Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1849-03-14
a prtruI turaI.
/, From the Southern Planter.
TURPENTINE.

= " ASA 4-AN Hs
The production of this article is a
staple businessin North Carolina. In
some portions of Virginia, also, many
persons are engaged in it, We are-sorry
TO say, also, in Virginia there are but
TOO abundant materials for this crop.
In the Mobile Herald, during the past
year, have appeared two communica-
lions upon this subject, which come
from practical hand. For the benefit
of our readers who may be engaged in
the business we copy ,hem.-Erom the
facts given it would appear that it is
highly profitable, and it might be prose.
cuted to great extent in many portions
of ;Eis Stale in which it is not at present
at all attended 10.
NUMBER I.
In compliance with my engagement,
T now.proceed TO give you the manner
of producing turpentine in North Carroll
ma, together with the cost Of making and
profits arising from sale. The trees
should be boxed in, winter, when the sap
is gone down. The boxes TO hold one
quart, and in the large and thrifty pine
put two boxes. Boxes should be cut
TO face flom nine 10 ten inches wide and
from three and a half 10 four and half
in depth, never larger. Avoid as much
as possible cutting the heart Of The tree,
by s,umping your boxes well, which
phrase is we'll understood by good box
cutters. As soon as you discern the sap
rising in your trees, cease from cutting
any more boxes; direct all the chips
from cutting boxes TO be raked from the
trees 10 prevent the worm from killing
them. On the first of March commence
garging and cornering your boxes should
you be disposed TO gauge your trees.
For my part. I should face my trees
and have no ganges put in them, as they
arc troublesome for the dipper 10 clean
out, and without profit.
After your trees are faced, which is
done with the chopping hatchct as much
as an inch above the top of the box,
commence with your round shave, chip
ping them once week until frost, or
until the sap begins 10 recede. Then
get off The balance of your crops of tur-
pentine. The cutting and facing, with
one or two clippings, will fill most of
your boxes the first time; then have them
dipped out by your clipper or an exl,a
hand. Ifby an extra hand, your chip
per will add his years work, thereby
making the more lurpentine during the
season.
e The clipper should be careful in car
rying up the face of his tree, cutting with
his round shave hansomely. across,
through at, least ,nrec grams OF the
wood, and at no chopping, cutting with
his'round shave more than one.eigh,h
of an inch up the tree, and by So cult
vating, your set of boxes hast from six to
eightyears. 1t is not unusual in North
Carolina 10 continue to box trees until
yourun them up from twelve TO fifteen
feet high.-And good axemcn that can
cut twice in one place can be learned in
week 10 cut fifty boxes per day, and
soon up to seyenty-ive, and soon learn
to chip well. The most important part
ofthe labor is 10 have the trees properly
boxed and Clipped, 50 as TO insure your
constant gain. Green hands to COM
mcnce cutting boxes, on the lst eff No
vcmber, would cut by middle oil Februa.
ry from five to Six thousand boxes, which
are about as many as they could tend
we'll the first year. From the number
trees that would run well and work
steadily, the hand will make the number
of barrels of turpcntine here in stated.
There are many hands in North Carroll.
ma who tend seven hundred and fifty 10
nine hundred boxes for their tasks. ma>
king three hundred barrels and upwards
of tu!pentinc; but they are the brag
hands of the country.
There being no market yet estab-
lished with US for rturpentinc in its natu>
ra! state, we will make our data from
the North Carolina markot-say the
lown of Wilmington, situated on the
Cape Fear river, thirty miles from ulc
ocean. For the last twenty years we
find the average price and eady sale for
dippings of turpcntine per barrel at
50 IS, and hard lurpentinc 81 Is.
Your hanI makes his two hundred bar
rels with the fair proportion Of quality
amounting to S47O, as follows
100 bbls. drippings al 81 rs
80 bbls. hard at ] 75-S47O 90