70 



TIMBER PINES OP THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES^ 



tbe resiu begins to harden under the influence of a lower temperature it is carefully scraped from 

 the scarified surface and the boxes with a narrow, keen-edged knife attached to a long wooden 

 handle (fig. 9, b, c). In the first season the average yield of dip amounts to 280 barrels aud 

 of the hard gum or scrape to 70 barrels. The first yields Gi gallons spirits of turpentine to the 

 barrel of 240 pounds net, and the latter 31 pounds to the barrel, resulting in the production of 

 2,100 gallons spirits of turpentine and 260 pounds of rosin of higher and highest grades. The 

 dippings of the first season are called " virgin dip," from which the finest quality of rosin is obtained, 

 graded in the market as Water White (WW) and Window Glass (WG). In the second year from 

 five to six dippings are made, the crop averaging 225 barrels of soft turpentine aud 120 barrels of 

 scrape, making altogether about 1,900 gallons spirits of turpentine. 



The rosin, of which about 200 barrels are produced, is of a lighter or deeper amber color, and 

 perfectly transparent, of medium quality, graded as I, H, and G. In the third and fourth years 

 the number of dippings is reduced to three. With the flow over a more extended surface, the 

 turpentine thickens under prolonged exposure to the air and loses some of its volatile oil, partly 

 by evaporation aud partly by oxidation. In the third season the dip amounts to about 120 



D 



Flci. 9.— Tools useil 111 turpeutiue oruhariUng: a, dipper; h, pusher; c, open puller; i(, closed puller; f, /. liiicker (Iroiit ;iud roar view). 



barrels and the scrape to about 100 barrels, yielding about 1,100 gallons spirits of turpentine and 

 100 barrels of rosin of a more or less dark color, less transparent, and graded as F, E, and D. 

 In the fourth and last year three dippings of a somewhat smaller quantity of soft turpentine 

 than that obtained the season before and 100 barrels of scrape are obtained, with a yield scarcely 

 realizing 300 gallons of spirits of turpentine and 100 barrels of rosiu of lowest quality, classed as 

 C, B, and A. After the fourth year the turpentine orchard is generally abandoned. Owing to the 

 reduction in quantity and quality of the raw product, it is not considered profitable by the larger 

 operators to work the trees for a longer time. It is only iu North Carolina that the smaller 

 landowners work their trees for ten or more successive seasons, ijrotect the trees against tire, 

 and, after giving them a rest for a series of years, apply new boxes on spaces left between the old 

 chips — " reboxing.'' 



The process of distillation is carried on in the ordinary way, and requires care and experience 

 to obtain largest quantities of rosin of highest grade aud to guard against overheating. After 

 heating the still somewhat above the melting of the crude turpentine, a small stream of tepid 

 water from the top of the condenser is conducted into the still and allowed to run until the end 

 of the process. A large quantity of water runs over with the spirits of turpentine, which is 



