COST OP TURPENTINE ORCHARDING. 



155 



indicated by a peculiar noise of the boiling contents of the still and the diminished quantity of volatile oil in the 

 distillate. On reaching this point the heating of the still and the influx of water has to be carefully i egulated. 

 After all the spirits of turpentine has distilled over, the fire is removed, and the contents of the still are drawn off 

 by a tap at the bottom. This residuum, the molten rosin, is first allowed to run through a wire cloth and is 

 immediately strained again through coarse cotton cloth, or cotton batting made for the purpose, into a large trough, 

 from which it is ladled into barrels. The legal standard weight of the commercial package is 280 pounds gross, no 

 tare being allowed. 



The finest grades of rosin are largely used in the manufacture of paper, for sizing, of soaps, and of fine varnishes ; 

 the medium qualities are mostly consumed in the manufacture of yellow soap, sealing wax, in pharmacy, and for 

 other minor purposes, and the lower and lowest qualities are used for pitch in ship and boat building, brewer's 

 pitch, aod for the distillation of rosin oil, which largely enters into the manufacture of lubricating agents. 



A turpentine distillery, on the basis of twenty crops, can be said to produce, during the four seasons the boxes 

 are worked, about 2,400 casks, or 120,000 gallons, of spirits of turpentine and from XI, 500 to 12,000 barrels of resin, or 

 2,800,000 pounds (the lowest grade BA excluded), at a value of about $60,000 at average prices. The prices of spirits 

 of turpentine vary from 28 cents to 40 cents a gallon, even during the same season, according to supply and demand 

 in the market. The quotations on December 31, 1892, at Wilmington, were 28 cents for spints and $1.91 for resin in 

 the average down to grade C. The prices for diiferent grades were per barrel: W6, $3.65; N, $3.10; M, $2.85; K, 

 $2.15; I, $1.45; H, $1.15; G, $0.92; F, $0.85; E. P. C, $0.82. 



Cost of establishment of xilant and of worldnq the crop. — Lands with the privilege of boxing the timber for the 

 term of four years are rented at the rate of $50 per crop of 10,000 boxes (about 200 acres with 4,000 to 5,000 trees). 

 The establisment of plant for the working of twenty crops requires an investment of about $5,000, including the 

 still, houses, sheds, tools, wagons, and working animals, mostly mules. 



The following statement, made by an opeiator of many years' experience, exhibits the actual expenses incurred 

 for the working of one crop during four years; the work is for the greatest part done by the job: 



Chopping 10,000 boxes $125.00 



Inspecting and tallying the same 15.00 



Cornering 10,000 boxes 12.00 



Eaking around the trees, at $10 per season 40.00 



Chipping boxes during 111 weeks, at $5 per week 555.00 



Dipping crude resin, 650 barrels, and scraping 460 stands, at 30 cents 333.00 



Hauling dippings and scrapings, at 30 cents per barrel * 333. 00 



Distilling at 20 cents per barrel 222.00 



Spirit barrels, 122, at $2.80 305.00 



Making and filling 795 barrels resin, at 30 cents 238.50 



Superintendence of the crop 80. 00 



Total working expense of ciop 2,288.50 



"Rent of land for one crop 50.00 



Cost of one crop » 2, 308.50 



Total expense of operating a plant of 20 crops during four years: 



Labor, 1 rent and materials $46,170.00 



Interest on capital invested, $5,000, at 6 per cent - 1,200.00 



Loss by depreciation of plant, 10 per cent per year for four years 2, 000. 00 



Taxes and incidentals 630.00 



Total 50,000.00 



Yield. — It appears that the yield of the crop of 200 acres distributes itself about as follows : 



Pirst year . . 

 Second year 

 Third year - 

 Fourth j oar 



Dip 



Pounds 

 67, 200 

 54, 000 



28, 800 

 28, 000 



178, 000 



Scrape. 



Pounds 

 16, 800 

 28, 000 

 24, 000 

 24, 000 



93, 600 



Total 

 crude tur- 

 pentine. 



Pounds. 

 84, 000 

 82, 800 

 52, 800 

 52, 000 



271, 600 



Total 

 yield. 



Per cent. 

 30.9 

 30.5 

 19.5 

 19 1 



100.0 



Scraps. 



Pet cent. 

 20.0 

 34.8 



45 5 



46 1 



29.0 



Spirits. 



Gallons. 



2,100 



2,000 



1,100 



900 



Per cent. 

 34.4 

 32.8 

 18 

 14.8 



6,100 



100. 



Rosin. 



Jiarrds. 

 260 

 200 

 100 

 100 



669 



If we assume that 4,500 trees produce these amounts in four years, the yield per tree in crude turpentine is 

 about 60 pounds. The result at the still would indicate that each tree furnishes between 1£ and 1} gallons of spirits 

 and one-eighth of a barrel, or 30 pounds, of rosin of better grade, or at best 75 cents' worth of product during the 

 four years, which ic has cost 55 cents to produce, leaving 5 cents net per tree per year, or from $1 to $1.25 per acre. 



1 Laborers are paid $1 to $1.25 per day ; one man chips 10,000 to 12,500 boxes per week by the job. L saving is 

 made now in most localities in the matter of barrels and freight by using kerosene tanks on cars, holding 3,500 

 gallons, into which the spirits are filled directly from the still. 



