158 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



"poix," "resine," "brai." Oil of turpentine and tar were not 

 yet considered important. 



At a later date, about 1664, when tar had become a valuable 

 product for naval purposes, it was considered necessary to 

 forbid the adulteration of tar with such material as turpentine. 

 Certain of the terms used to describe the products of resin 

 exploitation may be explained, as they may not be generally 

 known. The " gemme " is the product which exudes from the tree 

 on the " care " or " face " made by the resiner on the stem of the 

 tree. As the season advances, a portion of the "gemme " solidifies 

 on the "care"; this solid portion is the "barras" or "galipot," 

 while the more fluid portion passes into the receptacle which, 

 up to the year i860, consisted of a hole in the ground called the 

 " crot." The hole was placed at the foot of the tree, and had 

 the shape of a peaked cap. The "gemme" and the "galipot" 

 were poured into an open boiler, and heated with a naked fire 

 until they were fused ; they were then poured over a filter of 

 straw or heather ; the larger part of the impurities was removed 

 in this manner, and the filtered product was then allowed to 

 settle. The water contained in the filtrate was removed by 

 decantation ; the residue was termed " terebenthine "or "pate 

 de terebenthine." If the filtered gemme was heated again, the 

 oil of turpentine gradually evaporated, and also a certain amount 

 of water. The whole product was then gently heated, and when 

 a sample solidified on a cold surface, the contents of the pot 

 were run into moulds hollowed in the sand. The solidified 

 mass was termed "resine." If in the last process the heating 

 was continued to such a point that no water or oil of turpentine 

 remained in the residue, it was termed "brai sec." The straw 

 or heather used as a filter was burned in an oven of ovoid form ; 

 this oven was in communication with the exterior through a 

 narrow canal. Fire was kindled at the top of the pile, and by 

 means of the upper cover of the oven, the rate of progress of 

 the burning was controlled. The product of the process was 

 obtained at the base of the furnace, and was led away through 

 the narrow channel. The product was named "poix." The 

 production of charcoal was carried out as at the present day. 

 "L'encens" consisted of transparent drops of resin which were 

 found a little below the soil around the old roots of large trees ; 

 this material was sometimes burned in the poorer churches. 

 The same name was sometimes applied to the resin obtained 



