366 Method of procuring Turpentine, &¥c. from Scotch Fir. 
sent to the Society, as, if it was wished to preserve that 
part in which the hollow is made, the back part, or nearly 
half of the tree might be sawn into boards without injury, 
and those boards might be compared with some from a tree 
taken down in the winter, from whence the turpentine has 
not been extracted: it must however be noted, that from the 
tree I have sent to the Society, the turpentine has only been 
running one year, whereas, in America, they collect the 
turpentine from the same tree for three or four succeeding 
years. It has been supposed and asserted that turpentine 
was only obtainable from the United States; but I have 
sufficient documents to prove, if required, that a very large 
quantity of it can be procured from East Florida; and I 
well remember, that about the year 1782 several cargoes of 
turpentine were shipped in the river St. John’s, for Britain; 
and though that country is at present in the hands of the 
Spaniards, no doubt, arrangements might be made with 
the Spanish government, for .a sypply of that necessary 
article from thefice,\) Ltisimy earnest) wish, that through 
the mediuma of the Societyrof Arts: ] may render any in- 
formation that may ‘be serviceable to the interest of the 
united empire, and I will, with pleasure, furnish further 
communication on, the preduets of Florida and its com- 
merce, if desired bythe Society,’ 
I am convinced that tar might be produced from the re- 
fuse of firs of English growth to advantage, and that a much 
better article could: be -made from*them in Britain, than any 
imported from America. The Scotch firs, in England, 
from being planted at. greater.distamces from each other 
than they are naturally fowadabroad, have much larger 
knots, and greater numbers of them, than in Carolina, or 
the North of Europe, and would therefore produce more 
lar, in proportion, from their refiise wood than the trees of 
those countries. 
The pitch-pines of Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia, and 
the Floridas, erow to an immense size im what are there 
called pine-barrens, the soil of which is finer and whiter 
than the sand used as writing-sand in Great Britain, and 
the trees grow almost to the verge of high-water mark on 
the sea shores. I°think it would answer a good purpose 
for the Society to encourage, by premiums, the extraction 
of turpentine from British firs. 
I remain, sir, 
Your obedient and very humble servant, 
- Bridport Harbour, April 21, 1810. H. B. Way. 
To C. Taylor, M.D. Sec. Re- 
