Journal of Agriculture. 



[8 April, 1908. 



A¥OOD DISTILLATION: A NEW VICTORIAN 

 INDUSTRY. 



A. S. Kenyan, C.E., Engineer for Agriculture. 

 Settlement on the land implies the removal to a large extent of the 

 originiil growths upon it. At times, and in particular localities, the tim- 

 ber may pay for its removal for saw-milling purposes ; but as a rule, clear- 

 ing, and particularly in the south-eastern districts, forms the heaviesi and 

 most costly part of pioneering work. The firm of Cuming, Smith and 

 Co., manufacturers of artificial fertilizers, had, for many years, largely 

 used acetic acid and its compounds in their chemical works. As this acid 

 is produced (to use technical terms) bv the destructive distillation of wood, 

 Mr. James Cuming, Junr., considered it would he practicable to produce 



GENERAL VIEW OF THE WOOD DISTILLATION WORKS. 



this, as well as odier compounds, from 'd\e vast forests of Gippsland. A 

 trip Home strengthened his convictions, and, as a result, .some ^40,000 

 have been spent in establishing wood distillation works at the Yarra Junc- 

 tion, near Warburlon. The firm acquired .several saAvmills, and secured 

 a lease from the Forest Department of about 4,000 acres on the Britannia 

 Creek. A narrow gauge tramway was built connecting the saw-mills with 

 the works, and with the railway. The limber is cleared off in a face, all 

 of value being used for splitting palings or for the saw-mill ; the remainder, 

 down to limbs of 3 inches in diameter, is sent to the works. Dead wood 

 is not u.sed, the green living wood being required. Ic is not likeh that 

 ihe farmer will be able to undertake similar work to clear his land, the 

 initial outlay beino" too high, yet a somewhat detailed description of the 

 process may be of interest. 



Wood distillation in its crudest form is known as charcoal burning. Here 

 only one product, charcoal, is the objective, though ver\ similar methods 



