T URPENTINE-FARMING. 8 3 1 



the tank below. The upper strainer is of coarse wire, in which are 

 caught the pieces of bark and other foreign substances that have es- 

 caped the wire skimmers when in the boiler ; strainer No. 2 is of finer 

 wire ; No. 3 coarse, but covered with cotton-batting. When this mass 

 of liquid has passed entirely through, the strainers are removed, and 

 the still intensely hot resin is taken up by great dipperfuls and poured 

 into barrels standing near. It must now be undisturbed until hard, as 

 even putting a stick down into it injures the quality of the resin. The 

 poorest crude, if taken off the furnace just at the right moment, gives 

 W. W. ; but if scorched the color is injured, and consequently the 

 grade lowered. 



The children around the still brought boxes containing flowers and 

 brightly colored pictures, lying flat upon their bottoms, and the stiller 

 poured a small quantity of the liquid resin upon them ; this, continuing 

 transparent, glazed them over and preserved the treasures. I still have 

 a sprig of small leaves which he dipped for me that is coated over 

 quite prettily. There are two or three discharges from the boiler 

 each day. 



All foreign matter taken from the crude, also the cotton-batting 

 used in straining — in other words, the " dross " — although valuable as 

 material for kindling, is frequently burned, as there is very little of it 

 sent to market. I remember the dense smoke that caused the gentle- 

 man from the farm to hurry over to the still one afternoon, fearing 

 that everything was being consumed, when it was only a bonfire of 

 this most combustible material. In case of danger from fire to the 

 still-house, the first step is to seal down the cap as rapidly as possible 

 with mortar always kept mixed in a tub near by. 



The resin is put in pine barrels ; but oak barrels, made very tight, 

 their seams being glued on the inside, are used for the turpentine. 

 The uses of resin in the manufacture of soap, varnish, shellac, etc., 

 and in various other ways, are numberless. The products of the tur- 

 pentine-farms of this region are sent by steamer down the Altamaha 

 to Doctortown, thence by rail to Savannah and Brunswick. Savannah 

 is said to be the largest market for these commodities in the world. 



Mr. Bolton King maintained, in the British Association, that the future ot 

 successful agriculture lies in large farms under skilled management, with plenty 

 of capital, or in co-operative farming. It can enjoy the economic advantages of 

 large capitalist farms, and is believed to be competent to realize the social ideal 

 sought for. Such evidence as is at hand is favorable to the feasibility of engag- 

 ing the co-operation of the laborers in enterprises of this kind, and there is not 

 likely to be difficulty in finding the required capital ; but the chief obstacle to 

 the extension of association farms lies in the scarcity of skilled managers, who 

 will have to be waited for till they can be trained. 



