Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1879-10-13
THE TURPENTINE E BUSINESS.

the pine f0reStS OF NORTH Car0llna ana
other States abounding in the long-leaf
pine has been struck with the singular
appearance of the trees, sometimes ex-
tending 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 white-washed
upon one side about as high as a mans
head. If seen by moonlight, the person
might readily believe, if believer in
such things, that he had got into very
large field full of ghosts, for such a
forest certainly has very weird ap-
pearance. Such scene is exhibited by
a turpentine plantation that has been
4l~---~--e.h l-4 ruapkadz.4athe 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, to keep up the supply. the bark
and portion of the sapwood are cut
away Immediately above the box. This
cutting process is continued from time
to time through the summer, and per-
haps two Or three summers, extending
as high as man can reach, with a
peculiar-shaped tool, which makes a cut
like gouge, forming diagonal chan
mel from each side toward a centre line
that leads down to the box where the
semi liquid turpentine gathers. When
the box is filed, the turpentine is dip
ped 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 to barrels placed here
and there among the trees the barrels
when filled are carried to the distillery.
GATHERING THE PITCH.
After the scarifying process has reach
ed a height of several feet considera-
BILE portion of the pitch congeals on its
way down and bleaches white in the air,
and it is this that gives the trees their
ghostly appearance. The first run Of
the trees, called "virgin 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 evapo-
ration in the hot sun, and of course
yields less spirits of turpentine upon
distillation, which, in sections remote
from rail or water transportation, is the
only valuable portion; the rosin being
waste matter, not worth hauling. |
have often seen the rosin drawn from
the stills into conductors, generally three
cornered wooden troughs, and SO led of
some rods from the distillery into a
natural hollow or excavation, and there
set on fire; genuine exemplifcation Of
Southern wastefulness. which is almost
everywhere exhibited in all agricultural
or manufacturing operations. In its
very Incl piency the turpentine business
is founded upon waste-the waste OF
vast tracts of fine forests; for the trees,
after the second boxing and scarifying
on the other side, must soon die, fol
only little strip of bark is left between
the cuttings, just to keep the tree alive
long enough to be thoroughly drained
of its valuable juices.
THE WASTE INVOLVED.
When the turpentine plantation is il
the vicinity of saw-mills, some of the
best of the trees. after having yielded
up, or rather down. their stores of pitch
are cut for lumber. although they art
valued by the mill-men at much les!
than fresh trees. As a general rule,
think it would be fair to estimate tha
every gallon of spirits of turpentine tha
goes to market represents the destruction
of tall pine tree, which if left un
touched. would eventually be worth NOR,
than all the pitch drawn from it ant
/, the interest upon the money from tn,
time of its sale till the time the tree wa
wanted for lumber. is4.t
Whatever the profit of distillation ma.
be, there is none for those who tap tn
! trees and gather the pitch, above tn
usually low wages of common laborcrs
The owner Of the trees, whether he hire
the work done or rents the plantation t
others, has very small margin to rec
ompense him for the destruction of th
timber. Indeed, that does not seem t
,, enter into the calculation. Like cotto
planting, the object is to get somethin
out of the land at ouce, without an
, care for those who may come after th
present owner, and who will find in tn
one case soil divested of all its natura
) fertility, and in the other broad tract
of sandy land of little value for any pul
pose but to grow pine timber, almos
barren of trees, or even stumps, for th
fire when it once gets hold of the broke
, splinters never let's 60 until they ar
burned down pretty we'll below tn
t earth's surface. To person of as man
years as count upon my calendar. wh
: has witnessed the wanton destruction {
! the pine forests of several Norther
! States, the sight of turpentine works j
y these Southern woods, extensive as the