70 



TIMBER PINES OF THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES. 



the resiii begins to harden under the influence of a lower temperature it is carefully scraped from 

 the scarified surface and the boxes with a narrow, keen-edged knife attached to a long wooden 

 handle (fig. 9, h, c). In the first season the average yield of dip amounts to 280 barrels and 

 of the liard gum or scrape to 70 barrels. The first yields G.^ gallons sj)irits of turpentine to the 

 barrel of 240 pounds net, and the latter 31 pounds to the barrel, resulting iu the production of 

 2,100 gallons spirits of turpentine and 200 pounds of rosin of higher and highest grades. The 

 dil)pings of the first season are called " virgin dip," from which the finest quality of rosin is obtained, 

 graded in tiie market as Water White (WW) and Window Glass (WG). In the second year from 

 five to six dippings are made, the crop averaging 225 barrels of soft tiu'pentine and 120 barrels of 

 scrai)e, making altogether about 1.000 gallons si>irits of turpentine. 



The rosin, of which about 200 barrels are produced, is of a lighter or deeper amber color, and 

 jjerfectly transparent, of medium quality graded as I, H, and (!. In the third and fourth years 

 the number of dippings is reduced to three. With the flow over a more extended surface, the 

 turpentine thickens under prolonged exposure to the air and loses some of its volatile oil, jjartly 

 by evaporation and partly by oxidation. In the third season the d\\) amounts to about 120 



\J 



bed 



Fin. 9.— 'I'oiils usfii in Inriiciitiiif* nrcli.-irdiii;: : n, (iiiijicr; h, jnisluT; e. (t]irii j>nUer: (/, rlnned imllor : e,f. h.iokpr (front .iiul roar view). 



barrels and the 8(;ia])e to about 10(1 banels, yielding about 1,100 gallons spirils of turpentine and 

 100 barrels of rosin of a more or less daik ciolor, less trans])arent, and graded as 1"', 10, and D. 

 In the fourth and last year three dii)piiigs of a somewhat smaller (juantity of soft turpentine 

 than that obtained the season before and 100 barrels of scrape are obtained, with a yield scarcely 

 realizing ;'>00 gallons of s|)irits of turpentine and 100 barrels of rosin of lowest finality, classed as 

 C, B, and A. iVfter the fourlli year the turi)entine orchard is generally abandone<i. Owing to the 

 reduction in (|uantity and (luality of the raw product, it is not considered profitable by the larger 

 o])erators to work the trees for a longer time. It is only in North Carolina that the smaller 

 landowners work their trees for ten or more successive seasons, protect the trees against lire, and 

 after giving them rest for a series of years, apply new box<'s on spaces left between the old chips — 

 "rel)oxing." 



IiISril.LATION. 



The process of distillation is carried on in the ordinary way, and requires care and experience 

 to obtain laigest (|Uantities of rosin of highest grade and to guard against overiieatmg. .\fler 

 heating the still, soinewliat above the melting of the crude t uriientine. a small stream of tei)id 

 water from the t(i]i (if the condenser is conducted into the still and allowed to run until the end 

 of the process, A large quantity of water runs over with the spirits of turi)entine, which is 



