Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-03-26
SEVEN MILLION ACRES OF
THE LONG LEAF PINE
Huge Tracts Of Splendid Timber for
Turpcntining Part Of Naval stores
Resources OF Old Mexico.

An aggregate area of 100000 to
1000. 900 acres of Ioneleaf pine, in
every way suited TO turpentinins
briefly indicates the extent Of the
only partially developed naval stores
resources Of Mexico.
A peculiar and interesting features
of the Mexican turpentine belt IS that
the t%urpontinc producing trees are
found only in the mountains ut high
attitudes, a condition directly RE-
verse 70 hat existing in the rnite'
States. where trees at an altitude o
., 700 feet are unproduotivc 50 FAR az
turpentine is concerned
Carey B. Townsend. Of New or
leans, who has spent some time in
%ycstigating naval stores conditions II
Mexico has given an interesting ac-
count of his observations. Speakin
of the characteristics of the Mexican
tree. he says
THE Mexican turpentinc pines pre-
sent a different appearance from on
trees in the United states. The barb
is thicker. nature providing this az
a protection against the cool night
of the high attitudes. The needles
too. are shorter and coarscr thar
those of our southern pines. The ar
pearancc Of the Mexican pines DIFF
fers materially in the altitude il
which they are found, the trees az
200 to 5000 feet presenting a sharl
contrast to hose at 5000 or 5000 feet
A close Investigation with proper tests
convince me that there is no differ
ence in the yield or quality of tho
gum. In Michoacan. where | spen,
most OF my time. the altitude of the
camp is 5000 feet. Tho DAYS ar,
warm. but the nights invariably cool
| kept n thermometer record. and tn,
lowest the mercury went was 80 dc
grees and the highest SO degrees.
"Turpentine runs freely in Mexico
when the temperature is 60 degrees
or above. While there is little ol
no flow at night the first rays Of the
morning sun striking the trees start
the gum running freely and this only
lets up when darkness m have
never seen better running pines in
my entire observation, which has
eNttnutN from tdlt Ithi ~ AH' Ff
bine river. owing to the cool nights
it Is proper to estimate the yield OF
the Mexican pines at % per cent les,
than The best output of our southern
pines.
The atmosphere evidently effects
the quality OF the crude gum. as
noticed that the rosin produced from
the old hight faces was Of an unusu-
ally good quality. grading from 'I'
to NJ" instead of from I'D" to &c.
is In the United states. As to tho
relative yield Of %turpentine from a
given quantity Of crude. it is about
the same in Mexico as in the United
states.
In Mexico pack mules instead Of
wagons are used for transporting both
the crude and the finished product.
Mexico exacts a high tariff on naval
imported into that country ON
uurpcntinc the duty Is u cents per
gallon in gold. and on rosin &317 per
barrel of ESQ pounds. This tariff rep
rescnts the difference in price be-
tween naval stores in Mexico and in
the United states. There were I'm 1908
only eight stills In Mexico and the av-
erage capacity Of each was small.
The industry a. little developed and as
a consequence tho local production is
rot sufficient 70 suppiy the demand
This makes importation OF both tur-
pentine and rosin necessary. J.