During the late part of February and the first of March vegetation begins to awaken from its long sleep, and again prepares to put on its mantle of green. The sap begins to flow back from the roots of the tree, to the branches. The sap is obtained just before the buds on the trees are about to burst.
Maple Trees
Of the many different species of maple there is only one species from which sugar can be obtained. It is commonly known as the sugar, rock, or hard maple. The average yield of a healthy sugar tree would be about a gallon of syrup in a season. A gallon of syrup makes seven pounds of sugar, although, if the syrup be very thick, it may make as much as ten pounds. Two pails of sap will make a pound of sugar. It is well understood that the earliest sap which rises is the strongest and makes the lightest colored sugar and the sweetest and nicest favored molasses.
Sap run from Maple trees
Sap runs best with cool nights just below freezing and warm sunny days just above freezing. The sun helps the sap to flow. Pioneers learned the art of making maple sugar from Native Indians who had been making maple sugar for hundreds of years. Pioneers took advantage of the flowing sap to obtain their year's supply of maple sugar.
Collecting Sap
The gathering of the sap was hard work. Holes had to be bored into the trees with an auger, and into these, wooden spouts, or 'spiles' were placed. A bucket was hung below the spile to catch the maple sap. Troughs, hollowed out of short lengths of basswood, pine or ash logs, were placed at the base of the tree to catch the sap. Later on, wooden pails were used. When the sap troughs or 'buckets' became full, the sap was collected and poured into barrels or into big wooden troughs hollowed out of a log of wood.
Boiling Sap
Maple sugar making time was to pioneers one of the busiest and most romantic seasons of the year, and during this season they spent considerable time in the 'sugar bush'. The sap was boiled down in big iron kettles, three or four kettles being used for one boiling. The sap in the first kettle, after it had been evaporated down to a syrupy consistence, was poured into the second, and so on, to make room for a fresh supply of sap.
Carrying Sap
With a wooden yoke placed over his shoulders and a pail attached to a rope at each end, one of the men helpers would go around among the trees gathering the sap. Sometimes a horse and sleigh, or jumper (home-made sleigh), with a barrel on, was driven around through the woods to collect the sap.
The Watchers
Sitting on logs out in the woods beside the boiling kettles, the watchers had often a weary wait until into the night for the time to 'sugar off'. The hooting of the owls in the pines or the howling of the wolves broke the stillness of the spring night as the watcher worked all day and sometimes all night. The children always looked forward to this season of the year with pleasure, for they knew they could then get their full of nature's delicious nectar.
Maple Candy
Just before the boiling liquid reached the point when the sugaring off was done, some sap was taken out of the kettle and spread on the snow or a piece of ice, when it would harden into maple candy. This candy was clear as crystal and tasted great.
Maple Sugar Cakes
After the sap had been boiled down to a syrupy consistence, a portion of it was removed for use as molasses. The sugar was moulded into cakes of various sizes and shapes, from the big loaf weighing ten or fifteen pounds down to the little cakes made in the crinkled patty-pans for the children.
Answer the following questions :
What is the average yield of a healthy sugar tree ?
