2174- ARBORETUM AND FRUTJCETUM. PART III. 



mities of the trunks are found extremely useful after snow has fallen, and 

 before it has become hard with the frost, and also on the commencement of 

 a thaw, in indicating to the traveller when his horses are getting too near 

 the edge of the road. Roads of this rude description are peculiarly suitable 

 for marshy ground, and are very common in the interior of Russia, and also 

 in some parts of Poland. Recourse is also had to them in the commence- 

 ment of back settlements in North America. In 1814, the greater part of 

 the road from Petersburg to Moscow was of this kind ; but it has since, we 

 understand, been Macadamised. The practice of paving streets and court- 

 yards with blocks, cut from the trunks of Scotch pines, and set up endwise, 

 has been already mentioned, p. 2133. 



Mode of procuring the resinous Products of the Scotch Pine in the North of 

 Europe. The turpentine obtained from the Scotch pine is so inferior to that 

 of the silver fir, that very little is made use of in the way of commerce, 

 except for the coarsest kinds of work. To procure it, a narrow piece of bark 

 is stripped off the trunk of the tree in spring, when the sap is in motion, and 

 a notch is cut in the tree, at the bottom of the channel formed by removing 

 the bark, to receive the resinous juice, which will run freely down to it. As 

 it runs down it leaves a white matter like cream, but a little thicker, which is 

 very different from all the kinds of resin and turpentine in use, and which is 

 generally sold to be used in the making of flambeaux, instead of white bees' 

 wax. The matter that is received in the hole at the bottom is taken up with 

 ladles, and put into a large basket ; a great part of this immediately runs 

 through, and this is the common turpentine. It is received into stone or 

 earthen pots, and is then ready for sale. The thicker matter, which remains 

 in the basket, is put into a common alembic ; and a large quantity of water 

 being added, the liquor is distilled as long as any oil is seen swimming upon 

 the water. The oil which is produced in large quantities is then separated 

 from the water, and is the common oil or spirit of turpentine; and the 

 remaining matter, at the bottom of the still, is the common yellow rosin. 



Tar is procured from the Scotch pine in great quantities in the north of 

 Europe, and is considered very superior to that produced in the United 

 States from P. resinosa, tftrobus, australis, and other species. The process 

 followed in Sweden, by which both tar and charcoal are obtained, though 

 the latter is there of little value, is thus described by Dr. Clarke: " The 

 inlets of the gulf (Bothnia) every where appeared of the grandest charac- 

 ter; surrounded by noble forests, whose tall trees, flourishing luxuriantly, 

 covered the soil quite down to the water's edge. From the most southern 

 parts of Westro-Bothnia, to the northern extremity of the gulf, the inhabi- 

 tants are occupied in the manufacture of tar ; proofs of which are visible in 

 the whole extent of the coast. The process by which the tar is obtained 

 is very simple ; and, as we often witnessed it, we shall now describe it, from a 

 tar-work we halted to inspect upon the spot. The situation most favourable 

 to the process is in a forest near to a marsh or bog ; because the roots of the 

 Scotch pine, from which tar is principally extracted, are always most pro- 

 ductive in such places. A conical cavity is then made in the ground (gene- 

 rally in the side of a bank or sloping hill) ; and the roots together with logs 

 and billets of the wood, being neatly trussed in a stack of the same conical 

 shape, are let into this cavity. The whole is then covered with turf, to 

 prevent the volatile parts from being dissipated, which, by means of a heavy 

 wooden mallet, and a wooden stamper worked separately by two men, is 

 beaten down, and rendered as firm as possible above the wood. The stack 

 of billets is then kindled, and a slow combustion of the pine takes place, as in 

 making charcoal. During this combustion the tar exudes ; and, a cast-iron pan 

 being fixed at the bottom of the funnel, with a spout which projects through 

 the side of the bank, barrels are placed beneath this spout to collect the fluid 

 as it comes away. As fast as these barrels are filled, they are bunged, and 

 are then ready for immediate exportation. From this description, it will be 

 evident that the mode of obtaining tar is by a kind of distillation per dcsccn- 



