274 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



Maine, have settled that question. Tliey are manufacturing turpentine 

 from tlie waste product of pine stumps, which abound in that country; also 

 from tlie iieart-wood of tops of trees which have been cut long enough for 

 the sa|) to have rotted awaj^ The Oxford Democrat sa_)'S, speaking of the 

 operations of this Company: 



"Intiieir building tho,>y have four large brick retorts, into which the 

 pitch wood is put, after being cut up fine, and turpentine extracted. In 

 this prucess tar is produced, while the volatile portions are carried off and 

 by the condenser are converted into spirits of turpentine; from thence it is 

 carried into a small outbuilding and prepared for use. The pitch wood, 

 after having the pitch extracted in the retort, is converted into a fine arti- 

 cle of charcoal, and is then used to heat the retort. Aside from the char- 

 coal thus made, but little fuel is needed for the heating process. One cord 

 of pitch wood will make three barrels of tar and about eighteen gallons of 

 spirits. When their works are in full operation, they will make between 

 thirty and fnrly barrels of tar, and six. or seyen barrels of spirits per week. 

 At the present prices of these articles it is a very profitable busin'ess. 

 There are pitch pine stumps enough in the vicinity of their factory to last 

 them for years to come, which the owners are very glad to get pulled up 

 and carried out of the way. This is the only factory of the kind in the 

 State. Its owners are energetic, enterprising young men, genuine 'Yan- 

 kees,' who understand their business, and understand how to make money 

 out of so forbidding an article as a pitch pine stump." 



The Bodon Cultivator says: "From Etfingham, N. II., along the north- 

 eastern shore of Ossipee Lake ((n- the Great Pond, as it is- locally called), 

 and stretching away toward Conway, there are thousands of acres of pine 

 plains, the timber on some portions having been cut. It is from the roots 

 or stumps that tar is extracted by a company locally organized for the 

 purpose. At a place near the village of Freedom, the company set their 

 sfump-pullers at work, pulling from 50 to 100 stumps each, daily, accord- 

 ing tb the difficulties encountered. These stumps are hauled to Freedom 

 village, whei'e they are cut and split into pieces about the size of very fine 

 stove wood, and placed in what is called a basket. The basket is a wrought 

 iron cylinder, punched full of holes of about three-fourths of an inch in 

 diameter, and holding half a cord. This basket is taken by a crane and 

 placed in a retort made to receive it. A round-top cast iron cover is then 

 fitted on tight, with a pipe from the center, which connects v\^ith a' coil of 

 pipe in a condenser. The gas and steam passing off from the top of the 

 retort, and tlirough the condenser, comes forth from a barrel in the shape 

 of an acid (which is worth 10 cents a gallon among, the calico printers, but 

 is here thrown away), an^ a red oil. The red oil is then passed through a 

 still, and gives about half its bulk in spirits of turpentine. The other half 

 is thin tar, which is mixed with that which comes from the retort. From 

 the bottom of the retort the pitch, wiiic^i is "tried out" of the pitch wood 

 by the heat opplied to it, comes fortli in the shape of thick tar. There are 

 eight or ten retorts, v^iiich bring forty barrels of tar a week, and seven or 

 eight barrels of spirits of turpentine. A cord of pitch wood gives about 

 three barrels of tar and eiglitoen gallons of spirits, besides twice that 

 amount of acid. The company have stumps enough dug to keep the fac- 



