The Monmouth inquirer., 1924-12-04

and sold for frewood. The different
processes go on In rotation year after
year.
We in this country have lately been
working the young trees just springing
up, even chipping pines as young as
eight and ten years. We exhaust a
tree by working 1t at top speed and
leave it dry In fraction Of its pos
sible wUfEing lifetime. The French OPP
orators work small trees Defure thin
ming Oft the forests, Dtt promising
specimens are left urtilsthey are TWEEN
ty-five years old before they are
worked, and these strong pines yield
turpentlne until they are seventy-two
years old.
Different Conditions in France.
The social conditions which accom-
pany the French system are entirely
different krom those in our turpentine
camps. No social progress can result
when workers are wandering about
on the edges of civilization. One
American turpentine operator said re-
Gently that our western pioneers did
not find conditions more difficult than
the modern turpentine producer WHO
goes to new territory. A typy1
camp is a temporary affair, pfntk1ed
near the pine forest, generally far
away from any school, church, store
and out of touch with the life Of any
community.
Most Of the turpentine laborers in
this country are negroes. Cons1cts
have often been employed for this
work of soaring the trees and gather
ing the gum. In France the industry
Is settled in Its limited area. Rail-
ways and good macadam roads run
through the district. The workmen
live in attractive little towns and vii
lagos. Almost all of the 100000 peo-
pie who reside in the turpentine sec
ton depend on the forests for their
livelihood. One observer says there
are no very poor people there and that
the laborers who work the trees are
often worth from $1,000 to $4,000.
Capt. 1. f. Eldrige, a forest expert
who spent three years studying condi-
tons In France, says that the Amer
lean southland has better trees, better
soil, better climate, a longer working
season and equally good If not better
markets than France, and that even
with half our pine area eliminated we
could produce more turpentfne and
rosin and make, it cheaper, make it
practically forever, and combine with
1t a lumber business and important
woodworking activities.
Work Out New Methods Here.
The committee which toured France
has reported its recommendations for
the industry. It does not believe that
American operators need try. to copy
the details Of slashing trees as prac-
tic&i in France Our own investi-
gators are working out methods which
are best adapted to local conditions
and suitable modern practices have
been developed in certain Florida for
ests.
Some other details of French Rrae-
tce an recommended, after whfsh Che
committee returns to the main lesson
learned from the French tslpentine
fePests-the conservation of the
trees.
whether or not our past methods
were justified by conditions as we
found them no longer Matters" says
the report. To-day our Tnexhaust-
ible' timber is almost gone. Continu-
Gus forest production must therefore
be given the place of first Importance
in TIA culture course of the industry.
The naval stores industry of the
South gust continue, and it must look
to second-growth forests for its raw
material"