DISTILLATION OF STUMP WOOD. 53 



will be seen that the farmer would just about break even if he could 

 sell the rich wood for $11 an acre. 



A wood-distilling plant of any size can not operate profitably with- 

 out an ample and steady supply of rich wood extending over a num- 

 ber of years. For this reason a wood-distilling plant should be built 

 and conducted as an independent business rather than primarily as 

 a means of meeting the cost of land clearing. Naturally, it would 

 be located with reference to available material ; that is, where there 

 was land ready to be cleared. Such wood as the settlers could supply 

 would be simply an addition to the stock, though in some instances 

 the bulk of the wood might be obtained from this source. 



In the Winchester and Craig Mountain country, where the condi- 

 tions are quite different from those observed in the other sections, 

 there is a close almost pure stand of yellow pine. As there are no 

 heavy underbrush or slashings, clearing such cut-over lands consists 

 practically entirely in burning the tops of the cut trees and removing 

 about 20 large yellow-pine stumps. 



The comparative absence of younger growth between the trees, 

 fairly even surface of the country, and uniform stands, of which per- 

 haps 40 per cent of the stumps are quite rich or resinous, make such 

 sections possible localities in which the cost of land clearing may be 

 met, in a large part at least, if not entirely, by distilling the stumps. 



SMALL, SEMIPORTABLE WOOD-DISTILLING PLANTS. 



Wood-distilling plants as usually constructed where the daily 

 capacity varies from 10 to 100 cords of wood, are permanent, 

 especially when a number of products are made and refined for mar- 

 ket. Furthermore, such plants require capital for financing and 

 technical skill and experience for profitable operation. Therefore, 

 wood-distilling plants would be comparatively few, and small plants 

 of about 1-cord capacity that can be set up, torn down, and re- 

 located at will would be useful, particularly in sections removed from 

 railroads and where transportation is difficult. Especially would 

 this be true if the mixed crude oil and tar obtained could be profitably 

 disposed of to refiners or directly to users. 



Since the work described in this publication was completed, private 

 companies have built and operated such small plants. Plants of 

 this kind, of 1-cord capacity, can be built for from $3,500 to $4,500. 

 They might be bought and operated by a community, the crude oil 

 being sold direct to the zinc, lead, and copper miners, who use it 

 for the concentration of ores by the notation process. The cheap, 

 semiportable 1-cord retort is probably better adapted to Northwest 

 conditions than are the large, more permanent, and more expensive 

 plants making and refining a number of products. 



