TAR AND TURPENTINE MAKING IN NORTH CAROLINA. 13 



tide as brought to the Charleston market. It appeared to us as fully equal to 

 that procured in North Carolina, and we have no doubt will add considerably to 

 the other resources of the State. 



THE TAR AND TURPENTINE BUSINESS OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



BY JOHN MACLEOD, OF JOHNSTON. 



TifE Long-Leaf or Straw Pine of the Southern States of the North Amcricaa 

 confederacy, afibrds a most interesting subject of contemplation to hini who de-^ 

 lighleth in reflecting on Nature's wisdom and laws — and to him, also, who look- 

 eih forward to a period of time when the Navies and Oommerce of the different 

 nations of the Earth — the arts, wants, and comforts of Mankind may be deprived 

 of the many advantages and blessings derived from this beautiful, commanding- 

 and attractive evergreen of the South. It lias been beautifully said, and may be 

 plainly observed, that the delight and harmony of Nature is ever arising from the 

 contrariety of her works — a stronger and more striking illustration of this is not 

 easily to be found, than may be seen in the contrast of the lofty towering 

 Pine of one hundred and iifiy feet, with a rounded, beautiful, and tapering bodf 

 of eighty or one hundred feet, clear of knot or limb, and with a diameter at the 

 ground of five feet, then gracefully narrowing to two at the other end of the body ;. 

 and yet, this peerless order of Nature's architecture is reared upon a sterile, arid^ 

 and silicious soil, that in its original condition will scarcely produce anything: 

 else. On the coast of the Atlantic, bounding the Southern States, this beautiful 

 and valuable forest is, I believe, alone to be found on this Continent ; and there 

 it is confined to that level region lying and extending from the falls of the rivers 

 to the sea-coast ; or from the coast to that marked line in formation, which di- 

 vides the more primitive from the secondary or alluvian, and is usually from eighty 

 to one hundred miles in width. That this coast-belt remained long a barrea 

 waste, after the recession of the sea, is more than probable. 



The age of the oldest Pine of the present generation (if I may so express them), 

 is well ascertained to be between four and five hundred years. That they are of 

 the originals is not to be supposed ; but that their continuance will be greatly con- 

 fined to the present growth, is much more than probable. In many other respect.*; 

 there is a similitude between the animal and vegetable kingdoms, as well as in their 

 approximation ; and the writer is much of the opinion that it may be plainly ob- 

 served between the Long-Leaf Pine and the race of animals once common to this 

 region, but which are now extinct and gone forever. And it would not be a great 

 effort of fancy to perceive the likeness between them and the Aborigines who 

 once proudly lorded over those plains. Culture and civilization are unsuited to 

 the nature of this splendid cloud-capped native; for, unlike all other trees, it 

 thrives best when let alone, and it repels and seems to spurn the nursling care of 

 man, and even withers and speedily dies rather than endure it — and like the allo- 

 dial native Indian who first companioned with this queen of the forest, they 

 are making preparations to leave the habitations and settlements of the Anglo 

 Saxons. The foundation of this speculation may be observed in all our Pine for- 

 ests — in the very few, or none, of under-growth now presenting themselves, to take 

 the place of their seniors as time may remove them. There are but very few of 

 these younger set, and Pines are rarely to be found, (compared with the extent of the 

 region), that are now less than twenty to forty years old ; and it is distinctly to be 

 seen, that where they are destroyed by blasts, hurricanes, or turpentine-making 

 in the settlements, a growth of oak, hickory, &c. immediately arises in their 

 stead, without a solitary instance of the Long-Leaf. This is more and more 

 the case as you leave the coast toward the Western extremity of the piney region. 

 Whether this arises from the economy displayed in all the productions of the 

 earth, which teaches a change and variety of crops, may be a fine subject for the 

 agricultural philosopher. 



It is to the limits of North Carolina that these observations are mostly confined. 

 The annual productive value of the Pine lands here is great and profitable, even 

 at this day ; but, in the view of the writer, as nothing compared to the en- 

 hancement that a short half-century will add to theau 



Turpentine, Lumber and Tar are those products: and as the culture of the- 

 former and latter are least known, and n?o.;; characteristic of the " good Old North,* 

 (61) 



