The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-11-18
GATHERING SPRUCE GUM.
Tons or It Collected Each Winter. and Ail-
lions OF Chews In q Ton.


Gathering gum is quite a business by itself.
and Ia carried on much more systematically than
f ifieRer ana, 'iH RSS sss h mss S prapRr lieter as at s s@ss
pleasant seaside resort, has only a few months
forests In the fall the gum UNI piCfers follow and
continue in the woods till springtime. There
are men who make a practice OF nipping from
nothing else. They follow the choppers through
the woods, and when the trees are fellcd, pluck
70 make logs The picker shells q FROM the stand
though in many cases . larger quantity is pro.
cured. because none is lost, as IN the case where
giants OF the forest. stripping II at times Of sew
erai auHr t,, OF Us gum deposits providing there
Jumps Il "A T'it Il san s'f fTom IN the the ' .ssnd IL so, spTssS the the
riISsr has has ,b an sPPsratuf ssnecisiIy ar.
: Sq p'sss q p ,ros se az steel Sa %ss. Fl *. hi: Z ssm ssst an. /;
working upon a pivot while a cord Is attached 10
the end and extends to the foot of the pole. The
along the gummy, seam OF the spruce. and by
operating, the little hammer by means OF the
sack located under the top OF the hammer.
Sometimes from one tree a bushel OF gum 10
tunate in finding so productive a spruce, and no
isSuite s0ntented In piucking from a pint to half
When the days picking is finished all return
TO camp. and, sitting around the open fire in the
evening". clean TINS gum piece Dy piece some r0-
quirlng quite a large amount OF scraping While
other pieces need but little. Quite often the
picker will ind a spruce with a large seam from
the trunk to over half the length OF the tree,
while bullying from each side will be bright.
clear Jumps or choice gum. He also finds trees
with large Jumps projecting from the side, while
In the spruce not a seam can be found. Great
punches Of gum are frequently found on tho
There are different kinds OF gum. The choice
IL the clear and best Jumps, what the picker
terms bright. Then comes the second grade.
consisting OF the assortment next to the choice.
while the third grade is disposed OF at a low
figure. and Ii made into a patent gum. A figure
head Of the gum pickers is the middleman. who
Is general manager. superintendS the work, and
middleman often handles 1000 pounds in a
season. Often he makes a deal with the plckers,
by supplying them with food and clothing and
finding a market, the profits being shared. You
will understand that the gum is always toted
several miles through the woods TO reach a point
Ths most gum handled by dealers in this sec
tiOn Is received from ArOOstoOk county, CRnadA,
and Now York State. Gum, not being a manu-
featured article, is free OF duty. An Augusta
firm handled over 2,20O pounds last year. When
candy sold for fourteen cents a pound an even
exchange was made for n pound OF gum. Dur
forest and observed the spruce. you have doubt
less noticed that the gum was OF a sticky nAturei
II Is then that IL forms for the next winters
gum gatherer, and when the cold weather comes
II gradually hArdens. No patent gum has as yet
surpassed the nAYor OF the spruce, and as long
as these trees stand will the gum ehewer cling
70 its product.