the advance of the season and last but not least, the many sugar makers who do not take the care they should and who do not have the suitable machines and utensils for making a No. 1 article. [Illustration: MAPLE SUGAR CAMP EARLY IN THE SEASON; GROUND COVERED WITH SNOW.]