^^^ TUitPENTINE FROM BRITISH FIU«. 



III. 



Method of procuring Turpentine and other Products from 

 the Scotch Fir, (Pinus Silvestris Linn.) Mi/ Mr. H. B. 

 Way, of Bridport Harbour*. 



SIR, 



Extraction of JL HE enorraous higli price of turpentine, tar, and pitch, 

 from the"s^cotch ^*st year, brought to my remembrance, that I had, in 1792, 

 fir in thiscoun- when in America, made some memorandums on the subject 

 ^^' of obtaining them in North Carolina, which, on referring to^ 



led me to think, that they might be obtained in this country. 

 I was induced to mention it to my relation and friend, John 

 Herbert Browne, Esq., of Weymouth, and of Sheen, in 

 Middlesex, when on a visit at my house ; and I expressed a 

 ■wish, that I could try the experiment with regard to tur- 

 pentine; when he very kindly gave me leave to try it on 

 three trees growing on his estate, about three or foui" miles 

 from this place, and he went with me and fixed on them, 

 and early in last April I had them prepared for the purpose 

 of extracting the turpentine, and they have been running 

 till the 18th instant. The weather, except the last month 

 and part of this, has, from so much rain falling, and there 

 being so little hot weather, been particularly unfavourable 

 for this business; as, the distance being such as to prevent 

 the trees being regularly attended, the hollows were fre- 

 quently found by my men full of water, and a good deal of 

 the turpentine, which ran off with the water, lay on (he 

 ground. Under all these circumstances I was only able to 

 obtain from the three trees about two pounds and a half of 

 turpentine. Mr. Browne being with me again the 16th and 

 17th instant, as he wished to take the trees down, I begged 

 he would allow me to take a part from one of them, for 

 the purpose of sending to the Society of Arts, Manufac- 

 tures, and Commerce, with the turpentine collected from 



* Trans, of the Soc, of Arts, vol. xxviii, p. 86. The silver 

 medal was T^ted to Mr. Way. Part of the tree, from which the 

 turpentine was extractecl, is preserved, along with some of the 

 products, in the society's repository, 



the 



