Delaware State journal and statesman., 1866-03-27
HOW TURPENTINE Is PROCURED.

| W ~ hoiiish uCl appears TO have
been that of gain.
HOW TURPENTINE Is PROCURED.
Rankin, correspondent of the New
YORK Tribune, writing from North Carolina.
gives the following as the method of procur.
ing turpentine from the pine tree, and its
distillation afterward-
THE TuRPENTNE PRODUCTION.
Inc method of obtaining this turpentine
Is very simple. During january and Feb
ruary the trees are prepared for the nurnose
lhls is done by means of cutting a small
box near the trunk of the tree. This box ls
cut out by an axe, and is generally made to
mold one quart of crude turpentine. 1t is
necessary that the boxes should be cut dur
ing the winter, and before the sap commen-
ees to run. During the month of March. or
Just before the sap appears, the workman
peglns to peel the bark from the tree, COM
mencing at the upper end of the box, and
making it cover the full width about ten
inches AS soon as this bark is taken off,
the sap runs down into the receptacle.
IL takes from five to seven weeks for box
to I'LL. As soon as the box fills, the turpen.
tine is scooped out and put into a bucket
hach laborer has bucket, and goes around
TO the different trees until his bucket is full.
and then he empties it into barrels for the
purpose. About September the san stona
running, and the season is over. During n
year, or season, good tree will yield at least
SIX quarts of turpentine. During each sea-
son the bark is peeled off to a distance up
the tree of about two feet. From twenty to
thirty feet is as high up the tree as they can
go. So tree will yield from ten to fifteen
years After the turpentine is taken from
the boxes and put in barrels, it is ready for
the still
HOW TURPENrINE is MADE.
The following will give you an idea of the
construction of the turpentine still. There
is large boiler built in brick furnace.
The exact capacities of these be- don't
know, but should judge they Would hold
from six to ten barrels. The brlck-work is
built to the height of about ten feet On
the top is platform, and the crude material
Is holsted from the ground to this platform.
and then emptied into the boiler. From
lhls boiler there is an iron pipe about foot
IN diameter leading to large wooden vat.
standing alongside the still proper. This
vat is more than half filed with water.
which IS necessary in case of fire. Connect
ing with the pipe from the boiler is another
one constructed in a zig-zag manner. and
extending down to the bottom of the vat
AS soon as the boiler is filed with the crude
turpentine the fire is started in the furnace
and the liquid commences to boil. The tur.
pentine arises in steam from this crude ma
terial. The steam rises and extends through
one pipe to the vat, and thence through the
pipe into the vat.
Inc water being heavier than the turpen-
tine, the two will not mix, and the water
goes to the bottom, while the turpentine re-
mains on top. AT the bottom of the vat are
a spiggot and a trough After the water is
run of, the turpentine descends and passes
through to barrels placed underneath. The
mud Is then ready for market After boil
ing the crude turpentine until the steam
ceases to ascend, the material in the bottom
Is called rosin AS soon as the turpentine
ceases running, the steam pipes are taken
OIL and the boiliag rosin skinned by means
OF wire net attached to a long handle
ms sklmming is done for the purpose of
taking all the dirt that collects with the tur
pentlne while in the boxes of the trees AS
soon as it is skinned it is let off from the
ooller by means of small pipe to large
trough, where, after it cools, it is placed in
barrels, and is ready for market also. This
distillation of turpentine is very simple, but
requires extreme care Fire is the great
danger.
FURPENTINE TREEs-PITCH AND TAR.
After pine tree ceases to yield turpen
tine, it is cut down and the fat knots burned
into tar or pitch. These fat portions are
split into pieces, varying in size Pitch and
tar are made by number of these PIECES
being placed together in such a manner that
when they are set on fire the fat descends to
hole dug in the ground, and thence runs
through trough and becomes tar. These
pieces, after being fired, are covered over
with dirt, and great care must be taken not
to let them blaze while burning. Ifallowed
to blaze the tar would all be consumed
These trees also make the best kind of tim
Der. Here it is called eight wood" be.
cause it makes such brilliant light while
burning. Those who own pine woods near
railroad, after using the trees for turpen-
tine, cut them down and make railroad ties.
There is as much speculation going on in
lumber as there is in cotton. Cotton has
been considered king for so long time that
people arc apt to forget other royal staples.
On the train met an agent OF some circular
saw company in New York, who was going
to Hilton Head to erect the machinery of
two saw mills. lie told me that his firm was
doing an immense business in sending saw
mill machinery to North and South Carolina
and Florida.
DEATH AT \ FUNERAI-On Wednesday
last as Theodore B. Porch was attending a