33 



As the season advances and the days become warmer fermentation 

 is sure to take place in the vessels, causing the sap to sour and slime to 

 accumulate about the spouts, buckets, pails and tanks. To continue 

 making a fine product it is necessary to draw the spouts and ream out 

 the holes so as to expose a fresh surface of wood. Some recommend bor- 

 ing a new hole a few inches from the old one and claim to get better 

 results. At this stage all utensils should be scalded or washed with 

 hot water. By carrying out these precautionary measures the season 

 may be prolonged without the risk of making "buddy" products. 



The Vermont Agricultural Experiment Station has recently pub- 

 lished a bulletin of 600 pages describing studies made by the officers of 

 the Station on the influence of micro-organisms in spoiling sap. They 

 conclude that although there is really such a thing as "buddy sap," 

 that is to say sap the flavour of which has been injured by the physio- 

 logical changes occurring in the tree as it resumes its summer activity, 

 yet most of what is called "buddy sap" is really sap spoiled by micro- 

 organisms, which find conditions particularly favourable to their growth 

 during the warm weather toward the end of the sugar season. 



GATHERING THE SAP. 



Fig. 22. THE SAP GATHERER MAKING HIS ROUND 



Note the Yoke for carrying the pails 



