The Arizona sentinel., 1889-11-23
TURPENTINE ORCHARDS.
How Turpentine and Ros;n Are Made
Southwestern Alabama

Is an important Industry IN many re-
gions Of the United States. though
there are doubtless many readers who
know little about the process. In some
parts of Southwestern Alabama the
yellow pine is almost the only growth,
and the trees are made to yield a rich
annual harvest. Each tract of turpen-
tine land is called an orchard. and
those who are employed in it are said
to work the crop.
In the early part of the year, before
the juice of the pine il ready to exude
the trees are boxed" The boxes are
not as the name would seem to signify,
appendages attached to the outside of
, the tree, but cup-lile cavities cut into
the trunk about a foot above the
ground. They measure from ten to
fourteen inches across. and are four
inches in width and seven inches deep
Each of them is presumed to hold a
quart.
Usually there are two, and some
times even three or four, such boxes to
each tree. The life of the pine, as of
other trees, is drawn from the soil
through the bark, hence it is necessary
always to leave an uncut strip of the
| bark between the boxes. The number
of boxes depends, therefore, upon the
size of the tree and the width Of the
intervening strips.
The instrument used by the cutters is
an axe, made especially for the pur-
pose, measuring three inches across
the blade and nine inches in length,
and having handle which is bent sew
eral degrees out of a straight line,
ordinarily to the right; but if the user
cuts ''lcft-handed, " it is bent toward
the left.
To one who has never used such an
axe it seems extremely awkward, and
one who uses it for the first time is
apt to como TO grief. In his hands it
is kind of boomerang, and it is i'm
possible &c tell just where it will hit.
An experienced cutter, however, takes
his position near pine, gives the axe
peculiar swing, and in a few mo-
ments has cut and cleaned out such a
box as an inexperienced hand would
hardly hope to make with an hours
labor
The bOX-cutters work in gangs,
every gang being accompanied by a
scorer, who keeps a record of each
days work. Instead of using his
name, the cutter is known by his num-
ber Many of the men are colored,
and very good music they make, cry
ing in wierd cadence amid the ring of
the axes, ''Twe-enty-niner' Forty
sevenm "Sevcnty-f-i-vem as a box
is completed. This call is not to sig
Nifty the number cut, but the number
of the cutter.
At times the workmen break forth
into q rude, wild chant Joining in
the chorus with their deep, melodious
voices, their bodies swaying in unison
with the sound, and keeping time with
their axes, they form picture which
once seen is not faagotten. 1t is worthy
of note that they do more work when
singing than at any other time. though
the usual record of each is from one
hundred to one hundred and twenty
five boxes day.
As the weather grows warmer, the
boxes become filled with the exuda-
tons of the tree, and the first years
product, being the most valuable, is
dipped out and kept separate from
that yielded by trees which have been
boxed in previous seasons. After a
time the running rapidly diminishes,
and then another small, steel-pointed
instrument the scraper, must be
brought into requisition.
Beginning above the center of the
box, with one dexterous movement the
workman cuts a cash through the
bark extending downward toward the
corner of the box. Then, beginning
at the same point above. another is cut
in the opposite direction, giving the
appearance, when completed, of an in
verified and widely divergent V.
This process is repeated as often as
proves necessary, and over this scarf
fed surface the crude turpentine finds
its way into the cups. Much of it is
thickened by the heat of the sun before
reaching its destinatiop, but is scraped
off and, with the rest, is subjected to
the process of distillation.. That in
the cups, being very adhesive, is re-
moved by means of fat scoops.
The whole is place in barrels, and
taken to the distillery. Here the
crude product goes into the retort.
and comes out as Spirits and rosin,
which are converted into the numer-
GUS commercial articles with which all
ere familiar Youths Companion.