New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-02
DESPOILING THE PINE.

HOW 1T is MADE TO YIELD ITS GUM.
Careful owners OF valuable timber land have the
plentiful pine straw raked away from the roots or
each tree previous to beginning operations for tur-
pentine-rnaking Then. on some suspicious night,
when there Is no wind and perhaps suspicion OF
dampness In the air. they burn these heaps Of straw
and accumulations Of burrs. sticks and underbrush
Two or three hundred acres Of heavily
timbered land on fire. the tall dark COL
Of the pines outlined against the
blazing glare. the flames leaping and cracking
In exultant gee. Is weird spectacle. Those VINO
the they work do not take ibis precaution
(Which is at once tedious and expensive) and Oft
times disastrous fires the consequence Nearly al
woods in which the ;urpentne agents have been ~
work to succumb to the fire fiend eventually.
being such tempting targets for the eager sparks
from some chance wayfarer's fire.
days work for a steady, good hand r. to cut
100 boxes" In the turpent!ne woods. What Is called
a"crop' for one to work in a season consists
OF 10000 boxes. These boxes are oval or V-shaped
cavities cut into the tree about six inches deep.
narrowing toward the back; each box Is Of size
to contain quart of the gum which oozes down
from the tree above The boxes cut In the trees
in January and February. as near the base OF the
trunk it Is convenient for a man to fashion them
They are of uniform size. The number to be made
in tree Is stipulated when the land Is leased Boxes
are placed least two three inches apart. the
bark the intervening spaces being left intact. %
to preserve the life and health OF the tree
The next work after the boxes are made Is 70
corner them-that is. to go around with an axe
and make an incision into the upper parts OF the
box to guide the down multiplying sap into the recep-
tace arranged to catch t. In the spring the f,:d
veins OF the pines begin to exude and fill the hol-
lows waiting for the treasure. This hrst filling 70
called the virgin" sap and the rosin obtained from
it is of far more value than any subsequently
made.
The man who Is working the crop goes around
to his boxes and hacks them with delicately
curved. sharredged instrument, used only for that
purpose. He does not strike deep. but only punct-
already bleeding trunk with sufficient force
II to bleed afresh. Going his entire
territory he repeats his hacking process In Z
methodlcal manner. every two three weeks, caus-
ing the liberated sap to flow profusely into the
boxes This hacking process Is continued until Sep
tember until the sap In the trees begins to 60
| down at the approach Of winter.
The hacker Is chosen with regard to his judg-
ment, and must exercise delicate discrimination
| In executing his work and have thorough knowl-
edge OF the nature OF the with which he deals.
| The province OF the clipper who follows behind
the hacker to relieve the boxes Of their shining.
transparent. sticky fluid is not charged with quite 50
much responsibility, and though his work is vexa-
tious and difficult in the extreme, he is not paid
nearly much his predecessor Wagonloads Of
empty barrels distributed through the woods as
near or far apart 1t Is deemed necessary, and
into these the panstakng clipper contrives, by
means OF implement closely resembling trowel
and a wide-mouthed bucket. to pour or push the
collected contents OF the various boxes. Experts are
able to judge very nearly the amount OF raw gum to
be obtained from a certain number OF trees. but the
-vigant rider" makes the rounds to that
his employer Is defrauded of his just dues. and
to encourage the men to active endeavor. The same
crop Of trees can be worked for number Of years.
,han tha ttA
ridges produced by the hackers" extend as high up
on the tree trunks as a tall man can reach. But
| those whose purpose is only to extort as much sap
from the pine possible not intending to utilize
the tree afterward for other purposes, hack the
long suffering trunks high ordinary HOUSE..
afxing the hacking instruments to long poles and
standing ladders
A great deal OF turpentine is still made in South
| Carolina. to which State the ''tar-heelers' made
| their way from the pioneer turpentine ground OF
her twin sister. But Florida Southwestern
| Georgia and Alabama now the Mecca Of the
turpentIne distilers. those States possessing vast
areas OF yet unbroken forests When ground
formerly planted, but left unused for years, pro-
duces fresh growth OF pines. they grow to Q
| great height and vigorous and strong. but
their hearts are not in proportion to their size and
they will not yield much rosin or turpen tine
field pines they termed and are distinguished
from the first original growth of woods by the short
ness OF their needles and the number OF arms they
! put out comparatively, near the ground. the older
TsRs to before nsy
After the sap has turned down. the hacked sur
face of the turpentne is left crusted with gum
and the "scraper' must go round and scrape It
to make the fires so much needed around the still
When the barrels full OF the product are carried
vat and 't their Contents are subjected to heat fhe
top Of the vat or boiler Is fitted with cap making
| 1t alright. but kind of funnel connects II with q
| worm which runs down into another large tub
the Il ns sSrSas gns he
boiling vat and Is arrested In the SECOND vat
spirits a "V Of tSrpsntine IN the proportion Of two
thirds water and one-third spirit. 1t is then ready
Ss Ha Ths spirit Is So
with life that ordinary vessel cannot contain IL
Cautions ' Extra strong barrels Of white northern
pine must be pressed into service to hold this unruy
se must TH line s the inside Of Barrel
fore the trrpentne can be trusted to lie keeping
barrels, rum round so that every part Of the inside
may be touched and then the residue is poured
GSs asan a to De used unit" the "F'' coat
The Contents OF the vat from which the turpentIns
a great sitter strainer from which 1t falls into
finer ss ssan through s n
gradients and Is ready to be stored away in bar.
for shipment These barrels are be %nS@,e
like those used for the turpentne This rosin ID
S In hs D1aa draws Of
across the bow OF his instrument An oil made
from II Is priced by painters and used In lubricat-
ing machinery. and no kind OF soap. from the dell
cately perfumed toilet article TO the coarser KIND
! complete without Its due proportion OF rosin Tne
part that the various products OF the turpentine SIN
PLAYS on shpboard Is important.
Tar Is commonly made In the South by simply ar
/ ranging an earthly covering over fat lghtwood and
contrving TIE heat from within In such manner
| that the drops OF fat nfiammeble substance Will
exude through this outer covering: Lampblack Is
J made from this crude tar for marking cotton oaes
etc and the plantation negroes use II for staining
into solemn backness the homemade coffins. MADE
OF odd pieces Of boards, In which they bury their
dead a., ,..,,,. ,,.,.
landowner renting his land to the dstillers usu-
aly charges about SO hundred trees Tor eacn sea-
son according TO the number of boxes to be cut
in each tree Spirits OF turpentine used to bring q
cents a gallon but q cents Is a good price
II takes about twenty-five barrels OF crude gum "a
make two barrels of turpentne. The nacker
| tn a