The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-07

many uses of the product of petroleum.
when spirits of turpentine had before
answered, having reduced the demand,
and caused prices in some localities to be
unremunerative, especially off from rail-
roads and rivers, the hauling being too
expensive, and besides the cost of produc-
ductiOn was too great, as the vast num-
Der of trees had been overworked, es-
pecially in that section of North Carolina
where turpentine was first produced.
FLoCKED TO GEORGIA.
The operators sought new fields, and
numbers Of North Carolinians came to
Georgia.
The vast forests of "virgin" pine trees
in this state offered to the experienc ed
turpentine producers, a new and remuner-
alive field for operations, and for fifteen
years, the production of naval stores in
creased rapidly, in this state being
financial success to those interested in the
business, and at the same time making
Savannah the leading shipping point, and
the largest market in the world.
AS is too well known among those di-
rectly interested, the naval stores trade
during the past three seasons has suffered
from the effects Of overproduction, and
the industry continues to suffer, being
further depressed by the recent financial
stringency which has greatly curtailed
the domestic demand for spirits and rosin.
At present the prices of naval stores are
low, in fact, almost below the cost of
production, but with the determination
among the operators to reduce the pro-
duction it is hoped that there is better
future for business generally.
The receipts of spirits turpentine and
rosin at Savannah for the year 1898, in
round numbers, were about 257 900 casks
of turpentine and $50, 900 barrels of rosin,
which was about three-fourths of the en-
tire crop of the United States.
In this state, as trees have from time to
time become exhausted, they have been
cut into saw-mill timber and all through
Georgia the mill men follow In the wake
of the turpentine operator and cut timber
which has previously served to produce
turpentine. The operations Of the tur-
pentine operator, in this state, continue
about three or four years in forest of
pines, whereas formerly the trees in the
locality where turpentine was first pro-
duced were worked for a number of
years. Some old trees in North Car
DINA have been constantly Clipped for
twenty years. it does not pay, however,
to continue the operations longer than
three or four years, as the yield becomes
so diminished that the expense of pro-
duction overbalances the value of the
product.
HOW OBTAINED FROM THE TREE.
1t may be interesting to many to. under
stand how turpentine products are pro-
cured from the tree. The original product
of the pine is of two sorts-turpentine
and tar. Turpentine is the sap of the tree
obtained by making iucisions in its trunk
1t begins to exude about the middle of
March, when the circulation commences,
and flows with increasing abundance as
the weather grows warmer, so that May
and June are the most productive months.
When the circulation is slackened by the
chills of autumn, the operation is discon-
tinued, and the remainder of the year is
occupied in preparatory labors for the
following season. The first thing
is the making Of the boxes. This
is done in January and February,
In the base of each tree, about three or
four inches from the ground, and of
preference on the south side, cavity is
formed, commonly of the capacity of
quart, but proportional TO the size Of the
trunk, of which it should occupy quarter
of the diameter; on trunks of more than
six feet in circumference, two and some
times four boxes are made on opposite
sides. Next comes the raking, or clean
ing of the ground at the foot Of the trees,
from leaves and heritage. ''Cornering''
is merely making at the sides Of the box
two oblique cutters, about three inches
long, to conduct into it the sap which