The Rural Voice, 2003-03, Page 25America, depending as it does on the
sugar maple that grows from the
midwestern U.S. through Ontario and
New York State, to Quebec,
Vermont, Maine and the Maritimes.
From the native encampment, tour
participants move into European
pioneer times. The settlers brought
iron technology with them which
helped make the process more
efficient, but it was still back-
breaking. Tour participants use a
cross -cut saw to saw logs to produce
firewood that will heat the sap. They
carry buckets of sap from trees to
kettle using a yoke and see rough
pioneer versions of spiles.
In pioneer times, an arrangement
of iron kettles from large to small,
hanging from tripods over open fires,
allowed for sap to he moved as water
evaporated. Fresh sap would go into
the largest kettle then as the liquid
thickened it would be moved to
smaller kettles. At Saugeen Bluffs
the participants move sap from the
large kettles to the smaller one, using
long -handled ladles.
The huge amount of work
involved in creating maple
syrup and sugar will be
obvious by this point but it's
important to remember that, though
pioneers did have access to cane
sugar, it was expensive. For settlers
money was in short supply and time
was the capital they had, trading their
work for a sweetener that could
replace the more expensive products
sold in stores.
If by now visitors to Saugeen
Bluffs have caught the bug of syrup
making (and the combined smell of
burning wood and boiling sap is a
potent elixir), they might want to
make their own syrup and another
display shows how it can be done in
any backyard that possesses the most
important ingredients: sugar maple
trees. The backyard method shows
some of the inexpensive improve-
ments of syrup making that can make
it much more attractive than pioneer
methods, from fire barrels to contain
and focus the heat to the flat pans
above to milk jugs for collecting the
sap to modern spiles to be tapped
into the trees. At this display
Inkparticipants venture out to tap their
own trees with their leader and
collect sap from the existing buckets
on the trees.
• Annual '3
Came and eelel4ate 36 yea
wit* ua at the annual
BELMORE MAPLE SYRUP FESTIVAL
Thursday, April 10, 2003 9:30 - 4:00
(on Thursday we cater to Seniors'
but ALL are Welcome')
Saturday, April 12, 2003 10:00 - 7:00
Belmore Community Centre
No admission charges
All the MAPLE SYRUP
and PANCAKES you can eat.
Homemade sausage, applesauce and a
beverage are included with your meal.
'All are served with a SMILE and Country Hospitality '
MEAL PRICE
Adults - $7 00.
Children (6 - 11) - 54.00
Children 5 & under - FREE
For your further enjoyment ...
• Entertainment for young and old • Local Talent
' Step Dancing ' Vocals ' Vocal Groups '
Instrumental Acts • Tractor Pull • Craft Show
;, • Souvenirs• Local Pork Products
• Homemade Baking • Food Booth
Kids Room (Sat. only)
SATURDAY EVENING - DANCE
"Nick Charles Band"
9:00 pm to 1:00 am
All events/facilities are indoors • Handicap Accessible
For further Festival info call 335-6551 or 367-5572
NEW & USED TANKS
• STAINLESS
• FIBREGLASS
• STEEL
New 340 Double Wall
up to 50,000 litres
DELIVERY & SET UP
AVAILABLE
Get ready for spring
- Lots in -stock
Phone For Sizes & Dimensions
PETER . CRISP
EQUIPMENT
LONDON
1-519-455-8920
Fax 1-519-455-4224
Uncle Richard's Maple Syrup & Supplies
"Your Supply Shack"
We carry supplies for the hobbyist and the large producer
4
• Evaporators
• Tubing
• Fittings
• Containers
• Accessories
"If we don't have it, and it exists, we'll get it!"
493168 Sideroad 10, R.R. 1 Priceville
Phone 369-3056 Fax 369-6552
E-mail uncle_richards@hmts.com
MARCH 2003 21