180 



FOREST UTILIZATION WOOD USES AND ECONOMICS 



tar, which were among the first exports from this country and exten- 

 sively used in wooden sailing vessels hence the name naval stores. 



The gummy exudation from the trees is known as resin or crude 

 turpentine. This is distilled into turpentine or spirits of turpentine, 

 the residue after distillation forming the rosin of commerce. The 

 peak of production was reached several years ago when over 38 mil- 



FIG. 96. Turpentining operations, fifth year's work. Many improvements have 

 marked the naval stores industry in recent years, especially in more shallow and 

 narrow faces in tapping the longleaf and slash pines. Georgia is the center of 

 the naval stores industry and second growth timber is the chief source of supply. 

 Conservative chipping costs no more, yields 20 to 50% more gum per face and 

 the yield may continue for 8 years. Tacking the tin gutters instead of inserting 

 them increases the yield 15 to 20% or more over a 5 year period. 



lion gallons of turpentine and 4288 thousand barrels of rosin were 

 marketed in one year. 



Formerly a box formed by shaping a cavity near the base of the 

 tree about 3 to 4 inches wide, 6 to 7 inches deep, and 10 to 12 inches 

 long was used to collect the resin. This was found to be very 

 wasteful. Now cups or metal containers are used to collect the resin 

 and are moved up the tree as the face is chipped. Chipping consists 

 of re-exposing the cambium layer by cutting it periodically with a 



