es and laid across the lower set of blades; when the upper set came 
     
     down it pressed the flax into the grooves and broke it. This was re- 
     
     peated until the hard part of the flax stalks was all broken off, and 
     
     nothing remained but the fine tough fibres. This fibre—tow—was 
     
     then scutched, or dressed. The last stage, before spinning was to 
     
     put it through the hackle. This implement was made by driving large 
     
     long nails through a board; The flax was drawn through these nails 
     
     and combed until it was fine and fluffy. This was put on a distafl 
     
     and spun on a wheel. It was then ready for the loom. It made 
     
     strong garments, but they were very harsh if worn next the skin. If 
     
     would be hard to keep a boy still in school or church, when wearing a 
     
     new suit of this material. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Maple Sugar M akin g 
     
    
   
   
    
     In the spring, when the sap flowed, we tapped the sugar maple 
     
     trees and made maple sugar. To get the sap we cut a little notch in 
     
     the tree, under this we put a spout on which the sap ran down into 
     
     small troughs. We made the troughs by hollowing out short pieces 
     
     of small logs. It was very interesting but hard work. Some boiled 
     
     the sap on fires in the woods; we carried ours to the house and boiled 
     
     it in pots on the big fireplace, or on the stove. We were so fond of 
     
     the sweet product that most of it never got beyond the syrup stage. It 
     
     was delicious whether in syrup or sugar. It made choice candy. We 
     
     never sold any; there was a demand at home for all we could make. 
     
     The finishing stage in the process—sugaring off—was a social, as 
     
     well as a sugar-making time. With some of the young folk it was a 
     
     doubly sweet affair, and the starting point of many a love adventure. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Soap Making 
     
    
   
   
    
     By pouring water on hard wood ashes we made lye; this added to 
     
     pots of boiling grease made soap about the colour of maple sugar. It 
     
     was harsh on the skin and smelled heavy, but it took the dirt out. We 
     
     had plenty of sweet scents: the balsam and new wood in winter and 
     
     the flowers and fruit and new mown hay and sweet grass in summer. 
     
     The air was always pure and sweet. The breezes from the sea shore 
     
     with the smell of the brine and the dulce, were sweet and refreshing. . 
     
     We got fire and sugar and soap out of the same tree—the sugar ma- 
     
    
   
   
    
     ple. 
     
     54