TURPENTINE ORCHARDING 447 



It is seldom profitable to operate trees for a period greater than 

 four years because of the reduced yield and the inferior grade 

 of the product. 



Turpentine operators distinguish the different aged faces as 

 follows : 



First year "Virgin " 



Second year "Yearlings" 



Third year "3-year-oId" 



Fourth year "Bucks" or "pulling boxes " 



During the latter part of the third year and the fourth year the 

 height of the streak above ground becomes too great for the 

 chipper to use the short-handled ''hack" and a tool called the 

 puller is substituted. This consists of a steel blade, similar to 

 that on the hack, mounted on the end of a pole about 5 feet long. 

 This tool is used in the same manner as a hack. 



One man can chip from 2000 to 2400 boxes daily, and during 

 a week will attend one crop. The laborer is paid from 75 to 80 

 cents per thousand boxes. 



Dipping. — Resin is allowed to accumulate in the box for 

 about four weeks when the "dip," as it is called, is collected. 

 This is done eight or nine times during the first year and 

 gradually diminishes during the following seasons until the 

 fourth year when three or four dips only are made. Empty 

 barrels are distributed by wagon at suitable intervals throughout 

 the crop and a laborer with a large 8- or lo-gallon wooden bucket 

 dips the crude turpentine from the boxes, using a flat, oval dipper 

 attached to a handle about 3I feet long. 



The flow is most abundant during the months of July and 

 August, and gradually diminishes as the season advances. In 

 virgin boxes it ceases during the latter part of October. Each 

 year the season becomes shorter. Dipping of "yearhngs" closes 

 usuafly during September, and 3-year-old and bucks during the 

 latter part of August, or the first days of September. 



The average dip per crop during a season is as follows: 



Virgin crop 250 to 300 barrels ^ 



Yearling crop 185 barrels 



3-year-old crop 125 barrels 



Buck crop 125 barrels 



1 Capacity, 51 gallons. 



