New-York tribune., 1896-11-22
TURPENTTNE FARMING.
SOME PASTORAL EXPERIENCES.
Letter to The Chicago Tribune.

Florida Letter to The Chicago Tribune.
IN TINS land OF the sun bonnet. pecan and mighty
stretches OF pine forests, what is known "turpen
~ uile ldimins corresponds TO the grazing period
0I me racine Coast county There during the graz.
ing period, Spanish grandees owned vast traces Of
anu ,anui over whlcn roahed sIea. nerds II was me
yearly y.e;d OF hides and tallow from these herds
oev n mos M '9e prnSS nSd ea y n
acreage required for turpcnnee e farm or orchard IS
hI be 3 5a ,nsn scS % IN openTs large portions a
the unsettled tracts Of pne-woods country here in
the South. In Florida where the acreage of pine -
large. the turpeniinc farmer is Just beginning to
operate. Unlike many Of the farmers VINO I'll the
Nth M m the Is PASTORAL ST parrarchs Of Bbe tines the tur
pentire farmer has 10 fixed abiding place bui goes
re?erenee % U.e to eE State Ines followed by his swathy
workers. 100 or 200 strong. and his family.
OPENING A TURPENT1NE FARM.
The first thing in openings turPenine farm. after
securing the right TO urpehtlnc the trees Tor Ger
tain period usually about three years. IS 10 locate
the sin This done. the turpentine iarmsr ana ms
workers proceed. hguratiyely, TO piea lnelr ,snls
These tents little yellow board houses WIN "a an
S%5de s5H Of bmPS bin ne ht sfs as a aFff uP a.
generously daubed with clay The cnmneyS IN these ee
the ali important part. and when turpenune iarm
frs, opened the greeting amons me "SIhg5 "Ihg5 l. b ,u
s.Mornin', How is yo' chimney? Is hit workin all
The most important work of opening turpentine
farm or orchard is building ne SUI, anp ,, i n5 -
also the most expensive 10 10 y pan nts .e moi
,han $50 Under ordinary circumstances. when
turpentne and resin are bringhs d M m ,h ,non"y
invested is made the first year. After that wnal-
ever is made is clear gain. although the hrst year
as the first crude gum that tree Yi,iu7, % WIZ ~
resin that brings the highest price ana also inc
best spirits of turpentine =, 49,, , ,
Most OF the turpentine farmers n ms paflt o'
the country are from Georgia and SCUM Sarollna ,
which. in The languaee ol y ,my cf ttcsc farmer
nave grown old in the business as have the"
once the right to turpentine tract OF 1900 or
1000 acres Of pine land is secured me tr.nr are
tine and resin being hauled to the nearest rail-
road station and shipped.
was such ,, Gsy as safg frg 'uhe rbcarn Visited
turpentine farm newly opened, just beyond 'ho
The boxing Of the trees. which happened to bc
going on when We arrived consists Of cutting. a
cline plane in the outer layers Of the wood. but not
reaching the heart. and at the base Il ieccp-
Who has been carefully taught can do this box
ing successfully. as the incline must be Just rlgn,
in order to have the sap run well, ana the lower
portion must no'd hdHng is done by the
In a turPeh,he orcnaiu' h' ,nois sne~nitv Of H.
are dippers clippers and boxers Each man IS
especialy expert at one or The other Of these. al
though those vino have worked long a. the busl-
do ali three successfully. The boxing has arcady
been explained. The chipping Is cutting on @ tnn
sears over. so that the gummy sap may again now
freely The chipping IS accomplished with pc
inchos long on a handle to the end Of which is at
tached a heavy oblong ball
HOW THE GUM IS HANDLED.
Ordinarily yeds q 6 aboH ,y Of }n1hr. h dpper ii
remove this to the barrels in which II IS cohVe{.
to the still 1t would naturally be snpPosr P, ~ a
dpper but 1t is not, What is used IS D%road. % ,p"d p.'
feciy iat paddle about iwice ne Th M G,pners paddle
however is quite different in shape, Df'ng ponnc. nc
~ Inc end il is astonishing n see win wn1' -,
ferrous skill the dippers will remove the gun ,ioi %
the box without losing single drop VII" '''''
The government among the turpcni!ners Is some
what on the patrarchal plan ana ins dSn; dd;irhi r,
soewhat degsnaen ouSern m coorcd man In lhe
group Of little pine buildings. whlch Is hnomi, p 40
e,n'iioe az are likely to be demanded are Kept TOT
sale and the aborer can have cash or goou1 n :,
,urn FOR his labor Such hing as i "oihIhE n n,N
49, In a week Is unknown on turpcntlhe IA ~ ~
The ordinary weeks work is three DAYS , aiu /" ~ -
day noon Friday afternoon IS nall m noiuay t'i
is reglously observed by me |orkers ~ rnadv Tor
sunday which Is more often than otherwlsee ocCu- M
pied in the oIyis Iate hours ard often the most
Violent exercise. Monday is requirra 10 noru
rom The effects OF all this. and on IucSdny ncp moiH
ng the turpentne farm hands beE ridpv rs noSn
work which ends. as mas peer ss'u ,rrnp that the
iUrpeniinc farm laborer can be ind"ceo 10 WI" !"
until mil frledy isa and most ambitious worSors make 81
er venk and the others less; but they are "a an per
I'll. g. fiefcd They WORK Keeping tih' ~
r., a..ntIe icmpcrature Is no more i'HiluIns -,
- sum of their modest wants; tne iiusC VI and ,,
Ia tbro1,gb the pines makes bdIsdin- =, s, "
w., ,,r.nt above their beds OF pine bougns' ny
az az ,u M Ills and are happy ana care-irce as i IL
nnrinc bird that 'rills above them az lhey WI
hic ~ he present time there really Is no efP1Sy S
, w ttat suits the average color'h Iaborer Oh ai'
nei,t Liter than .-irpcntne farming IN" ihhlcd-
% re mat this Will not bc true OF me rsins gen,
,i3on Who are evidcncng the dlVlne usco ,
Graz pir'cns 10 uncndng effort. but, IN he mean
.ta .nna ,heir nrogenitors are joyfuly content
injury TO THE TREES.
with. tho llght-hearted turpcntne workers are
,oxinn chipping and dipping. ana the eNpeI,s N d de
~" still are separating the resiuui "a ti 70 The
INN sn1 which is resin. from the Splits 'hns rs i
gun, "inc of commerce. the unchdine uiscus
ppna those interested in forestry Is gos ,ree
aio,t a 70 whether not turpentlnlhR pun. -.
wain az for Inn ber There can be no houp 'nat 70
hJu hJ,,,n n tiIrpentine tree Tor Term oi sr't =.
coiltiuo 81 1ftcon does make II wenigh useless ior
r,her as the layers which surIouIu ~ 49,
o scft md sponcy For shorter UNI, aS ~,
nra and IS during the first years ma. ane % Dort
sesni.e are obtained the INJURY 10 scdan,tiS p 70
non,ihle OF course the tree does ''o. 49, &C. ,oucb
ccpunp.ef f,op (, has been boxed. and there s nuuh
orc danger from fire after iract nae ,f e" I, is
moIe mo,d man before but aside from this, ~ ~, -
pehtlmd ,haf a pine forest Is not deteriora'eo Ny
cia.i ,,na, ',nrnentined for a short iime.
$1,000