1^ College of Forestry 



Early Practices. 



The first record of the distillation of wood on a commercial 

 scale in this country is in 1830 when James Ward began 

 the manufacture of pyroligneous acid at North Adams, Mass. 

 This is the raw liquor distilled from the condensed vapors 

 that pass off in heating the wood. So far as can be learned 

 from records, it was not until 1850 that the distillation of 

 wood for the production of volatile products and semi-refined 

 products was begun. According to the most authentic records 

 the first successful wood distillation plant in this country 

 was established in New York State in 1850, when John H. 

 Tumbull, of Turnbull & Co., Scotland, who had for some 

 time been connected with the industry, came to this country 

 and erected at Millburn, Broome Co., New York (now 

 Conklin on the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Rail- 

 road) a small chemical plant. The copper and steel cast- 

 ings were brought from Scotland. There were eight cast iron 

 retorts, 42 inches in diameter and about 8 feet long, and the 

 necessary copper stills, copper log condensers, etc. A 

 number of men, experienced in the industry were brought 

 over by Turnbull from Scotland and many of these men and 

 their sons became managers of plants which soon after sprang 

 up in southern and southeastern New York. 



The retorts were charged each twelve hours with wood cut 

 in eight foot lengths. The vapor was condensed in a copper 

 log condenser and the liquid recovered was pumped into set- 

 tling tanks, from which it was drawn to the copper stills 

 for distillation. The settled tar was drawn off from these 

 settling tanks each day, and spread with a ladle over the 

 charcoal, which was burned under the retorts, the copper and 

 lime stills, and the pans — all distillation being accomplished 

 by this direct method. I^ittle or no effort was made to save 

 the wood spirit, the main object being to produce acetate of 



