The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

6-Orono Weekly Times, Wednesday, March 30th, 1977 Spring Has Sprung And The Sap FIow Is Steady To different people spring has a multitude of meanings, from merely changing the snow tires on their car to making plans to re- landscaping their front yard. However to Allan Downes and his wife, it represents the beginning of a very busy season which lasts from four to six weeks depending on the weather. As you have probab- ly guessed, this is the maple syrup season. For the past twenty-five years the Downes have produced maple syrup from their "Sugar Bush" east of Highway 115 on the Clarke 8th line. Maple syrup is a concen- trated form of the sap which runs from the roots of the sugar maple and the black maple tip through the trunk to all parts of the tree in the early spring. The length of the season depends mainly on the weather. Ideal conditions would be a light frost at night with a high of around 50 degrees F. during the day. Mr. Downes stated he once collected some 2,200 gallons of sap during a time span of a day and a half from some 400 trees growing on his farm. Many people might look at a figure like 2,200 gallons of sap and wonder why maple syrup is so expensive. The answer is quite simple, how- ever, when you consider that it takes between 35 and 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of maple syrup. The sap goes through a process of boiling for about six hours before it reaches the concentrated form of maple syrup which is approximately eleven pounds per gallon. If you wanted to go farther and make maple sugar it would require more boiling time which in turn evaporates more water from the sap thus leaving maple sugar. Like other phases of pro- duction these days, the collec- ting of sap has changed somewhat to that of the way the Indians and early pion- eers collected it. Instead of hammering spiggots into a tree and hanging a bucket under it, which you would have to empty every so often by hand, a new technique has developed in the past few years. If you walk through a sugar bush now, you see miles of plastic hosing about 3" in diameter. Some trees depend- ing on the size of the crown may have up to four taps in them. These lines all go out to meet a main ine. Since this whole system works on grav- ity one must be very careful in placing the lines in order for them to work properly. In a way the main line works as a vacuum thus helping draw the sap from its farthest reaches. In larger operations of sap harvesting they use vacuum pumps which draw the sap into large holding tanks. In the Downe Sugar Bush, some of the older customs such as drawing the sap by horse are still used. The sap is brought to small holding tanks by way of the plastic tubing and collected by a horse drawn wagon and taken to the sugar shack where the sap is processed. Not only are the Downes kept busy colleéting and- processing the sap, but they also conduct tours for local groups and school children. Some tours come from cities such as Toronto so the children can see the whole procedure of making maple syrup. After you have spent- some time out in the sugar bush, you are prepared to make the crucial test. That of course if the sampling of the maple syrup in its finished form. To do this the Downes prepare a feast of pancakes and put a golden topping of maple syrup on top to satisfy your taste buds. Letter to Editor The traditional sap bucket 'sap from the sugar maple.' Plastic hose are attached to froinunerous trees to a is used in tis case to ëolîect the spigot which carry the sap central location for pick-up. Dear Editor: It is the responsibiity of our association to ensure that the people of our community are correctly informed on major developments and have an opportunity to voice their wishes. Our local government has recently approved a nuclear power plant in our municipal- ity. We believe this station should be fueled by coal. If the risk by going nuclear is not accpetable by the people then they will support a campaign to have the generating plant fueled by coal. Public meetings will sub- sequently be held at 8:00 p.m. in the Bowmanville Court Room on April 6th and April 21st. Yours truly, R. Amyotte Pres., Town of Newcastle Ratepayers' Association. Walk it to me! The Orono Horticultural of last week paused for a brief shack of Mr. Allan Downes on Township. The group enjoyed Society on Saturday morning moment outside the sugar the eighth line of Clarke a tour of the sugar bush operaton as well as a serving maple syrup. of delicious flap-jacks and -