The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-09
NO DANGER OF EXHAUSTION.
THE NAVAL STORES BUSINESS a
PEREANENCY HERE.

Factors and Operators Have Chang
ed Their Opinions Recently and
Many Believe That the Territory
is Practically InexhaustibIe-The
Present Years Receipts the Larg-
est KnOwn-The Operators Have
Not Taken warning by Low Prices
and Continue to Extend Their Op-
eratiOns.
Naval stores men have ceased to calcu-
late upon the yield OF the Savannah naval
stores territory, and the length Of time it
is likely TO continue.
Three or four years ago naval stores men
generally predicted that the crop OF the
current year was the largest it was pos
sible to produce from the territory. and
that the time must soon come when the
naval stores men must seek other fields
and Savannah would have to seek other
business to replace the loss.
When the annual receipts Of naval stores
a this port reached 100000 packages in
1893, the day was considered a red letter
one in the history Of the board Of trade.
It was said then that the annual receipts
at Savannah could never exceed that
figure to any extent, and that in year or
prices to increase correspondingly.
The naval stores men have changed their
minds now. They begin to think that the
Savannah territory is practically mex
haustible, and that with the new territory
which is being added every year. the pros
pect is that the receipts will go on increas-
ing as they have done for the last several
years. Every year since the one mem
toned has seen the receipts pass the one
million mark at an earlier date than dur
ing the preceding year until now the
reaching of that figure excites no special
comment.
The receipts this year are the largest
known in the history of the trade, being
nearly 100000 barrels of spirits and about
10000 barrels of rosin. The receipts of
spirits are about 10000 barrels
more than al the same date Of the previous
year. The receipts of rosin, while larger
than at the same date last year, are not in
proportion to the increase of spirits, due
II is claimed, to the very low prices, which
the product has been bringing for some
time past. The naval stores year ends
April I, but the new crop is coming on ear
ly this year, and receipts from the new
crop will probably begin to come in before
the end of the present fiscal year.
A naval stores man who is thoroughly
familiar with this territory was approach
ed on the subject last night The prospects
the crop will be even larger than the large
crop of this year.
There has been great deal of new ter
ritory taken up" he said. THE increase
has been chiefly in Florida, where about
forty new farms have been opened up.
Some new territory has been taken up in
Georgia, and instead of giving up the old
farms the operators are working them
over, and extending their operations fur
Their back into the woods. There appears
10 nave been general movement on the
part of the operators to increase opera
lions in spite of the low prices which have
prevailed. There can be but one result,
and that is still larger crop, and lower
prices. The naval stores business is a
permanency in Savannah. / was one of
those who who, few years ago, predicted that
hausted. 1 have formed a different opin-
ion now and gone to the opposite eX-
treme. believe now that the territory
perts estimate that there are 3OO00,000
acres of virgin territory in Georgia and
Florida still untouched, and l believe
this estimate is not far from the truth.
A great deal of this territory is inacces-
sible at present, but as the railroads are
extended and the country roads improved,
new territory is brought in reach of the
operators every year. Another thing
that convinces me that the business is
a permanency in Savannah is the fact
that old farms which were worked out
hfteen years ago are now being worked
over again. The old trees have recupera-
ted, and some new trees have grown
away the timber the old timber can be
worked over again, though, of course,
the yield is not so great as with the vir-
gin timber"
I'm Southern France, where the turpen-
tine business has been conducted for
many years, the methods are very differ
ent from those in vogue here. The waste
full methods of the southern operators
would be regarded with horror by the
French. Turpentine producing trees arc
valuable property in France, and the
orchards they are called, are worked
for fifty years or more. n small slit only is
made in the tree the first year, and this
is heightened from year to year. and other
Sits made until after many years the
trunk is marked all the way round with
Sits, each several feet in length. The
sap is caught in metal receptacles. which
results in producing a better grade OF
rosin than by the Georgia method. If
any of the terpentine men ever visit Eu-
rope, the turpentine forests of Southern
France might afford them some informa-
ton as to lengthening the time of produc-
! ton, and the methods of economy in gath
| ering and handling the product.
THE WEEK WITH THE COURTS.