Credit: ©The Royal Society
    Image number: RS.14941

    How to draw birch sap

    Date
    1669
    Creator
    Unknown, Artist
    Object type
    Archive reference number
    LBC
    Manuscript page number
    vol27 p297
    Material
    Dimensions
    height (page): 316mm
    width (page): 190mm
    Subject
    Description
    A diagram showing how to insert a hollow pipe diagonally near the lower joint of the branch of a birch tree (ab indicates the upright trunk of the tree) in order to collect the sap. From an extract of a letter (EL/B1/52/007) by John Beale, who also had an interest in orchards and cider-making.

    This is copied from LBO/27/297.
    Transcription
    A b is the upright body of the Birch, c is an arm or branch growing out of its side: d is the end of a faucet or other hollow Pipe inserted into the orifice of an Augur hole made thro an Arm or body of the Tree from C to f; the larger this is made the more plenty of Sap is expected the little Lip at e, bending down under the Arm, is intended to be so much barked pilled off from the place, where the Augur enters, as may serve to direct the Sap into the Bottle, to be tied up to the Arm so as it may fall directly into the Bottle; this if well done, will save the trouble of inserting any Pipe into the Orifice and if there be no Arm found in the side of the Tree a Pipe thus therein inserted will conduct the Sape into the bottle alone.
    Transcribed by the Making Visible project
    Related fellows
    John Beale (1608 - 1687, British) , Clergyman
    Associated place
    <The World>
       > Europe
          > United Kingdom
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