568 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



December 



oil" is made by a purely synthetic pro- 

 cess in the laboratories. Chemically, 

 it is exactly the same, and being pro- 

 duced at less expense sells at a much 

 lower price. The price of the natural 

 oil, as quoted by a wholesale chemist, 

 April, 1905, was $2.50 per pound, 

 while the artificial oil was quoted at 

 75 cents. These were prices on oil 

 sold in small amounts. In 25-pound 

 cans the price was $1.85 for the natu- 

 lal oil, and the artificial oil sold for 



tainable from a single tree, but since 

 a vat-full, equivalent to 36 cubic feet, 

 yields one and one-half pounds of oil, 

 and an average tree yields about one 

 pound, it is safe to say that the bark 

 from the average tree will fill the still 

 two-thirds full, equivalent to 24 cubic 

 feet of chipped bark which yields i 

 pound of oil. 



Deducting 20 cents, the price paid 

 per tree to the owner of the timber, 

 from the price realized on the oil it 



Fig. III. A Mountain Birch Distillery. 



50 cents in 5-pound bottles, or 42 

 cents in 5o-pound cans. Larger quan- 

 tities were sold at correspondingly 

 lower figures. 



I was told that a birch tree 12 inches 

 in diameter yields $2.25 worth of crude 

 oil. Taking this as the average price 

 per pound of 13 fluid ounces, and con- 

 sidering 12 inches as the average size 

 of the trees felled for the purpose, the 

 average tree will yield one pound of 

 oil. I was unable to get a statement 

 as to the amount of chipped bark ob- 



will produce, or say $2.20, the profit to 

 the producer of the crude oil is $2 per 

 tree or per pound of 13 ounces. When 

 it is considered that two-thirds of 24 

 hours, or 1 6 hours are spent in dis- 

 tilling one pound of oil, besides the 

 labor and time involved in felling the 

 tree, chipping the bark, and feeding 

 the fire, the actual returns are not 

 great. When two or more stills are 

 in operation at the same distillery, as 

 is usually the case, the question of 

 time involved is not of as great weight 



1905 



since 

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