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Maple Sugar Spile (and Miscellaneous), Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia, Canada
1900
Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia, Canada


Credits:
Don Beeler

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Maple Syrup

The Swan family acquired a shed, boiler and evaporating equipment. for their maple syrup industry, in the 1870's. Some remnants of the original working can still be seen on the site.
Wood spiles and later metal ones were driven into the tree, to allow the sap to run into 2 gallon buckets. The Swan's supplied the local area from their 125 maple trees. Over time the business expanded and later, some 600 maple trees were tapped and it was in the 1974 that it became a commercial enterprise, selling at the local stores and Farmers' Market.

Side view of a spile. - this early metal spile was driven into the tree to allow the sap to run along a narrow 'trough' and drip into the bucket hung from the hook. It took a long time to produce the maple syrup, so only a few families were supplied in the early days of production.