The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-10-13
TURPENTINE, AND HOW IT is OBTAINED

Along the Atlantic coast, from New Jersey to
Florida, there is belt OF sandy land, varying
in width and covered with forests of pine, that
are the source of supply tor one OF the important
products of American industry. In Carolina
and Georgia this belt extends inland from fifty
to one hundred miles, is an almost unvarying
level, except where intersected by streams, and
though barren of agricultural products, is yet
by no means poor and desolate region. 1t is
here the turpentne and tar of commerce are
obtained, and these immense forests, apparently
intermnabe, aside from the valuable timber
they Afford yield such quantities of naval stores
as to be the scene ofliyely industry and success.
ful enterprise.
The turpentine plantations usually embrace
several hundred acres, which are cultivated by
the owners, or leased out to others, at a certain
rate per thousand boxes. The boxes are small
cavities, cut in the trunk of the tree as near the
ground as possible, each box containing about
quart of crude turpentine. From two to four
boxes are formed in each trunk, according as it
is larger or smaller
This work is done in January and February,
before the sap begins to run, AMI is accomplished
by an axe, shaped so as to produce a concave
form to the box.
At intervals OF few days through the season,
the workmen cut away small portion of the
bark, above the boxes, with a concave gouge,
called a scraper; and this process is continued,
year after year, until the tree is peeled to the
| height of twenty or thirty feet when it ceases,
from the inability of the laborer to reach auy
higher.
As soon as this bark is taken off the sap runs
| DOWN INTO tne reCeptdCle. III taxes from lVe TO
seven weeks for a box to fill. As soon as the
| box fills, the tuIpentine is scooped out and put
! into bucket. Each laborer has bucket, and
goes round to the different trees until his bucket
\ is full, and then he emptles ii into barrels
| for the purpose. About September the
| sap stops running, and the season is over.
| During year, or season, each box will yield at
| least six quarts of turpentine The first years
product is called virgin Dip" and is the most
| valuable on account Of the excellent quality of
! the rosin il makes.
During the second and subsequent years the
sap becomes inspissated forming white in
crustation on the peeled surface of the tree, and
! not running down into the boxes. 1t is then
| removed by being scraped off with thin, mar
| row blade of wood. Men and boys go around
from tree to tree with a cart containing barrels,
and gather the turpentlne from the boxes as
| often as they are filled. This crude material is
now ready for dIstillaton, which is the next
| step in the course of manufacture.
| A turpentine still is rather rude and prinli-
| tive affair, as usually constructed, consisting
| mainly of large boiler, holding from six to ten
| barrels, built in a brick-work furnace, and con-
| nected by pipe to worm or condenser
The brick-work is built TO the height of about
ten ieet. On the top is platform, and the crude
material is hoisted from the ground to the plat
form, and then emptied into the boiler. From
| tnls boiler there is an iron pipe about foot in
| olameJer, leading to a large wooden vat, stand
ing alongside the still proper. The vat is more
IMAM nan niled with water, which is necessary
IN case OF nre Connecting with the pipe from
the boiler is another one constructed In q zig-
gag manner and extending to the bottom of the
| vat AS soon as the boiler IL filed with the
crude turpentine the fire is started in the fur.
mace, and the liquid commences to boil. The
tuTpentine arises in steam from this crude ma
terial. The steam rises and extends through