Spring
is on the way.
The days are getting
longer and the snow is
melting. It is so good to
hear the birds singing.
Things are really
buzzing around the Centre. Everyone is trying to cram in just one more
credit. The rush is on to do what we can before summer break.
Contact North has been pretty quiet with the professors at the colleges being on strike. We are all glad that classes have since resumed and it is nice to see the students smiling as they finish off their last few classes.
We are hoping for some good weather this month so we can get out and do some cleaning in the yard here at the Centre. It sure needs some sprucing up after the long winter. If the weather is really nice, we may even get a barbecue out of it.
We are starting our drive to find sponsors for the new school year. We have some very dedicated people in the area and we take this opportunity to thank them for their support.
Don’t forget Earth Day on April 22nd, do something for the Earth, look what she did for you.
MAPLE SYRUP
No one really knows who first discovered how to make syrup and sugar from the sap of a maple tree. However, we know that maple syrup was an important commodity in the North American Indian economy. Maple syrup and sugar were used for barter by Indians living along the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River.
The sugar content of sap produced by different trees in a grove can vary a great deal. The average maple tree produces sap with a sugar content of two or three percent. Sugar maple trees also known as rock or hard maple are usually the best producers. Red Maples also provide sweet sap.
The size of the tree and seasonal differences determine the yield of sap. The average yield of a taphole is from 5 to 15 gallons, but can be as much as 40 to 80 gallons.
In the latter summer and fall, maple trees virtually stop growing and begin storing excess starches throughout the sapwood. This excess starch remains in storage as long as the wood remains colder than about 40 degrees F. Enzymes in the ray cells change the starches to sugars. This sugar then passes into the tree sap. (continued)
