The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-01-25
WILL BE A LATE SEASON.
VERY LITTLE DOING AMONG MA
VAL STORES MEN.

The Cutting Of Boxes Delayed by Bad
Westher-The so Per Cent. Reduc-
ton by the Naval Stores Association
Not Likely 70 Be xceeded-Operst-
ors Holding In and Factors Unable
to Estimate What the Coming Crop
Will Be.
Everything is very quiet In the naval
stores business at present. As one factor
remarked yesterday, it is just between
''hay time and grass" In other words it is
just between seasons.
The operators are busy cutting trees for
this years crop. According to all reports
the number Of boxes cut 20 date Is a great
deal less than to the same date last year.
There are several reasons for this. BY law
the season for cutting or boxing trees
begins Nov. Is and ends March Is.
At the last meeting of the Naval Stores
Association In Savannah a resolution was
adopted TO box only 50 per cent. Of new, or
virgin, trees this season of the amount boxed
last season, the object being to reduce the
yield and thereby increase prices. Il is certain
That up to date the operators have not cut
as much as so per cent. Of the number of
trees cut TO the same date last year.
LITTLE WORK DONE YET.
Very little is usually done before Jan. l,
on account OF the closing up of the season,
the Intervention of the holidays and the re-
turning OF large numbers of hands to their
homes in North Carolina.
The very bad weather which has pre-
vailed since the beginning Of the year has
almost entirely prevented work, and very
little has been done by the operators. They
have now only seven weeks left before
the season expires in which to complete
their cutting and under the most favorable
conditions it is estimated that the number
OF trees cut by the end of the season can
hardly exceed 90 per cent. of The cut made
last season.
The actors and travelling men report very
little activity among the operators as COM
pared with previous seasons Less than
one-fourth the number OF hands have been
imported from North Carolina this year
that were imported last year, and the bust
ness has been so small as to attract little at
tention.
Another noticeable fact is that the orders
for boxing axes have been very light this
year.
NOT BRANCHING OUT THIS YEAR.
The past season was not very profitable
one TO the operators aGd they do not appear
inclined TO branch out heavily this season.
The prices at present for turpentine and
rosin are quoted considerably higher than
for some time but the demand is reported
as very light and sales difficult 20 make.
The stock on hand now is larger than at the
same time last year
The reduction of so per cent in the
amount Of virgin trees cut does not by any
means mean that the yield will be reduced
by like percentage. The operators have on
hand large number of trees with boxes
one, two or three years old. The extent to
which they will utilize the old boxes depends
entirely upon the prices offered after The
shilling season begins.
DEPENDS ON THE PRICES,
II the prices offered are considered remu-
nerative, the old boxes will be worked for
all they are worth, and IN this way the
coming crop may fall only a very little
short OF last seasons crop. The decrease
might be less than 10 per cent. Under OPP
posite conditions the decrease might be as
much as 20 per cent
The receipts are expected to begin late
this year, as the severe cold weather of the
last few weeks will have a very material
effect upon the flow of sap in the trees.
After cold winter the flow of sap always
begins very slowly, and it is late in the
spring before the trees begin to yield their
| normal flow. Last season the winter was
very warm and new spirits we're received
in considerable quantities in March.