The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1879-09-13

~ II &
Every traveller by railroad through the
pine forests Of North Carolina and other
States abounding in the long-leaf pine has
been struck with the singular appearance
Of the trees, sometimes extending for miles
along each side of the road and as far
back as the eye could penetrate; for every
tree seemed at first sight as though It had
been whitewashed upon one side about as
high as mans head. If seen by moon.
light, the person might readily believe, Il
a believer in such things, that he had rot
into very large field full Of ghosts, for
such forest certainly has very weird
appearance. Such scene Is exhibited BY
a turpentine plantation that has been
thoroughly worked; the process being first
to chop box near the root Of the tree,
large enough to hold from one to four
pints, into which the juice Of the tree
oozes while The cut remains fresh. Then,
70 keep up the supply, the bark and a por-
tlon OF the sapwood arc cut away imInedi-
ately above the box. This cutting pro-
cess is continued from time to time
through the summer, and perhaps two or
three summers, extending as high as
man can reach, with peculiar-shaped
tool, which makes cut like a gouge,
forming diagonal channels from each side
toward center line that leads down 70
the box where the semiliquid turpentine
gathers. When the box Is filed, the tur
peutine is dipped out with an iron tool
made for the purpose into iron buckets,
which are carried by neck-yoke from tree
to tree, and when full 70 barrels placed
here and there among the trees; the bar
rels when filed are carried TO the distillery.
After the scarilying process has reach
ed height Of several feet, a considerable
portion Of the pitch congeals on its way
down and bleaches white in the air, and
Il is this that gives the trees their ghost
like appearance. The first run Of the
trees, called ayirgin turpentine," is like
pure honey, straw-colored, and is the most
valuable. That which Is scraped from
the tree has lost considerable portion Of
its volatile quality by evaporation in tho
hot sun, and Of course yields less spirits
of turpentine upon distillation, which, in
sections remote from rail or water trans
portation, is the only valuable portion;
, the resin, being waste matter not worth
. hauling. | have often seen the resin
r drawn from the stills into conductors, gen
a orally three -cornored wooden troughs, and
so led of some rods from the distiIlery
; into natural hollow or excavation ant
there set on fire, genuine exempliiica
] tion Of wastefulness. In its very incipi
!, eney the turpentine business is founde,
q upon waste-the waste Of vast tracts 0
d fine forest; for the trees after the secon,
e boxing and scarifying on the other side
y must soon die, for only a little strip o
n bark Is left between the cuttings, Just t
s keep the tree alive long enough to be thol
', oughly drained Of its valuable juices
is Then decay commences, hastened by th
'e annual burning Of wire-grass, which eoyel
d the surface in nearly all Of the pine forest
r and gradually tho trees fall to the groun
Is and are consumed, and with them ii
ir greater portion Of the young trees, whic
would in twenty years replace the old on,
IL the fires could be kept from their d
structive work. But fires viii never cea
while cattle-raising is the sole business
: : a majority Of the "piney woods people.
r