124 Journal of the Mitchell Society ^December 



The production of naval stores in India and other tropical 

 countries is at present on too small a commercial scale to call 

 for any detailed discussion here. 



WOOD SPIRITS OF TURPENTINE. 



Among the various departments of the naval stores industry 

 in America none has had a more varied and interesting career 

 than that of the production of " wood spirits of turpentine " by 

 destructive distillation of resinous wood. Years ago consider- 

 able capital was invested in plants for utilizing the by-products 

 formed during the destructive distillation of " fat lightwood." 

 None of the plants were commercially successful and for awhile 

 nothing was heard of the industry. But with the increase in 

 price of spirits of turpentine resulting from the formation of 

 the Turpentine Operators Association in 1902 a fresh impetus 

 was given to the " wood spirits of turpentine " industry. At 

 first somewhat crude methods of destructive distillation were 

 advocated, and as the promoters of this industry appealed 

 largely to local interest in having stumps for distillation re- 

 moved from fields suitable for cultivation, a double impetus was 

 received. Much enthusiasm was aroused, and a number of 

 plants constructed. But the industry received a serious blow in 

 the refusal of the varnish makers to use the impure " wood 

 spirits of turpentine " manufactured, by the failure to find a 

 market for many of the heavier oils and the coke, and by the 

 destruction by fire of many of the improperly constructed 

 plants. 



The price of spirits of turpentine continued to rise and led to 

 the development of the steam extraction process for manufac- 

 ture of wood spirits of turpentine. After thorough grinding, 

 the wood is treated in iron retorts with steam, and the volatile 

 oil distilled, no effort being made to obtain any other product. 

 By one redistillation of the product a very high grade spirits of 

 turpentine is obtained, equal, if not superior, to that from the 

 living tree. Unfortunately, the yield is not sufiiciently large to 

 make the process remunerative. 



Quite a different process is employed by those plants which 



