70 



TIMBER PINES OF THE SOUTIIEKN UNITED STATES. 



the resin begins to liardeu under the influence of a lower temjierature it is carefully scraped from 

 the scarified surface and the boxes with a narrow, keen-edged knife attached to a long wooden 

 liandle (fig. 0. h, <•). In the first season the average yield of (lij) amounts to 280 l>arrels and 

 of the hard gum or scrajie to 7(i barrels. The first yields V>.\ gallons si)irits of turiientine to tJie 

 barrel of 240 pounds net, and the latter 31 pounds to the barrel, resulting in the i)roduetion of 

 2,100 gallons spirits of tnri)entine and 2<«0 jionnds of rosin of higher and highest grades. The 

 dipi)ings of the first season are called '-virgin dip," I'rom whi<-li the finest (juality of rosin is obtained, 

 graded in the market as Water White (WW) and Window Glass (WG). In the second year from 

 five to six dippings are made, the crop averaging 22.'> barrels of soft turpentine and IL'O barrels of 

 scrajie, making altogether about l,(tO0 gallons spirits of turpentine. 



The rosin, of which about 200 barrels are produced, is of a lighter or dee])er amber color, and 

 perfectly transparent, of medium (piality graded as I, II, and G. In the third and fourth years 

 the number of dippings is reduced to three. With the flow over a more extended surface, the 

 turi)entine thickens nndei' i)roloiige(l exposure to the air and loses some of its volatile oil, jjartly 

 by evaporation and partly by o.vidation. In the third season the dip amounts to about 120 



f 



J 



I 



Fio. 9.— Tools used in tarpentino orch.'irdin;;: a, dipper; 6. pusher; c. open pnUer; d, olosed imller: **./. liacker (front and rear view). 



barrels and the 8ciaj)e to about 100 barrels, yielding about 1,100 gallons spirits of turpentine and 

 100 barrels of rosin of a more or less dark color, less transparent, and graded as I', 1'], and 1). 

 In the fourth and last year three dippings of a somewhat smaller (|uantity of soft tur])entine 

 than that obtained the season before and 100 barrels of scrape are obtained, with a yield scarcely 

 realizing .'500 gallons of spirits of tiiri»entine and Hid barrels of rosin •)f lowest quality, classed as 

 C, B, and A. After the fourth year the turpentine orchard is generally abandoned. Owing to the 

 reduction in cpiantity and (|uality of the raw product, it is not considered profitable by the larger 

 operators to work the trees for a longer time. It is only in North Carolina that the smaller 

 landowners work their trees for ten or more successive seasons, protect the trees against fire, and 

 after giving them rest for a series of 5'ears, apply new boxes on spaces left between the old chips — 

 "reboxing." 



IlISTILLATION. 



The process of distillation is carried on in the ordinary way, and re(|uires care and exi)erienee 

 to obtain largest <iuantities of rosin of highest grade and to guard against overiieatmg. .After 

 heating the still, somewhat above the melting of the crude turpentine, a small stream of tejiid 

 water from the top of the condenser is coiulncted into the still and allowed to run until the <mu1 

 of the process. A large tiuantity of water runs over with the spirits of turpentine, which is 



