FIELD REPORT ON TURPENTINE TIMBER. 



By FlLIBERT KOTH. 



To learn what was known to practical men, sawmillers, and dealers with regard to the matter 

 of "bled" and "luibled" yellow longleaf pine, a special journey was undertaken by the writer to 

 tlie principal ])ine districts of Alabama, Georgia, and the Caroliiias. Through the great courtesy 

 (tf every person visited, valuable information was collected. • 



The following condensed summary contains this information in brief form: 



(1) Most of the timber in Georgia and the (Jarolinas is hied. In Alabama only a small part is 

 said to be bled. The same answer pertains probably to Mississippi and Louisiana, and in Texas 

 probably no bleeding is practiced. 



(2) There is no attempt made in the mills to keep bled and unbled timber separate, nor in 

 the yard. 



(3) To the question whether bled and unbled lumber can be distinguished, the universal 

 answer was negative. Of the few exceptions, three belong to South Carolina, one to Georgia, and 

 four to Alabama. Neither of these, when brought to test or asked to state the distinction, were 

 successful. 



(4) Experts in lumber being put to test, were said never to have been successful in distinguish- 

 ing bled from unbled lumber. 



(5) Orders for lumber specifying that it be all unbled are not uncommon, though it is said in 

 Atlanta, Ga., they are less common than some years ago. 



(fi) Serious troubles, involving cousideral)le loss of money, have arisen out of this matter iu 

 Alabama and Georgia. These were never settled by selecting the bled from the unbled lumber, 

 but had to be compromised. 



The most instructive case of this kind was related in Alabama. It was a case with the 

 Louisville and Nashville Railroad Company, who accept only unl)led luml>er. The lumber was to 

 be furnished by a mill which cuts only unbled timl)er. Circumstances retarded the work at this 

 mill, and another mill was engaged to furnish part of the lumber, without special consent of the 

 railway company. When the latter learned of it, they remonstrated; the niiller offered to take 

 back all that could be picked out as bled lumber. The railway engineers failing to distinguish 

 the lumber, the matter had to be dropped. 



(7) Regarding the effect of four years' bleeding upon the lumber, the following answers were 

 given : 



(rt) It makes it more " pitchy." 



(ft) It is less "pitchy," except in the butt. 



(c) It frees the sap of resin, but leaves the heart unaffected. 



{d) It leaves the tree unaffected, except in the butt. 



(e) It produces "fat streaks" and large amounts of "light wood." 



(8) Regarding the question whether bled lumber works better than unbled, the answer was 

 both ways, yes and no; but it was admitted commonly that petroleum was used in cither case to 

 keep the knives clean. 



(9) Regarding the question whether bled lumber lasts as well as unbled, three answers were 

 given. The general answer was, no; in Georgia it was, yes, and there it was even maintained 

 that it lasts longer. Everywhere it was contended that at least the butt log lasts longer as timber 

 or piling. For inside work no difference was made. 



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