IMPROVED METHOD OF ORCHARDING. 



71 



collected in a barrel, where it separates from the water and is then immediately transferred into 

 barrels. After the oil has ceased to run freely the heating of the still and the influx of water has 

 to be carefully regulated. After all the spirits of turpentine has been distilled over, the fire is 

 removed and the contents of the still are drawn off by a tap connected with the bottom. This 

 residuum, molten rosin, is at first allowed to run through a wire cloth and is immediately strained 

 again through^coarse cotton cloth or cotton batting, made for the purpose, into a large trough, 

 from which it is ladled into barrels. The legal standard weight of the commercial package is 

 uso pounds gross. A turpentine distillery on the basis of twenty crops produces on the average 

 during the four years that the boxes are worked 2,400 casks or 120,000 gallons of spirits of 

 turpentine and about 12,000 barrels of rosin or 2,800,000 pounds, the lowest grades, B and A, 

 excluded, a total value of about $60,000 at average prices. The prices of spirits vary at present 

 from 28 to 40 cents a gallon, even through the same season, according to supply and demand in 

 the market. The average quotations on December 30, 1892, at Wilmington were 28 cents for 

 spirits and $1.91 for a barrel of rosin down to grade C. 



COST OF ESTABLISHING A PLANT AND WORKING THE CROPS. 



Timber lands with the privilege of boxing the timber for a term of four years are rented at the 

 rate of $50 per crop of 10,000 boxes, or 200 acres. The establishment of a plant for the working of 

 twenty crops, or 4,000 acres of timber land, requires an 

 investment of about $5,000, including the buildings, stills, 

 machinery tor pumping water, tools, and teams. Accord- 

 ing to the statements of an experienced operator, the cost 

 of working the trees of one crop during the four years, 

 which is mostly done by the job that is, the making and 

 cornering of the boxes, inspecting the same, raking 

 around the trees, chipping, dipping, scraping, hauling the 

 crude turpentine to the still, including cost of barrels for 

 spiiits of turpentine, and for the rosin and superintending 

 the crop amounts to about $2,300 per crop, or $46,000 for 

 the twenty crops. If to this amount the interest, (> per 

 cent per annum, on the capital invested and the deprecia- 

 tion in the value of the plant during the four years is 

 added, with some other incidental expenses (taxes, etc.), 

 the cost of the production of the 120,000 gallons of spirits 

 of turpentine and 12,000 barrels of merchantable rosin, 

 foots up to not less than $50,000. 



A method of improving on the present practice by 

 employing an earthen pot instead of the injurious "box" 

 has been patented and practically introduced by J. C. 

 Schiller, of West Lake, La. The arrangement is repre- FIO. io.-improved method of turpentine orcharding. 

 sented in fig. 10, its main feature being an earthen pot 



which can be moved as the scar is lengthened, thus reducing the distance over which the resin 

 has to flow, and with this the amount of volatilization and loss of spirits of turpentine. The 

 method resembles that employed in France (see Report of Chief of Forestry, United States 

 Department of Agriculture, 1892, page 347), and, though its general application in this country is 

 not vet secured, it is certainly a step in the right direction. 



Mr. Schuler admits that the first cost for providing the cups, putting them up, and removing 

 them the second season raises the expense of working a crop of 10,000 cups for two seasons to $400, 

 against $190 for cutting 10,000 boxes expended under the old system in working one crop for two 

 seasons, all other expenses connected with the work being considered equal'. On the other hand, 

 Schuler claims that the difference is vastly overbalanced by the increased yield of crude turpentine 

 obtained by his cup method, amounting for one crop worked two years to 195 barrels, at $3.50 per 

 barrel; after deducting the extra expense involved by his method, this would leave a net balance 

 of $410 per crop in favor of the cu[> system. He also claims that this amount is still further 

 augmented if the larger quantity of spirits of turpentine and the higher quality of resin obtained 



