The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1908-12-31
THURspAY. Dc. aI. Zoe.
NnrnI stores Industry.


The United states government has
for the last ave months been max
ing Investigations or the timber sup
ply as it is related to the naval
stores industry OF the southern
states. A special appropriation was
made by the last Congress to carry
ON this work. For some time those
interested in the turpentine industry
have felt the need OF accurate data
regarding the supply of timber still
available for the production of tur-
pentine. The degree of injury sus-.
tanned by the longleaf pine during
one process of bleeding for resin has
always been a subject of contention
between the 1umbermen, on the one
hand, and the turpentine operators
on the other, and a special effort was
made to ascertain reliable facts bear
ing upon this phase Of the invests
CATION. Statistics of production are
also in process OF compilation The
present methods of obtaining rosin
from the tree and especially the ex-
tent OF use and the practicability CT
the new cup system of collecting gum
have come under careful study. In
order that the best possible results
might be obtained all parts of tle
naval stores producing region were
visited: the best informed operators
were interviewed and observations
were made in regions of varying con-
ditions. The data collected in the
turpentine investigation are now be-
ing brought together, in report
which will later be published. Some
of the points brought out are as fol-
lows:
The new cup systems of gathering
the gum, whereby the Injurious hole
or box cut in the tree to catch the
gum has been replaced by a cup
hung on the tree have generally
proved both practical and profitable,
and are everywhere gaining in fayor.
AS compared with the old and ex-
ceedingiy Injurious box" system
these new methods unquestionably
lessen the injury done to the timber
and Iengthen the average life of the
tree after bleeding. This increase in
efficiency is due to the fact that the
cup systems render the tree less sus-
ceptfble to damage by subsequent
fires.
The United States Forest Service
men who made the investigation
found the field of The turpentine OPP
orator is moving westward. As the
available timber in the older sec
lions of the eastern states becomes
exhausted the operator moves far
Their west in search OF new fields.
Finally, the available supply OF
turpentine timber in the United States
is likely to be exhausted within the
next fifteen years TO the extent thai
the turpentine industry as related to
the production from living trees will
he seriously curtaned, while large
falling OF of production viii prob
ably occur within ten years. This
condition Will be surprise to many
who have held that large areas Of
fine pine timber in the states Of
Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas will
come under production and thus tend
to Offset the falling of In the East.
1t has been found. however, that the
conditions differ in these states as
the timberlands are held in bodies
of considerable extent by large com
panies who will not allow their tim
her to be bled Their experience I'M
turpcntining leads them to the view
that the damage done to the timber
more than Offsets the additional rev
enue and has caused them to become
antaEonistlc TO any advance looking
toward the tapping of their timber
For this reason the naval stores in
dustry viii probably never become
the factor In these states that it has
on the Atlantic coast.