PERIOD 



RESTING TREES 





ROUND TREES 





1929-37 

 1935-42 

 1943-50 

 1951 -58 

 1 



























T" 





































5 10 5 





 MILLION TREES 



5 10 



15 



Figure 21. — Average annual demand J "or cups on round and resting turpentine pine trees, 7929-37, and trees in well-developed areas 

 that may be ready for working annually in three other 8-year periods, 1935-42, 1943—50, and 7957-58. 



The Forest Survey found that on well-developed 

 areas the number of small round trees that progress 

 annually into the turpentine sizes currently used 

 (7.0-inch minimum) is sufficient to allow the 

 hanging of 7 million cups each year on trees 7.0 

 inches d. b. h. and larger. These should support 

 a total working body of over 70 million faces, 

 which would be more than sufficient to maintain 

 the present average annual production of gum 

 naval stores. The theoretical annual income of 

 round trees, together with the probable supply of 

 resting trees upon which back faces may be hung, 

 is shown for each of three 8-year periods in figure 

 21. It is estimated roughly that since 1929, on 

 the average, approximately 6y 2 million cups have 

 been hung on back faces annually. The com- 

 bined front-face and back-face requirements thus 

 may be compared with the theoretical possibilities. 

 The estimates of future possibilities assume that, 

 as in the past, the undesirable practice of placing 

 cups on one-third of the trees in the 8-inch diam- 

 eter class will be followed. 



From this chart the conclusion might be drawn 

 that the industry has a supply in sight with which 

 to maintain its production at normal level during 

 the first two 8-year periods, and that the produc- 

 tion can be increased in the third period. The pos- 

 sibilities shown on the chart, however, must be dis- 

 counted. In the first place, the trend in cupping 

 practice, particularly since the advent of the Naval 

 Stores Conservation Program, is toward a closer 

 adherence to a 9-inch diameter limit. If this limit 

 is adhered to, the annual income of trees of this size 

 will not be large enough during the first 8-year 

 period to permit the hanging of the normal number 



of cups on round timber. Only 4.7 million round 

 trees will reach 9.0 inches d. b. h. annually, and at 1 

 cup per tree this number would maintain a working 

 body with a production of only 220,000 units, or 

 62,000 units less than the average production. 



It must be kept in mind that the above computa- 

 tions are based upon the assumption that all round 

 and working trees surviving will be available for 

 naval stores operations. The demand for pulp- 

 wood, poles, piles, lumber, and cross ties, however, 

 will probably bring about the cutting of more 

 round trees and partly worked trees with future 

 faces than in past years. This would reduce the 

 supply for the gum naval stores industry. 



Another point to be kept in mind in attempting 

 to visualize the supply outlook is that the growing 

 stock of turpentine timber, both round and partly 

 worked, is not available to all operators. Some 

 operators own a surplus or reserve supply greater 

 than their needs, and consequently other operators 

 will find it difficult to obtain timber as required. 

 Actually, some of the timber may be withheld 

 permanently from operation for naval stores. 



Although all the growing stock used as a basis for 

 the computation shown for the first period in figure 

 21 is located in well-developed turpentine stands, 

 which will average 24 potential cups per acre, not 

 all this timber is so well located or so well blocked 

 that it can be turpentined conveniently. This situ- 

 ation, however, is not so serious as it might seem, 

 owing to improved transportation and marketing 

 facilities. Both regular operators and gum pro- 

 ducers without stills are working smaller and more 

 scattered stands of timber than previously. The 

 ready cash market for raw gum created by the gum- 



31 



