Trees, Stars, and Birds 



FIG. 14. Tapping the tree. 



U. S. Forest Service 



it and be caught in a bucket instead of trickling down 

 the trunk of the tree. The rise of the sap in early 

 spring is due partly to freezing and thawing ; therefore 

 a succession of warm days and cold nights is necessary 

 for a continuous flow. Later in the spring the sap 

 becomes watery and bitter and is not suitable for sugar 

 making. From 25 to 50 pounds of maple sap must be 

 boiled down to obtain i pound of sugar. 



A group, or orchard, of sugar maples is called a 

 " sugar bush." The place where the sugar is made is 

 called a " sugar camp." Oftentimes one or more sheds 

 are built in the woods to accommodate those who gather 

 the sap and keep up the fires under the kettle or great 

 pans that are used in evaporating the water from the 

 sap. Boys enjoy the work of sugar making and often 



