32 BULLETIN 229, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



FRENCH METHODS OF COLLECTING GUM. 



MANAGEMENT OF FORESTS. 



A large proportion of the French forests exploited for resin are 

 situated along the coast, where the shifting sand dunes have been 

 planted with maritime pine (Pinus maritima) . 



The forest rotation varies from 60 to 75 years, and since maritime 

 pine is a prolific seeder, a new growth readily springs up on cut-over 

 areas. At the end of 10 years the stand is thinned, and thereafter at 

 5-year intervals. During the first thinning the lower branches of 

 the trees that are left are lopped off to a height sufficient to insure a 

 clean bole for turpentining during subsequent years. The wood and 

 resin rights are sold for a period of five years, the turpentining being 

 done by the purchaser, who, at the end of the operation, fells those 

 trees marked for thinning. 



The wood is used for mine timbers, boxes, crossties, telegraph poles, 

 etc. Turpentined timber is preferred over unturpentined, since it is 

 very resinous and so resists decay for a longer time. The last thin- 

 ning is made when the trees are about 30 years old, and the remain- 

 ing pines, numbering about 50 per acre, are then turpentined. At the' 

 end of the rotation period, owing to various casualties, there remain 

 only about 30 trees per acre for lumbering. 



Up to the year 1860, practically all resin was collected in holes 

 scooped out of the sand at the base of the trees. This method was 

 wasteful, and the gum was badly contaminated with sand and other 

 debris. The use of an earthen pot with a gutter was suggested in 

 1840 by M. Hugues, of Tarnos, but was not taken up until 1860. 

 At present the Hugues cup and gutter system has almost entirely 

 superseded the old method. 



BARKING. 



Before the turpentining season opens the outer bark is removed over 

 an area exceeding somewhat the area to be chipped during the coming 

 season. The denuded area measures 24 inches in height and 6 to 8 

 inches in width, and in depth reaches to the living layer of the bark. 

 The operation is performed carefully with a wide-bladed ax. Above 

 the height of a man the ax is replaced by a tool with a hook-shaped 

 blade, 3 inches wide, attached to a long handle, which is wielded with 

 a pulling motion. The bark is removed to prevent dulling the deli- 

 cate edge of the chipping tools, and the rays of the sun on the exposed 

 area are supposed to have a beneficial effect in stimulating the flow of 

 resin. 



HANGING CUPS (HUGUES SYSTEM). 



The face is opened the first of March by removing a chip 1.6 inches 

 high, 3.5 niches wide, and 0.4 inch deep from near the base of the tree. 

 The tool used is a peculiarly shaped instrument called the "abschot" 

 (Plate IX-3). A zinc gutter is inserted at the base of the wound in a 



