By-products of the Northern Woodlot 229 



wooden, and earthenware. They should be provided with 

 some kind of a cover. Metal spouts with hooks attached 

 for hanging buckets can be purchased, but this is not nec- 

 essary, since light home-made spouts can be used and the 

 buckets may stand on 

 the ground or blocked 

 in a firm position. 



TAPPING THE TREES 



If the sap containers 

 are to stand on the 

 ground, the trees must 

 be tapped just a little 

 higher than the rim of 

 the bucket. If metal 

 spouts with hooks at- 

 tached are used, the tap- 

 ping may be done two 

 or three feet from the 

 ground, or at any con- 

 venient height. As a 

 rule, .trees should be 

 tapped on the sunny 

 side. Holes on the north 

 side are said to flow 



longer than holes on the south side. Before tapping, all 

 loose bark should be brushed from the tree where the hole 

 is to be bored. The hole should slant upward enough to 

 drain well and not over two inches deep. All auger chips 

 must be removed. For the sake of the trees, it is best 

 to tap only one place in a tree. Two or three spouts are 



FIG. 51. A tapped tree with pails in 

 place. 



