Maple Sap Collection and Syrup Production

Maple Sap Collection and Syrup Production Maple syrup is a natural forest food product and, for the most part, only produced in temperate North American woodlands. More specifically, the sugary sap is mostly collected from the sugar maple (Acer saccharum) which grows naturally in the northeastern United States and eastern Canada. Other maple species that can be tapped are red and Norway maple. Red maple sap tends to yield less sugar and early budding causes off flavors so its seldom used in commercial syrup operations. The basic process of sugar maple syrup production is fairly simple and has not dramatically changed over time. The tree is still tapped by boring using a hand brace and drill bit and plugged with a spout, called a spile. The sap flows into covered, tree-mounted containers or through a system of plastic tubing and is collected for processing. Converting maple sap into syrup requires removing water from the sap which concentrates the sugar into a syrup. The raw sap is boiled in pans or continuous feed evaporators where the liquid is reduced to a finished syrup of 66 to 67 percent sugar. It takes an average of 40 gallons of sap to produce one gallon of finished syrup. The Maple Sap Flow Process As do most trees in temperate climates, maple trees enter dormancy during winter and store food in the form of starches and sugar. As day temps start to rise in late winter, stored sugars move up the trunk to prepare for feeding the tree growth and budding process. Cold nights and warm days increase the flow of sap and this starts what is called the sap season. During warm periods when temperatures rise above freezing, pressure develops in the tree. This pressure causes the sap to flow out of the tree through a wound or tap hole. During cooler periods when temperatures fall below freezing, suction develops, drawing water into the tree. This replenishes the sap in the tree, allowing it to flow again during the next warm period. Forest Management for Maple Sap Production Unlike managing a forest for timber production, sugarbush (term for a stand of sap trees) management does not depend on maximum annual growth or growing straight defect-free timber at an optimum stocking level of trees per acre. Managing trees for maple sap production is focused on annual syrup yield on a site where optimal sap collection is supported by easy access, adequate numbers of sap-producing trees, and forgiving terrain. A sugarbush should be managed for quality sap producing trees and less attention is paid to tree form. Trees with crooks or moderate forking are of little concern if they produce a quality sap in adequate quantities. Terrain is important and has a major influence on sap flow. Southern facing slopes are warmer which encourages early sap production with longer daily flows. Adequate accessibility to a sugarbush decreases labor and transport costs and will enhance a syrup operation. Many tree owners have opted not to tap their trees in favor of selling sap or leasing their trees to syrup producers. There must be sufficient numbers of sap producing maples available with desirable access to each tree. We recommend you check with a regional sap producers association for buyers or renters and develop an appropriate contract. The Optimal Sugarbush Tree and Stand Size The best spacing for a commercial operation is about one tree in an area measuring 30 feet x 30 feet  or 50 to 60 mature trees per acre. A maple grower can start at a higher tree density but will need to thin the sugarbush to achieve a final density of 50-60 trees per acre. Trees 18 inches in diameter (DBH) or larger should be managed at 20 to 40 trees per acre. It is very important to remember that trees under 10 inches in diameter should not be tapped due to serious and permanent damage. Trees over this size should be tapped according to its diameter: 10 to 18 inches - one tap per tree, 20 to 24 inches - two taps per tree, 26 to 30 inches - three taps per tree. On average, one tap will yield 9 gallons of sap per season. A well-managed acre might have between 70 and 90 taps 600 to 800 gallons of sap 20 gallons of syrup. The Making of a Good Sugar Tree A good maple sugar tree usually has a large crown with significant leaf surface area. The greater the crowns leaf surface of a sugar maple, the greater is the sap flow along with increased sugar content. Trees with ​crowns more than 30 feet wide produce sap in optimum quantities and grow larger faster for increased tapping. A desirable sugar tree has a higher sugar content in the sap than others; they are typically sugar maples or black maples. It is very important to have good sugar producing maples, as an increase of 1 percent in sap sugar reduces processing costs up to 50%. The average New England sap sugar content for commercial operations is 2.5%. For an individual tree, the volume of sap produced during one season varies from 10 to 20 gallons per tap. This amount depends on a specific tree, weather conditions, sap season length, and collection efficiency. A single tree can have one, two, or three taps, depending on size as mentioned above. Tapping Your Maple Trees Tap maple trees in early spring when daytime temperatures go above freezing while nighttime temperatures fall below freezing. The exact date depends on the elevation and location of your trees and your region. This can be from mid to late February in Pennsylvania to mid-March in upper Maine and eastern Canada. Sap usually flows for 4 to 6 weeks or as long as the freezing nights and warm days continue. Taps should be drilled when temperatures are above freezing to reduce the risk of damage to the tree. Drill into the trunk of the tree in an area that contains sound sap wood (you should be seeing fresh yellow shavings). For trees with more than one tap (20 inches DBH plus), distribute the tapholes evenly around the circumference of the tree. Drill 2 to 2 1/2 inches into the tree at a slight upward angle to facilitate flow of sap from the hole. After making sure that the new taphole is free and clear of shavings, gently insert the spile with a light hammer and do not pound the spile in the taphole. The spile should be set properly to support a bucket or plastic container and its contents. Forcefully mounting the spile can split the bark which prevents healing and could cause a substantial wound on the tree. Do not treat the taphole with disinfectants or other materials at the time of tapping. You always remove spiles from the tapholes at the end of the maple season and should not plug the hole. Tapping done properly will allow tapholes to close and heal over naturally which will take about two years. This will ensure that the tree continues to remain healthy and productive for the remainder of its natural life. Plastic tubing can be used in place of buckets but can become a bit more complicated and you should consult a maple equipment a dealer, your local maple producer, or Cooperative Extension Office.

SPITCEROW MODEL Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

SPITCEROW MODEL - Assignment Example These needs were unmet by the Russian government starting from their presidents and hence the reason the conflicts started and intensified resulting in killings of even those Russian presidents. The conflict and violence was just an aggressive way of expressing these unmet drives and needs. The conflict enlarged because of inhabitation by the Al- Qaeda recruits who were based in the three camps established for their training in Chechnya. Those who graduated from these camps after two months of intensive training were given missions to conduct and one of the missions was to kill and bring about confusion in Chechnya as a way to divert attention from these three training camps. They increased the conflict by kidnapping prominent people including members of international organizations, created a financial crisis in the country which brought about disorder, they conducted strikes which eventually led to an uprising that was unified against Russia and they also created an Islamic state there. KA-K, Havva. â€Å"Reducing Violence: Applying the Human Needs Theory to the Conflict in Chechnya.† The Journal of Turkish Weekly. Retrieved from:

National General Hospital Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

National General Hospital - Essay Example Moreover, the hospital is a service-oriented organization that aims to provide all kinds of healthcare services to the people living in the vicinity of the facility. With the passage of time, however, the research and development areas should also be a point of focus during the study. In order to evaluate the performance of the management of the hospital, all operational aspects will be studied and evaluated, and the results will be presented. Current situations, potential issues, as well as a need based analysis will be covered under this research report. Finally, after summarising the current needs, performance and future requirements will be made a part of the report by providing suitable suggestions and recommendations based upon the findings of this study. Executive Summary The aim of this case study is to discuss all the relevant and significant aspects of operations management. Therefore, the choice of a hospital has been made with respect to the numerous kinds of services bei ng provided, the nature and scope of business in the community, as well as the customer/patients turnover ratio. Beyond these components, this kind of business is not always profit oriented, rather it depends on the objective of the owners/shareholders as to whether they desire it to be a charity organization or a profit earning institution. By keeping all of these points in mind, it bears mentioning that the hospital is the kind of business that is always at its best when providing quality health services to its patients. This research is exploratory in nature, which includes primary as well as secondary data sources to be used for purposes of research. Similarly, the results have been made more generalized and easy to understand because of the nature of hospital business. This data will not be presented in a complex way so that a better understanding can be developed in readers. During the case study, the researcher studied many interesting concepts that will be made a part of the eventual research findings. Moreover, conclusions and a few recommendations have also been give due consideration in the end, so that the research report could be made more effective and comprehensive. One of the salient recommendations is to have a continuous system of checks and balances in the hospital, which is needed in order to fulfil the needs of the social enterprises where maintaining the quality of health care is of prime importance. Introduction Overview National General Hospital is one of the most famous small size health care centres in Saudi Arabia. It was established in the late 1990s for the purpose of providing basic health services to a small town near Jeddah. With the passage of time, however, the shareholders earned reasonably large profits that urged them to do more with the facility. Therefore, they converted this small clinic into a hospital providing detailed treatments to the patients. In 2006, the hospital set up its outpatient department that functioned e xtremely well, and after only a couple of years this 50 bed hospital was converted into a complete hospital with 2 operation theatres, outpatient facilities and special wards for adults, as well as children and infants. Now the hospital has a great reputation and residents of nearby localities also prefer to be referred to NGH in times of need. Now this hospital is a 100 bed complete health care centre providing all kinds of basic as, well as specialized, health care services to the patients at affordable

Microwave Ovens :: essays research papers

Microwaves are low on the electromagnetic spectrum. The electromagnetic spectrum is a range of all the possible electric radiation. Frequency of a wave is the number of waves per second and the frequency of a microwave is between 300 MHz and 300 GHz. The wavelength of a wave is the distance from one peak of a wave to the peak of a following wave and a wavelength of a microwave varies from one millimeter to thirty centimeters. The frequencies range from ultra high frequency to super high frequency to extremely high frequency. The microwave was discovered by Heinrich Hertz and predicted by James Clerk Maxwell. In 1864, James Clerk Maxwell theorized about microwaves until he predicted equations that would prove the existence of microwaves. In 1888, Heinrich Hertz took these equations and used them in an experiment. He made an apparatus that produced waves and detected these waves. The experiment displayed the different wavelengths of certain waves, such as the short wavelength of microw aves. The discovery of microwaves permitted it to be used for commercial purposes. Microwave ovens are the best example of a commercial usage of microwaves. Microwave ovens use microwaves at a frequency of 2450 MHz. The Microwaves travel and cause the water, fat, and sugars to vibrate resulting in the food’s temperature rising. This type of energy is called Dielectric energy. This benefits the food making process and anyone who buys TV dinners. Another instance of microwaves is cell phones. Cell phones use an antenna and a little transmitter to connect to the microwaves emitted in the air. To make cell phones more attractive for buyers, they minimized the transmitters and antennas. The microwaves used in phones make it possible for a person to receive calls from any location, this is especially important in emergencies. Broadcasting transmissions, such as cable TV and the Internet, use microwaves to transmit the signal in order to broadcast. These two sources that use microwaves permit faster communication between all areas of the world. These two sources th at use microwaves are the most popular ways of entertainment for most of the United States. The commercial industry benefits from these products that use microwaves. Current studies prove indecisive about the effects of microwaves. Microwave ovens can cause damage to the eyes. If a person were to press their face on the microwave oven, it can cause cataracts in the eyes. The best advice to protect against this effect is to stay a couple feet away according to Dr.

Pancho Villa

In the early morning of March 9, 1916, Pancho Villa crossed the U. S. border and into history. On that day, Villa launched the first attack on American soil since the War of 1812, killing 18 Americans and leaving the small New Mexican town of Columbus in flames. Among the dead was one-time Las Crucen Charles D. Miller, a 1906 graduate of the New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts and brother of college registrar 1. 0. Miller. When the unidentified body was removed from the ruins of the hotel, his Masonic ring was recognized by a Mason in the rescue party and was found to be engraved n the inside with Miller's name,† the Rio Grande Republican reported. Much of the town turned out for his funeral at the Masonic cemetery in Las Cruces. His death and the raid on the fellow border town shocked Las Cruces, though many of its citizens and college students had actively served along the border in the National Guard as civil war raged in Mexico.It was Just one of several con nections Las Cruces had with the Mexican Revolution and Pancho Villa, who is the focus of a new exhibit at the Branigan Cultural Center. James Hester, a professor emeritus of anthropology at the University of Colorado, will ick off the photo exhibit this Saturday with a talk about Villa at the cultural center, which will also present a special showing of a Villa documentary on March 9. Cruces connection Almost a hundred years after the raid, Villa remains a controversial and complicated fgure. A state nature park near Columbus even bears his name, despite the brutal raid on the town. The raid wasn't the first time Las Cruces telt the impact ot the Mexican Revolution that nad start up Just as New Mexico was finally becoming a state. In late 1911, the one-time-bandit-turned-revolutionary had sided with newly elected resident Francisco Madero. By the following spring, anti-Madero forces led by a disgruntled Gen. Pasqual Orozco had captured most of Chihuahua, except for the city of Parr al still held by Villa.Among Villa's troops was the Mesilla-born Thomas Fountain, the son of Col. Albert J. Fountain, one of the Mesilla Valley's most important 19th century figures, who was murdered along with his 9-year old son Henry in 1896. Thomas, whose mother had deep family ties in Chihuahua, was one of hundreds of â€Å"foreign† fghters and mercenaries who'd Joined the charismatic revolutionary Villa. That group also included one of the valley's more unusual new immigrants, former Boer War leader Benjamin VilJoen of South Africa, who Joined with Madero as a military advisor.In early April 1912, Orozco's forces were close to taking Parral, and were trying to place a cannon on a strategically vital point overlooking the city. But Fountain, manning a machine gun, single-handedly thwarted their efforts. The Villistas were forced from the city two days later, yet Fountain remained behind in his adopted hometown and was captured. Bad for business Though American diplomatic efforts initially stopped his execution, the Rio Grande Republican reported Fountain's captors allowed him to flee, under the dubious â€Å"law of flight,† only to shoot him in the back in the streets of Parral.His killing made national headlines and outraged Americans, among them one of New Mexico's first senators, Albert Fall, who had a complicated relationship not only with Villa and the Mexican revolution, but the Fountain family as well. As a new senator, the bilingual Fall put himself forward as an expert on Mexico, ultimately heading up the Senate subcommittee on Mexican affairs. Fall had been a long-time bitter foe of Thomas' father, and in 1898 had successfully efended the men accused of his murder. At the urging ot Thomas' brother, Albert, Fall t accountability for the execution. d to get some kind ot Fall, who'd started his legal career in Las Cruces, was among other locals with extensive business dealings in Mexico that were threatened by the continued political i nstability. Eugene Van Patten, a former county sheriff, â€Å"Indian fighter,† and co-founder of the local New Mexico Militia, owned the Dripping Springs resort where Villa reportedly visited at least once. In 1914, the Rio Grande Republican reported Van Patten and county assessor Duara Peacock secured a valuable contract to buy seized Mexican cotton directly from Villa.Another account reports Van Patten met with Villa in Juarez that same year to urge the release of an American-born prisoner Pedro Chaves, the son of wealthy Albuquerque wool merchant Amado Chaves. From hero to villain Any friendly relations with Villa, who many along the America border saw as a sort of revolutionary folk hero, evaporated with the raid on Columbus. The motivations behind the raid remain unclear. After the assassination of Modero in 1913, Villa initially won battlefield victories in orthern Mexico.But by 1916, he was mostly on the run, with the U. S. government supporting his foe, interim presid ent Venustiano Carranza. Some believe Villa needed the weaponry and supplies he knew were held in Columbus by a small contingent of the 13th U. S. Cavalry. His forces did seize horses and supplies, and at least 80 were killed in the one-hour attack. A half dozen Villistas were captured and executed in Deming in June 1916, and a large American expeditionary force led by Gen. John J. Pershing was soon in Mexico searching for the elusive Villa.The college newspaper the Round Up reported many of its students were among that force, which at different times based itself in or near Las Cruces. â€Å"Scores of Aggies, alumni, and old students (have) responded to the call. The plow, hoe, the slide rule and transit, were laid aside, the khaki was donned and with gun and bayonet they went forth to keep Pancho Villa on his own side of the line,† the paper reported Villa remained out of the hands of Pershing, who by early 1917 was heading over to Europe with America's entry into World War l, where some of those same Aggies would serve and die.

The Use of Art by Those in Power - 602 Words

Art has more meaning behind it than just being a picture; it can function in society by symbolizing power. In this essay I am going to discuss in what ways art communicates power and help to manage nations and empires. The use of art as a tool for those in power started in different times and also in different cultures. An ancient gravesite near Stonehenge revealed the grave of the Amesbury Arche in 2002 his grave was different to those previously found near the site, What made him interesting was the gold hair tresses, which are the oldest cast of gold in Britain, and the fact that he was a from the region that is now Germany. The treasures in his grave show a man of status. Art for personal appearance, like these hair clasps, mad him have a higher status then his peers. This gold, created the image of a leader. So it was learned early on in human history that art as personal appearance enhanced your status. As time progressed, in other parts of the ancient world art became a political tool; kings competed for more dazzling adornments for their appearances. As kingdoms began to become bigger the kings started to face communication issues and Darius the Great of Persia was one of them, he ruled over 20 nations from Persepolis. As many people from his nation could not read, Darius then had stone reliefs created that combined styles from all over the empire, these carvings showed each nation bring tributes to their king. These cravings showed a sign of respect and theseShow MoreRelatedFra Angelico’s Coronation of the Virgin: Art Use during the Renaissance: 1344 Words   |  6 PagesThe Renaissance was a movement that began in Italy with the purpose of reviving classical sources and breathing new life into them. Art specifically, would forever change, setting the stage for distinct and innovative art styles and ideas. 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Thulium Facts

Thulium is one of the rarest of the rare earth metals. This silver-gray metals share many common properties with other lanthanides but also displays some unique characteristics. Here is a look at some interesting thulium facts: Although the rare earth elements arent all that rare, they are so-named because they are difficult to extract from their ores and purify. Thulium actually is the least abundant of the rare earths.Thulium metal is soft enough that it can be cut with a knife. Like other rare earths, it is malleable and ductile.Thulium has a silvery appearance. It is fairly stable in air. It reacts slowly in water and more quickly in acids.Swedish chemist Per Teodor Cleve discovered thulium in 1879 from an analysis of the mineral erbia, a source of several rare earth elements.Thulium is named for the early name for Scandinavia—Thule.The principal source of thulium is the mineral monazite, which contains thulium at a concentration of  about 20 parts per million.Thulium is not toxic, although it has no known biological function.Natural thulium consists of one stable isotope, Tm-169. 32 radioactive isotopes of thulium have been produced, with atomic masses ranging from 146 to 177.The most common o xidation state of thulium is Tm3. This trivalent ion most commonly forms green compounds. When excited, Tm3 emits a strong blue fluorescence. One interesting fact is that this fluorescence, along with red from europium Eu3  and green from terbium Tb3, is used as security markers in Euro banknotes. The fluorescence appears when the notes are held under black or ultraviolet light.Because of its rarity and expense, there are not many uses for thulium and its compounds. However, it is used to dope YAG (yttrium aluminum garnet) lasers, in ceramic magnetic materials, and as a radiation source (after bombardment in a reactor) for portable x-ray equipment. Thulium Chemical and Physical Properties Element Name: Thulium Atomic Number: 69 Symbol: Tm Atomic Weight: 168.93421 Discovery: Per Theodor Cleve 1879 (Sweden) Electron Configuration: [Xe] 4f13 6s2 Element Classification: Rare Earth (Lanthanide) Word Origin: Thule, the ancient name of Scandinavia. Density (g/cc): 9.321 Melting Point (K): 1818 Boiling Point (K): 2220 Appearance: soft, malleable, ductile, silvery metal Atomic Radius (pm): 177 Atomic Volume (cc/mol): 18.1 Covalent Radius (pm): 156 Ionic Radius: 87 (3e) Specific Heat (20 °C J/g mol): 0.160 Evaporation Heat (kJ/mol): 232 Pauling Negativity Number: 1.25 First Ionizing Energy (kJ/mol): 589 Oxidation States: 3, 2 Lattice Structure: Hexagonal Lattice Constant (Ã…): 3.540 Lattice C/A Ratio: 1.570 References: Los Alamos National Laboratory (2001), Crescent Chemical Company (2001), Langes Handbook of Chemistry (1952), CRC Handbook of Chemistry Physics (18th Ed.) Return to the Periodic Table