IMH 75:2 185

"Chronicles of Upper Burnet" (1)

1881

Monday, March 21st.

It froze a good deal last night having cleared off. As it
promised to be a good sugar-day we freshened the trees. But it
clouded up and cold wind blew. We only got about three barrels
of sap. Two visitors shed the light of their countenances upon
us: Bob Foster and Albert Bishop.(78) Aleck Benge I believe also
stopped for a bit while passing. John did not come to-day but
sent a deputy in the person of Willis Reid a youngster who is
just now in the vicinity. Bill Hand did not show himself to-day
so that Foster and he cut no wood to-day. Old Keziah's last pigs
disappeared last night. It is about concluded that she ate them,
as she and they were housed securely last night I suffered a
good deal from neuralgia and chilliness. They "siruped" down
to night. Pap brought home about a gallon and a half of sirup.
Mother and Alvin washed.

Teaching Notes: Freshening the trees was removing the "spiles" (the article that was put it
the hole in the tree and then used to drip the sap into the buckets) and then running the
auger again in the hole to aid in getting more sap.

Old Keziah eating her young is not uncommon with sows. Some "old timers" claimed it
was a problem of mineral deficiency and a common "cure" was to give the sows a couple
lumps of coal which they would consume.