SOLON ROBINSON, 1849 223 



as healthy ones. Those which have been drained of their 

 turpentine are nearly worthless for lumber. 



Between Fayetteville and Tarborough, I saw a great 

 many thousand trees boxed, and in one place 15,000 are 

 chipped by two hands working four days a week. The 

 most common quantity to a hand is from ninety to one 

 hundred and twenty barrels a year. It is estimated to 

 take 10,000 trees to fill 50 barrels. A barrel contains 280 

 lbs. Hands, however, often have made 200 barrels of dip 

 turpentine in a season, and nearly half as much more of 

 "scrape" ; the latter is of but little value. It is estimated 

 to be worth two cents a mile per barrel to haul turpen- 

 tine. Some of the vehicles which I have seen in use for 

 that purpose would be curiosities worthy a place at the 

 fair of the American Institute. One ox harnessed in 

 shafts of a most primitive-looking cart driven by a "raal 

 ginuine North-Carolina piney-woods man," or as is the 

 case sometimes, a pair of shafts without any wheels, with 

 a barrel or two of crude turpentine for a load, would be 

 a curious sight in Broadway, 



The making of tar I must reserve for another letter, 

 lest I should stick my readers fast in an over dose of 

 pitch, turpentine, and tar. SOLON RoBiNSON. 



New York, October 6, 1849. 



Mr. Robinson's Tour. — No. 12 [13]. 



[New York American Agriculturist, 9:27-29; Jan., 1850] 



[Written November 7, 1849, covering May 13, 1849, and 



following] 



Estates of the Messrs. Burgivin. — About three miles 

 below the ferry at Halifax, N.C., on the east side of the 

 Roanoke, I entered the Burgwin estates, formerly owned 

 by the late Thomas Pollock,^ Esq., of Edenton, and only 



' In the middle 1700's Thomas, George, and CuUen Pollock owned 

 land in Chowan, Bertie, and Tyri-ell counties, North Carolina. In 

 October, 1816, Thomas Pollock obtained a grant of 2560 acres of 

 land in Chowan County. Letter from Noi'th Carolina Historical 

 Commission to Herbert A. Kellar, May 14, 1936. 



