Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1894-11-10


during the season consists OF ten
thousand boxes. These boxes are
oval. or V shaped, cavities, cut into
the tree about six inches deep, mar
rowing as they extend back; each
box of size to contain quart Of
the ngum, = which oozes down from
the tree above. The boxes are cut
in the trees in January and Feb
ruary, as low down toward the base
of the trunk as is convenient for
man to fashion them. They are Of
uniform size, and as many OF them
can be made in a tree as the circum-
ference of the vrunk will allow. or
lin the event of the turpentine man
not owning the land) as was
contracted for when the pines
were leased from their owner.
Boxes are placed two or
three inches apart, the bark on the
intervening spaces being left intact,
in order to preserve the life and
health of the tree. The next work
after the boxes are made is to ''cor-
ner" them, that is, to go round with
an axe aud make an incision leading
into both upper corners of the box
to guide the Gown dripping sap into
the cunning receptacle made to
catch it. The boxes being prepared
before the sap turns up in the trees
in the spring. as soon as that subtle
process OF nature takes place the
full veins OF pines begin to exude and
ill the saucer like hollows waiting
for the treasure. The first filing is
called the virgin" sap and the rosin
obtained from these boxes is of far
more value than any subsequently
made. The man who is working the
crop now goes around to his boxes
and ..hacks" them with a delicate
cur ed, sharp edged instrument,
used only for that purpose. He does
not strike deep. but only punctures
the already bleeding trunk with suf-
fcient force TO cause it to bleed
atresh. Going over his entire terri
tory he repeats his hacking process
in a regular methodical manner ey-
cry two or three weeks, causing the
liberated sap to flow profusely into
the always filling. always emptying
boxes. This hacking process is con-
tlnued with appropriate intervals,
until September, or until the sap in
the trees begins to go down at the
approach of winter.
The hacker is chosen with regard
to his Judgment and must exercise
a delicate discrimination in execut-
ing his work and have a thorough
knowledge of the nature OF the trees
with which he deals The province
of the dip err who follows behind
the hacker to relieve the boxes OF
their shining, transparent, sticky
fluid, is not charged with quite so
much possibility. and, though his
work is aggravating, trying, and
difficult in the extreme. he is not
paid nearly as much as his prele-
cessor Wagon loads of empty bar.
rels are distributed through the
woods as near or as far apart as it is
deemed necessary, and into the5 Q
the painstaking clipper" contrives,
by means OF a metal spoon-like in
strument closely resembling a
trowel, and handy widemouthed
bucket, to pour or push the collect
ed contents OF the various boxes Ex-
perts are able TO jud &c very nearly the
amount of raw gum to be obtained
from a certain numbe OF trees, but
the eyer-yigilant rider" makes the
rounds to sec that his employer is
not de.raudel and to ncourage the
men to active endeavor. Careful
owners Of valuable timber land have
the pine straw ralsed away from the
roots of the trees previous to com.
mencing operations for turpantine
making. Then. on some suspicious
night when there is no wind an
perha ) suspicion OF dampness in
the air, they burn these heaps oil
straw and accumulations OF burrs,
sticks and underbrush. Those who
rent their trees do not take this pre-.
caution which is at once tedious
and expensive, and sometimes dis.
astrous fires, destructive alike TO life
and business, ensue in consequence
The same crop of trees can be
worked for number Of years, say
the Philadelphia Times, usually from
four to six seasons, when the white
ridges produced by the hackers ex-
tend as high up on the tree as tai
man can re lch But those whose
purpose is only to extort as much
sap from the pine as possible, mo-
intending to utilize the tree after
wards for other purposes. hack the
long suffering trunks as high as al
ordinary house. atfixing the hacking
instruments to long poles to execute
their task at great height from the
ground After the sap has turned
down the hacked surface OF the tur
pentine trees is left crusted witt
gum and the ''scraper" must q
round and scrape it OF, for it all car
be utilized, though this last prcduc
OF the season will yield only its pro
portion OF turpent tine. The rosin i
makes is not fit for anything unless
to make the fires so much needed
around the still When the barrel.
full Of the product of the trees ar,
carried to the still they are emptieC
into deep copper vat and thei
contents subjected to the mysteriou
power OF heat.
The top Of the vat or boiler i