MANUFACTUKES, ETC. ^45 



with, lime and redistillation, wood spirit or 

 metliyl alcoliol is obtained. Tar obtained by 

 tbe distillation of wood contains acetic acid, 

 pitch and tar oils. By neutralizing the last 

 named with carbonate of soda, and redistilling, 

 creosote and paraffin are obtained. 



Charcoal Making. Closely allied to the dis- 

 tillation of wood is the old industry of charcoal 

 making, popularly but erroneously called char- 

 coal burning. Charcoal, as we have mentioned, 

 is one of the products of wood distillation, but 

 usually the charcoal maker takes no thought 

 of the by-products. 



In this coxmtry charcoal making is, or was till 

 recently, almost as extinct as the Dodo. In one 

 or two counties in the South and in the North 

 it existed in a moribund condition. 



The wood for making charcoal is cut into 

 pieces two feet long or thereabouts, and usually 

 only small faggots less than two inches in dia- 

 meter are used. 



Mr. Webster gives the following account of 

 the construction of a charcoal pit : "A strong 

 stake is driven firmly into the ground and left 

 protruding about a foot. Around this are placed 

 small pieces of dry Ash of equal length, and 

 standing as close to the upright stake as possible ; 

 around this ring another layer is placed in the 



