18«4.1 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
2G5 
Tar, Pitch, Turpentine and Rosin. 
The present, high price of the products of the 
pine forests have led to many inquiries concern¬ 
ing the manner in which these are produced. 
Commerce was formerly supplied by the exten¬ 
sive pine regions of North Carolina and other 
Southern States. The species growing there 
are the Long-leaved, or Yellow Pine (Fonts pa- 
lustris), and the Loblolly or Old-field Pine (Firms 
Ueda). The trees are “ boxed,” as it is called, 
i,o., a cavity is made in the trunk near the 
ground, sufficiently, large to hold about three 
pints, from one to three boxes being made in 
each tree according to its size. The resinous 
juice of the trees collects in these boxes, from 
which it is removed by means of a wooden 
scoop, and transferred to casks. It is a while 
semi-fluid, having more or less consistence ac¬ 
cording to the season, and the length of time it 
has been exposed to the air. It is known as 
Turpentine and White Turpentine. The flow 
begins in March, and continues until checked by 
the cool weather of autumn. Two hundred 
and fifty boxes are said to yield a barrel of 
Turpentine. This natural product consists of a 
volatile oil and a solid resin. When put into a 
still and heat is applied, the volatile oil is separ¬ 
ated and collected as Spirits of Turpentine, while 
the solid portion remains in the still—the Rosin 
of trade. Tar is obtained from the trunks and 
roots of old. and frequently, dead trees, by means 
of heat. The wood is cut in short pieces, split 
and stacked up, much as in burning charcoal. 
Tire kiln is covered securely with clay so that 
the combustion shall goon very slowly—the 
sap of the wood is “tried out” by the heat and 
runs out from the bottom of the kiln, through 
a channel provided for the purpose, in the form 
of tar. When Tar lias its liquid parts evapor¬ 
ated by boiling it down Co about one half its 
bulk, that which is left is Pitch. This is a brief 
outline of the manner in which these important 
articles are produced in the South. We have 
no knowledge of any experiments to produce 
turpentine from our Pitch Pine, though it has- 
been successfully done with some of the species 
of California and Oregon. The Scientific 
American has an account of a- still, recently 
patented, for distilling the spirits of turpentine 
directly from the wood, but it is not stated if 
the process is found practicable with the wood 
of any of our' northern pines. Tar and pitch 
were formerly obtained in considerable quanti¬ 
ties from Pitch-Pine, and it is said that their 
manufacture has been resumed iu some localities. 
The American Wood Duck—or Summer 
Duck. 
In the last number of the Agriculturist (page 
203), the fiict was alluded to that we had in this 
country many beautiful varieties of wild ducks, 
some of which wc know are capable of domes¬ 
tication, and more which have not been experi¬ 
mented with. One of the former we present 
an engraving of. It is the “ Summer duck ” of 
the Southern and the “Wood duck” of tlie 
Northern States. Either name is appropriate, 
for it is the only duck which remains with us 
during breeding season, except now and then a 
Btray pair of Mallards, and perhaps a pair of 
one or two other kinds arc very raroly seen ; 
and its natural haunts are the deep quiet woods 
far from the dwellings of men. The bird is 
rather rare in New-England, especially so in the 
Eastern part, more plenty in New-York, and 
AMERICAN WOOD DUCK—OR SUMMER DUCK. 
abundant iu 
Pennsjdvania, 
and to ’ the 
westward, and 
South, wher¬ 
ever a wooded 
country offers, 
the pools and 
secluded river 
and lake mar¬ 
gins close to 
which it de¬ 
lights to make 
its nest and 
rear its young. 
The. engraving 
represents a 
beautiful bird, 
hut one not 
familiar with 
these ducks 
would hardly 
credit the cor¬ 
rectness of an 
accurate de¬ 
scription of its 
colors. The bill 
and legs are 
red, the dark 
feathers of the 
head exhibit 
gorgeous steel- 
blue, coppery 
and green ir- 
ridescence, and 
in some lights 
are jetty, vel¬ 
vety black or 
purple. The 
white feathers 
on the head and 
neck, in the queue-like tuft of the back of head, 
and on the shoulders, wing covers, and sides are 
all clear vivid dashes in every case contrasted 
with black bands or. bordering of dark, nearly 
black, feathers. The hack shows the brilliant, 
rainbow hues and metallic colors of the head, 
while the breast is. of a delicate wine-color, spot¬ 
ted with white, and the belly white, shading in¬ 
to ash-color on the sides., These colors belong 
to the drakes ; the ducks are similar, but much 
less showy. In Pennsylvania and northward 
they pair in April or May, and the female brings 
off her brood of 8 to 15 in June. They migrate 
just before winter sets in and are very likely to 
return to the same locality’ - . The flesh of the 
young birds is highly, esteemed. .During the 
winter they go into the Southern States, and are 
there seen in large flocks. 
This fowl has been repeatedly domesticated, 
soasto.be as familiar as any denizens of the 
farm yard. The best way to get them would he 
to find the nests, which are usually in a hollow 
tree not far from water (they use au old wood¬ 
pecker’s or'grey squirrel’s hole if they can find 
one big enough), and transfer the fresli eggs to 
a sitting hen, or else take the very young ducks. 
Take Care of the Second Grass Crop. 
In many localities the-main hay crop this year 
is a light one. The rains of early summer 
gave a large supply of feed in the pastures, and 
promised a large crop of new hay in the mead¬ 
ows; but drouth and frosts in June, followed 
by drouth in July, checked the growth Qf grass, 
so that there was finally only q fight crop. For¬ 
tunately, the extensive use pf mowing machines 
and horse rakes and horse pitch-forks, enabled 
enterprising farmers to cut their hay at the best 
time and to get it without great expense for la¬ 
bor and before it was dried up by burning 
suns. The strong arms of many of our sons 
and brothers in the field were indeed missed, 
but-our good machines were stronger and more 
untiring even than they. 
The question of high cutting or low cutting 
has been a good deal discussed among farmers 
this year. The advocates of the former claim 
that the stubble left affords shade to the roots in 
mid-summer and nourishment in the fall in its 
decay; so that in the long run we get more hay 
by the generous process than the oilier. The 
clo&e cutters say that it makes no difference in 
the succeeding crop whether you cut high or 
low; if it did, we should find the grass stronger 
where the swaths had been pointed out high 
and the centers cut low. They .also-hold that 
where the meadows are fed off in the fall, the 
high cut grass is more likely to be pulled out 
by the roots than the low cut. The truth lies 
in the happy mean;—neither very close nor 
very high is the best policy. There will no 
doubt he many favored localities, where the 
rains of July and August will have revived u:e 
grass, and caused the growth of a fine aftei- 
math. T^ e “ rowen ” crop in general, how¬ 
ever, will he light and not \vopfli the cutting, if 
we judge by the present appearances of tlie 
scorched meadows. Still the inducement to 
Spcurc the greatest quantity of hay in the best 
condition, is only increased by the short crop. 
The best manner of curing hay, has been al¬ 
ready discussed this year, and we are more 
and more convinced that hay is greatly injured 
