The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-16
RoSIN AT THE TOP NOTCH.
PRICES OF ALL GRADES CLOSER
TOGETHER THAN EVER KNOWN.

The Squirt on Account of Limited Re-
ceipts of Common ROsin and an
TnIOOked-fOr Demand From Euro
pean Manufacturers-Wh ROsin
is Chiefly Used for and How 1t is
Obtained-The Business 1t Gives to
Savannah.
There is quite boom in the market for
common grade resins. Never in the histo-
~ of the trade have prices OF all grades
ranged so closely together. While the pale
grades. which heretofore have sold from
50 to 81 are selling now at about 50 bar
rel. The common or dark grades have
reached Sl.65 a barrel. The average price
Of the three lowest grades during the past
fifteen years has ranged between 70 cents
and s1.25
The squirt is accounted for by the limited
amount of receipts of common rosins, and
a special demand for them from European
manufacturers. The new crop is just be-
ginning to come in and, as usual, the pro-
duct from newly cut trees yields the pale
grades of rosin, after the spirits is dis
TILED from the crude turpentine. AS the
trees are worked from year TO year the
product is darker in color.
The new forests having been worked dur
ing the first five years has brought to
market a surplus supply of the finer grades
Of rosin, and the demand has not been
sufficient to sustain the prices al which it
sold during past years.
In consequence of the limited supply of
the common grades, the demand has in
creased and prices have gradually advanc-
ed, until the common and finest resins
have come closer together. The medium
grades, have about held their own, the sup
ply and demand being equal.
Many people wonder what becomes of
so much rosin. Out of 100000 barrels
shipped from Savannah during the last
year, nearly uwo-thirds went to Europe,
the balance being used in this country.
Even in this section there are many peo-
pie. who have no idea what rosin really is,
and TO what uses ii is put.
Rosin is the residue after distillation
of the volatile oil from the turpentne of
the pine trees. 1t is rather an incidental
product of the preparation of the oil,
or spirits of turpentine, amounts TO only
10 to 25 per cent OF The turpentine. The
rosin while still liquid is drawn off into
metallic receivers coated with whiting TO
prevent adhesion. From these 1t is trans
ferred TO the barrels for shipment. When
the distillation is stopped at the proper
point the product is the yellow rosin,
which contains a liutle water; or this
may be expelled and the product is then
transparent. By continuation of the heat
the residue in the stills is made brown or
black.
Rosin is employed for a variety of
useful purposes. It is an ingredient of
a substitute for fixed fat in the man.
ufacture of soap. 1t is also used in per-
fumery and in various pharmaceutical
preparations, plasters and ointments. In
caulking the seams Of ships 1t is used
in a melted state ito FIJI in and by
oakum makers it is intermixed in a pull
verified state with the oakum to increase
its weight.
1t enters into the composition of some
fireworks and is used as a reducing agent
in soldering. Another well-known use of
it is for covering the bows of violins, to
prevent them from slipping over the
strings without producing vibration. II
is used extensively in the manufacture of
printers ink. 1t is universally used as
a sizing for writing paper and in the
composition of course lubrfcating oils
and axle grease.
OF late years several kinds of oils have
been made, almost exclusively, from rosin.
The different grades supply a variety OF
valuable paint and lubricating oils. All
of the rosin of commerce is furnished
TO the world from Georgia, Florida, Ala
bama, South Carolina and North Caro-
lima. About one-haf of the entire ship
ments pass through Savannah. Nearly
all of the capital employed in the pro-
duction of this valuable commercial COM
modify is furnished by Savannah and the
handling of the enormous receipts at this
port hundreds of clerks and laborers FIND
employment.