Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-10-04

has onIy partly solidifed; it looks very
tempting, but ore taste is as satisfactory
as q whole neal would be. There is 40
special need of sign warning intruders
to "taste not, touch not and handle
not. !" Only a part OF the turpentine
finds its way into the box, the rest adj
herring to the surface of the tree. That
liz the box is knows as the 'dip," that
removed from the tree as the "scrape, .
the first being taken out with a
clipper" the latter scraped off the
blazed tree. The turpentine dipper "
might lie around I'D a conspicuous place
for long time without any persons
mistrusting either its name OF its use.
It is of iron, and looks quite like an en-
larged and hattened Indian arrow. head,
with its point rounded by long use.
An average tree, in fair year, will
yield about twenty-four gallons of crude
dip" and "scrape;" wagons go about
through the forests gathering from each
tree four or five times a year, delivering
it at the distIllery in barrels. New crops
are added each year, old ones being
abandoned as they cease to, yield a good
grade Of rosin. The first years product
of the tree makes by far the finest rOsln,
nearly always coming up to the standard
required for the "water white" brand !;
but with each year it deteriocates, until
it becomes the dark, muddy-loOkipg
stuff which one sees in barrels around
glue and cheap soap factories. Some
specimens of rosin are as deIicately
tinted and as clear as the finest amber.
An ordinary copper still, similar to these
In use at a gram distillery, is used to
separate the spirits of turpentine from
the rosin. A still with capacity of
twenty barrels of the crude will dispose
of five charges in day, each charge
yielding about one hundred and forty
gallons of spirits, and from fourteen to
sixteen barrels Of rosin
While the boiling is in process q small
stream of not water is kept running into
the still to prevent the rosin from burn
ing. 1t requires very close attention,
and if it shows disposition torun over,
the only remedy is to "tuck up the fire
and increase the degree of heat under
meath the still.
Those familiar with the na0duS Oper-
ardi of whisky-making know that the
spirit rises from the boiling mash in the
form of vapor, passes into coiled pipe
know as I" worm" which is kept sub
merged in cold water, when it is con-
densed, going on it's way to the cistern-
room. Just such course do spirits of
turpentine follow, only with the latter
there escapes the water which has been.
added to prevent the burning. The tur-
pentine then rises to the surface and
passes on to the barrel waiting to be
filled.
When the water escaping from the
still-worm ceases to bring turpentine
with it, the still-cap is used to permit an
escape of the steam, the fire is drawn
out, and the escape door of the still
opened. The rosin rushes ont steam
ing, kissing, bubbling mass, reddish
golden brown IN color, and odorOus as q
wholesale chemical factory. 1t first
passes through a coarse wire sieve, then
through one much finer, and finally
a stout canton-haDnel strainer catches
all remaining impurities. The intense
heat escapes In few minutes, when it is
dipped into barrels and is ready for the
inspectors brand. Inspectors visit the
distilleries regularly, examine and class
the rosin, send the statement of quality
and amount to headquarters, from which
the distiller promptly receives his
money. Strong, coarse barrels are used,
the weight of barrel of rosin being
about $50 pounds. The turpentine is
transported in iron tanks like those used
for carrying oil.