The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1848-10-04
nDoDITCT1oN OF TURpENTlNE.

facts adduccd it will be seen that the business
is highly profitable, and we have no doubt they
are as applicable to many portions OF our own
State as the region ior which they are more
particularly intended.
No. l.
In compliance with my engagement, now
proceed to give You the manner OF rroa''c''S
turpentine in North Carolina, together win
the cost Of making and profits arising from SAFE
The trees should be boxed in winter, when ''e
sap is gone down. The boxes to hoia one
quart, and in the large and thrifty pine Pa' Two
boxes. Boyes should be cut to face from 10
10 inches wide and from l.2 to q l-2 IN depth
never larger. Avoid as much as possible cut
ting the heart Of the tree, by stumplng your
boxes well, which phrase is well understood ny
rood box cutters. As soon as you discern the
san rising in your trees, cease from cn'tlng any
more boxes; direct all the chips from cutting
boxes to be raked from the trees to prevent the
worm from killing them. On the first OF March
commence gangng and cornerins your boxes
should YOU be disposed to gauge your trees.
For my part should prefer facing my trees
and have no ganges put in them. as they are
troublesome for the dPper to clean out, and
without profit.
After your trees are faced, which is done
with the chopping hatchet as much as an inch
above the top of the box, commence with your
round shave, chipping them once week until
frost Or apt the sap begins to Fsfeqqssi &c qqssir, hSn
The cutting and facing, with one or two
clippings, will Gil most of your boxes the first
time; then have them dipped out by your chip.
per or an extra hand; fby an extra hand your
clipper will add his years's work, thereby ma
king the more turpenline in the season.
The clipper should he careful in carrying up
the face CT his tree, cutting with his round shave
handsomely across. through at least three grains
of the wood, and at no chipping, cutting with
his round shave more than one eighth ofan inch
up the tree, and by so cutivating, yonr SCI OF
boxes last from six to eight years. 1t is not
unusual in North Carolina to continue to box
trees unit, you run them up from II to ID feet
high. And good axemen that can cut twice in
one place can be learnt in a week TO cut so
boxes per day, and soon up to rs, and soon
learn to clip well. The most important part
of the labor is to have the trees properly boxed
and Clipped, so as to insure your constant gain.
Green hands 10 commence cutting boxes. Oh
the 1s November, would cut by the middle of
February from five TO six thousand boxes,
which are about as man. rs they could tend
we'll the first year. From The number Of trees
that would run well and work steadily. the hand
will make the number of barrels of lurpcnline
herein stated. There are many hands in North
Carolina who tend $50 to 900 boxes for their
tasks, making 800 barrels and upwards Of tur.
pentine; but they are the brag hands ofthc coun.
try.
There being no market yet established with
us for turpentine in its natural state, we will
make our data from the North Carolina mar.
ket-say the town of Wilmington, situated on
the Cape Fear river, 80 miles from the ocean.
For the last 20 years we find the average price
and ready sale for dppings Of turpentne per
barrel at S2.75, and hard turpcninc Sl.75.
Your hand makes his two hundred barrels with
the fair proportion Of quality, amounting 10
S470 90, as follows:
120 bbls. drippings at S2.75
80 bbs. hard at l.75-Sl70.00
Estimated expense in making
and delivering to market this
200 bbls. ofturpentinc, as fol-
lows:
200 pine bb!s at 35 per bb. $1,000
Conveyance to market 2Oc
per bbl. 1000
Provisions for one year $3.50
Clothing and taxes 1000
Tools for such labor 43o-Sl47.OO
We find in favor of receipts S323.0O
Now allowing that you have paid 500 for
your hand, you have 30 per cent interest Oh
your money, which is $3.50 1--WE may say hire
per annum) leaving still balance on hand of
SIs3, which will purchase in North Carolina
1873 acres Of pine land at 81 per acre, which
is the average price. You thereby also pay
the first year for the land. 1t can be obtained on
as good terms here. Them suffer not this vast
amount of hidden treasure that is grown by our
soil 10 remain any longer unapproached.
No. 2.
In my last communication I omitted, at the
proper place. stating that ordinary hands will
chip from 8 10 10 hundred boxes per day, and
when getting out the urpenlino dip 3 bbls. per
day; while tip top hands will chip from II to .
hundred per day, aud dip from to bbls. OF
turpeniine where their trees stand thick and
their boxes well filled. have shown you
heretofore what the producer makes to his hand
in North Carolina. Now, in fair supposition,
if the merchant there, on the purchase of his
commodity, shipping to New York, paying from
so to roc, freight per bbl., with cooperage and
filled up on delivery at New York, and paying !
2 l-2 per cent. to his commission merchant for
selling. makes money, ask, in all reason, can. !
not our merchants do the same! They certain
ly can, except the cost Of shipment be much
niger. Now, what say the shipping merchants
ofthis city on the subject! They say the freight
on barrels from this port to New York at one
season of the year is as low as so, running up
TO The IS cts. Then the expense of shipment is
the same as in North Carolina. We find tur- |
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