Morning journal and courier., 1886-11-09
Al TURPENT4NE FARM.
Harvesting the Famous Product of
she Georgia P1Res-LightxvoOd For
From the Atlanta Constitute

From the Atlanta constitutional
During recent trip through southern
Georgia was most particularly struck with
the varied and general utility of the yellow
pine tree. B sides it is very peculiar tree
inch deep continuously all around the tree it
will die. The circulation of sap seems to be
between the wood and bark entirely and the
feshy membrane, which is the medium of
circulation, is tough and leathery, separating
readily from sap or bark. Let this be sew
cred and the largest pine is killed. This sap
contains a great deal of saccharine matter
and sours readily, so that fermentation dur
ing summer is transmitted from tree to tree.
the death of one frequently causing the
death OF quite an area around it,
a ''lightwood" or ''pitch'' pine is about as
solid after death as before. First the straw
turns yellow and drops off, then the bark is
gradually cast aside and finally all the softer
shell of recent growth, which is called the
sap portion of the tree, and there is left
tree of resinous pine, with its roots embed
ded in the soil and the storms of many cen
turies may beat in vain about it's gaunt, skel-
eton-like form. These lightwood trees are of
vast use to the inhabitants. They make an
underpinning for buildings as solid as brick.
There is nothing in the world superior
post material, and for any fr amework that is
constantly exposed to the weather this resi-
nous pine is used. It is impervious TO water
and never rots. Then they make tar and
charcoal of this lightwood besides its uni
versal use fuel.
a turpentine farm must be seen TO be ap-
preciated. When farm is first pitched
the boxes are cut one to three in pine,
according to size The trees are counted
into crops of SO many thousand and this is
called virgin crop. The queer little gauge
called a buck is then brought to bear and
streak is cut above the box, which is
simply a deep oval notch pointing down
ward to lead the gum which exudes
into the box below. These boxes are made
to hold about quart. This first run is
as clear oil and is the finest of all At
| ter being dipped out with paddle it is
distilled and the hard resin left is some
times white and clear glass. 1t is
very beautiful and brings good price in
the great naval stores markets. Second
years gum is not as good in quality, but
fully so in quantity. Third years boxes,
when the monthly hackings have made the
scar high up, are still poorer and from then
on the crops hardly pay for working.
Just about the toughest beings that ever
cursed country are some of these. turpen
tine negroes. They are paid by the box, one
dollar to one dollar and half per one hun
dred for the box cutting and furnished so
much rations. The old rule was peck of
meal, seven pounds of bacon and e quart of
syrup. Other provisions the darkey must
pay for himself They are given shanties to
live in and there amid filth and vermin they
sleep and eat. Sometimes they will get to-
gether nights and sing and preach and pray
until after midnight, and then at the call of
the woodsman they are up and going by ear
ly dawn. Saturday evenings at the station
they congregate, and where whiskey is OBJ
tainable there scenes OF the widest sort.
That is what causes many of those wire
grass counties to 90 dry. Liquor demoral-
ICES the laborers to such an extent that it
was ruinous. There is not so much money in
turpentine as there was five years ago, but
men still manage to farm it.