a 
and various Products from Scotch Fir. 365 
else by burning it; the latter is done by digging a hole in 
the ground, and lining it with brick ; itis then filled with 
tar, and they set fire to it, and allow it tov burn till they 
judge it has burnt enough, which is known by dipping a 
stick into it, and letting it cool; when burnt enough they 
put a cover over it, which stops it close, and puts out the 
fire. Five barrels of green) tar will makeltwo'at pitch; and 
it will take two barrels ‘of other tar'to’make one of pitch. 
N.B.—The foregoing observations respecting tar and 
pitch, are copied from a memorandum made by me at Suf- 
folk, in Virginia, om the borders of North Carolina, April 
23, 1792, and. are the result of the inquiries and observa- 
tions I made on the subject whilst in ‘Carolina. 
Wilmington, N.C. April 13, 1792. 
In conversation with a Mr. Hogg, who had. been settled 
there and at: Fayette-ville before’ the war, ‘I' learnt that 
pitch-pine timber ¢rowing on the’ sands was the bést, and 
that it. was reckoned to be bettér if cat in the wintet before 
the sap»rises in the tree, bith PYsG mod a] AR 
po bitgy ect, lone io tovigg $192 YoU) ABBY Way, 
a “gs GZ e720 ; pater gen i tii} i 
Sir,—Ir affordsime much  pleasareito learn-that my com- 
munication, onthe extraétion-of turpentine froin the Scotch 
fir, has been thought worthy of the consideration of the 
Society, aud it. will be highly gratitving to me, if it should 
induce persons who ‘have considerable’ plantations to try it 
on such) a scale.as to ascertain’to what extent it might prove 
beneficial’in this countryy® The experiment should be tried 
on trees/so situatedias)to be conveniently examined every 
day, and the turpentine collected’ in the'hollows temoved as 
often as possible to prevent-rts’beliig ihjured) or wasted by. 
the rain. I thinks bap durine nthe \American war, some 
importations ‘of ‘turpentine Were! made “trot Russia and 
Sweden, and if so,:it must-have been 2éktraeted ‘from what 
we call the Scotch firtin @ colder climaré tian this. The 
article called, Venice turpentine; whieh is’ Brought from 
Carinthia and. Carniola, is 'extracttd-‘theré fiom the larch 
tree; and. it might probably answer tory to produce it from 
the larch trees grown in Great Britain; in. the same way as 
1 have collected the turpentine From the Seoteh’ fir, Re- 
specting the wood iof the Scotch  firbane injured by the 
extracuon of the turpentine frony it; 1 should rather think 
that it would, on the contrary, be the better for it; as a'l 
those. who. use deals, from Scoich fir, inthis ncighbourhocd, 
complain that it is too full of turpentine to work well. The 
fact might be ascertained, by the piece of timber which I 
sent 
