The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1897-01-02
rURPENTINE FARMS,
USE TO WHICH FLOEIDA,S PINE
WOODS ARE BEING PUT.
low q TUrpentine Farm is Conduct.
ea--hetiicd Of Extracting F.
From the Trccs-Life AZ
The TIrpentincrs.
HE acreage required for tur.


the initial step in opening up larg'
portions of the unsettled tracts of pin,
woods country in tho South. In Flor
1da, where the acreage of pine il
large, the turpentine farmer is Just be
ginning to operate. Unlike many O
the farmers who till the soil, he is i,
every instance an expert.
The first thing in opening turpen
t1no farm, after securing the right t
turpontlne the trees for a certain
period. usually about three years. i
to locate the still. This done, the tur
pcntinc farmer and his workers pro
coed, iguratively, to pitch their tents
These tents ore little yellow boari
houses with On outside chimney hall
rs large as the structure itself. made a.
big pine sticks laid up CROSS bar fash
ion and generously daubed with clay.
The most important work of open
ing turpentine farm or orchard i:
building the still, and it is also the
most expensive. 10 build the still end
open an orchard Of, say, 10000 trees,
costs not less that $1,000. Under or
binary circumstances when turpentine
and resin are bringing fair price.
this amount, together with a fair in
tercst on the money invested, is mado
the first year. After that whatever IS
made is clear gain, although the first
year IS always more profitable than
any thnt follows, as the first crude gum
that tree yields, which is known rs
tho virgin Dip" makes the lino white
resin that brings the highest price,
and also the best spirits of turpcntine.
Most of tho turpentino farmers in
this part of tho country arc from
Georgia and SOUTH Carolina, which,
in tho language of tho expert. has
been ''turpcntinel'' for years. Many
Of these farmers have grown old il the
business, as have their helpers.
Once the right to turpentlne tract
Of 5000 or 1000 acres of pine land is
secured, the trees are boxed, the still
built, and in few weeks turpentine
and resin ore being hauled to the near
est railroad station and shipped.
| II was such g day that emily June
brings at the North that a little party
from Chicago visited turpentine
farm newly opened. just beyond the
limit OF tho village.
From his early boyhood Mr.. D. T..
Richardson, who greeted us at the
farm, has been connected with the
business OF turpentine farming, and
he is not only an expert, but is known
as the most successful manager of the
gangs of men, without whose services
turpentine farm con not be worked.
The boxing OF the trees consists of
cutting, g short distance up from the
root Of the tree, IN incline plano in
the outer layers Of the wood. but not
reaching to the heart. and at the base
q receptacle in which the crude gum
runs. Only man who has been
carefully taught can do this boxing
successfully, as the incline must be
just right in order 70 have the sap run
we'll, and tho lower, portion must hold
q quart. Like Ill the work in q tur-
pentine orchard, boxing is done by
the piece and by those who make
specially Of it. The three classes OF
workers among turpentiners are dip.
pers, clippers and boxers. Each
man is especially expert at one or the
other of these, although those who
have worked long nt the business and
arc somewhat enterprising ore ablo to
do all three successfully. Tho boxing
has already been explained. The
chipping is cutting off thin
piece from the upper part
Of the box, which soon sears
over, SO that tho gummy sap may
again flow freely. Tho chipping is
accomplished with peculiar curved
knife with blade about three inches
long on : handle to tho end of which
is attached heav:: ohlong ball.
Ordinarily q tree yields about n
quart of crude gum in week, and it
is tho duty of the dipper to remove
this to tho barrels in which it is con.
veyed to the still. It would naturally
be supposed that this would be accom-.
plished with some sort OF q dipper,
but 1t is not. What is used is broad,
perfectly fiat paddle about twice the
size Of those used by cooks in turning
pancakes. The dipper;s paddle, how.
ever, is quite different in shape, being
pointed ut the end. It is astonishing
to see with what dextcrous skill the
lippcr will remove tho gum from the
box without losing single drop with
their fiat paddles.
The government among the turpen.
timers is somewhat Oh the patriarchal
plan, and the free, easy, somewhat
dependent life is one which admirably
suits the average Southern colorcd
man. In the group of little pine
buildings, which is known as the viii
lage Of turpentjne farm, is store
where such articles as ore likely to be
demanded are kept for sale, and the
laborer can have cash or goods in re.
turn for bis labor. Such q thing as