392 FOREST PRODUCTS 



A sugaring-off arch and pan which serves the purpose of an 



evaporator as well $27 . oo 



40 sap spouts with hooks at $2.75 per hundred i . 10 



40 i6-qt. buckets at $29 per hundred 1 1 . 60 



40 bucket covers at $8.75 per hundred 3-5 



i thermometer 1.25 



i strainer i . 50 



One TS-in. tapping bit .25 



One ^-in. reamer .- . .50 



Total $46. 70 



Gathering and storage tanks are not usually used in such small 

 outfits as this. 



It is generally considered in the industry that it scarcely pays to 

 engage in the work with modern equipment unless one has a bush of 

 at least 100 buckets. The necessary outfit required for a 5oo-bucket 

 sugar bush equipped only for making syrup is as follows: 



COST OF EQUIPMENT 



Evaporator capacity 90 gal. sap per hour $145 .00 



500 buckets rust proof at $27.00 per hundred 135 .00 



500 bucket covers at $8.00 per hundred 40.00 



500 spouts at $2.75 per hundred 13 . 75 



Gathering tank at i6o-gal. capacity 20.00 



i lo-bbl. capacity storage tank 15 .00 



Thermometer, dipper, skimmer, strainer 3-25 



One pair of gathering pails 2 . 50 



200 i-gal. syrup cans 24 . oo 



Total $401 . oo 



With good care this equipment should last twenty years or more. 



It is at once evident that the cost of operation and equipment per 

 bucket decreases as the number of buckets increases. For example, in 

 the above estimate, by dividing the total cost of initial equipment by the 

 number of buckets, the cost per bucket is $.802 ($40 1-^-500 = $.802 per 

 bucket), whereas in an orchard of 2000 trees where the total cost of initial 

 equipment is about $1170, the cost per bucket is only $.585 



