The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-01-03

Spirits OF turpentiue. on the other hand-
Is all Of one grade. and the price quota
ton IS a much simpler matter. But as
there is danger Of adUlteration by the use
Of wood turpentine." that Is. a turpen-
tine distilled from wood blocks. and as
! the temperature affects the pure spirits
materially. II IS necessary 10 keep a close
watch upon the stock and the market
Z The state OF Georgia provides security
/ AGAINST fraud and adulIeration by stTin-
gent regulations. enforced under the di-
rectiou Of a state supervising inspector
( Of naval stores.
Turpeatine is used in a vast number Of
/ the liberal arts and is an increasingly i'm
/ portant article Of commerce Originally.
turpeutlne was obtained from the turpen-
I tine. or terebinth. tree which grows IN
/ Southern Europe. This Is II 2 very fine
quality and is still produced u small
Quantities in France and Spain Other
turpentins spirits are produced in small
quantities from the Canada baisam fr.
/ buzz practically the whole trade looks 10
/ the Iong-leaf pine forests Of the Southern
/ United States for its supply
The supply has rot been equal 20 the
demand. and the forests have yielded UP
L
State after another. until now Florida.
/ Georgia. Alabama. and Mississippi are
/ the greatest producers the Carolinas nav
/ ing been more nearly exhausted
The t1ruentine business Is not alto
/ gether a bed OF roses for the operator.
OF late years he has come in for much
1 criticism from various sources. some Of
/ it perhaps deserved. much of it wholly
unjust. one cannot ride through the
! pine forests Of Florida and see how the
| turpentine farmers are taking the life
blood Of the trees. too small 70 serve
FOR telephone poles, without being forced
10 the conclusion that this Is a kind OF
/ reckless forest destruction which should
/ be checked Lumber men say that It
I does not hurt timber 70 be tUrpentined.
/ in fact that il often improves the lumber
/ product. But Il does kill pine trees
when the turpentine farmer cuts and
bleeds them IF the tree is large enough
+ TO be- used for lumber there is no Injury
/ and a permanent gain. In the case of
verv small trees there IS a permanent
injury for q temporary gain
In addition 10 this, forest fires thrive
I in fuTDentine farms. The SCARED trunks
I Of the deserted trees. 10 longer under
the watChful eve Of the FIRE guards. are
as so much finder and millions Of
dollars OF value is destroyed every year
( in this manner
Many OF the charges Of peOnage made
/ against turpentiue farmers are doubtless
grossly exaggerated. A turpentine camp.
( in the nature Of things. cannot be as
I pleasant q place 10 work as florists
shop. Il is the rough work for which
rough men are employed. But il is not
( slavery and many Of the So-caiIed
{ poems for whom so many tears have
been shed are merrily continuing their
4 life % drifting from camp 10 camp in
I the great turpentire felds.
Even with modern methods. and with
the exhaustion Of even the smallest tress.
the turpentine crop already shows signs
I Of permanent decrease. There is no
hope for a new and greater field OF oper-
ations. Il takes many years for pine
I trees 10 grow. but only five years 10 kill
them for their turpentine There is no
such thing as systematic demonstration.
/ There is no such thing as a concerted
action % the state and the trade Cor the
/ preservation OF the raw resources Of the
business. Thus II appears that living
/ men viii live to see the day when this