The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-02-11
BLEEDING PINE TREES.
Eject of rurpentine Gath ering on

Effect of Turpentine Gath ering on the
Timber of Long Leaf Pine.
In circular of the forestry division, pub
lished about year ago. says B. Z. Fernow,
chief Of division Of forestry department of
agriculture, 1t was stated that tests made
on ttmbers Of long leaf pine, bled or unbled,
lent countenance to the belief that bled or
tapped timber did not suffer N strength by
virtue of the tapping. Further tests and
examinations permit now the announce
ment without reserve that the timber of
long leaf pine is 10 no way affected by the
tapping for turpentine This refers to its
mechanical as well as chemical properties,
and hence even the reservation that it
might suffer in durability is now eliminated
and any prejudice against the use of bled
timber in construction, wherever the I'M
bled timber has been considered desirable,
must fall as having no foundation in fact,
being based only on vague belief, proved to
be erroneous.
It is to be hoped that this fact will be made
widely known among builders, architects
and engineers who have hitherto made dis
elimination against bled timber and thereby
deprecated or discouraged the manufacture
and lmpeoed the sale of an article which
answers all the purposes of construction and
the unrestricted use Of which is dictated by
true economy.
The basis for the statement regarding the
mechanical properties is furnished by q
series OF tests, comprising not less than 300
tests on thirty-two trees of this pine, bled
and unbled, from various localities.
The somewhat puEzling fact that bed
timber exhibited. if anything. greater
strength in the tests has been accounted for
by the fact that the turpentine orchards are
located mostly on sites which produce better
quality timber as well as larger yield Of
Surpentine.
To determine whether any changes in the
chemical composition take place, series of
chemical analyses of bled and unbled timber
mas been made, which indicates that the
resinous contents of the heartwood are in no.
wise affected by the bleeding, the oleoresins
OF the heart God being non-huid, the whole
turpentine flow is confined to the sapwood.
Among other interesting facts regarding
the distribution of resinous contents through
the tree which will be published in sepa-
rate bulletin, 1t appears that trees standing
SIDE oy side and to all appearances in similar
conditions show very varying quantities OF
resinous contents
To make sure that experience did not, If
slfted down, contradict the results of these
Investigations, competent agent, F. Roth,
visited turpentine orchards and saw-mllls
In the long-leaf pine region. He reports
that nobody was found-although it was
claimed by some-able TO discern any differ
ence IN the appearance of the bled and un-
bled timber; that in spite Of consumers
specifications for unbled timber, they are
almost invariably served with a mixture
without finding it out; that experience in
the districts where bled timber is cut and
used has not sustained the claim Of inferi-
GRITTY.
This information is furnished in advance
OF the full report on the Investigations in
question in order to remove as quickly as
possible the unwarranted discrimination
against the product Of Yearly 1000, 600 acres
OF southern pine, which are annually added
TO the total acreage IN turpentlne orchards.
This result of authoritative investigation
should be worth several million dollars to
The forestry interests Of the south, permit
ting reader use and sale for product that
left uncut endangers the future of the for
est by the destructive CONGREGATIONS tc
which it is specially subject.