20 



THE PRODUCTION OF MAPLE SIRUP AND SUGAR. 



Table showing date of opening and closing of a sugar camp in Ohio from 



1880 to 1912. 



APPARATUS USED IN THE MAPLE INDUSTRY. 



SPOUTS. 



The spout, or spile, as it is often called, is the tube through which 

 the sap flows into the bucket. It is usually of metal, but often hol- 

 low reeds are used. The best forms are perfectly cylindrical, smooth, 

 and of an even taper, making them easy to insert and to remove 

 without interfering with the wood tissue. The perfect spout should 

 be strong enough to support the bucket of sap safely, and for obvious 

 reasons should bring the whole weight on the bark of the tree and not 

 on the inner tissue or sapwood. Spouts with spurs or anchors are 

 to be avoided, as they tend to split the bark and crush the sapwood, 

 thereby decreasing the flow and allowing the sap to leak. The spout 

 having a small hole is best, because one with a large hole allows the 

 bore to dry out faster when there are strong winds. There are 

 various forms of spouts on the market (see fig. I) that meet these re- 

 quirements, and there are also forms that can be made at home that 

 will serve the purpose. A spout should have a hook or stop on which 

 the bucket is to hang, unless the bucket may hang on the spout itself. 

 It is bad policy to drive a nail below in the tree for this purpose. 



Many makers use woorl'en reeds as spouts. These as a rule are not 

 strong enough to hold the bucket and, moreover, soon become foul 

 from bacteria and souring of the sap. Their use generally leads to 

 a decreased yield and to the production of a poor-grade sirup. 



Great care should be exercised in driving the spouts into the tree 

 not to compress the sapwood or split the bark. Both conditions 

 prevent a good yield of sap and the latter tends to a decay of the 

 tree or a bad healing of the hole. The same care should be used at 

 the end of the season in removing them. Perfectly round spouts 

 with the proper taper should be easily removed by turning without 

 injury to the tree. 



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