The tools employed by the resiniers or collectors are shown in Fig. 1183. The abchotte or abchot A is a sort of axe, used to make the carres and to renew the wound. The barrasguite B has a sharp, narrow, curved blade, while the poussc C is broad and straight ; these two implements are em ployed in detaching the barras and galipot (see Thus), as well as in the harking operation, the barrasquite being, adapted for une only at an inclination, and not above a height of about 8 ft. The pelt° serves for harking the lower part of the tree, for con structing and cleaning the crots, according to the old mode of gemmage, and for removing the oleo-resin therefrom to deposit it in the escouarte. The little glazed earthenware pot E receives the exudation, which latter is re moved from it by a small iron spatula. The crampon F is e. curved zinc blade armed with 5 teeth ; it is driven into the carre to conduct the flow of oleo-resin to the receptacle.
The gemmage of the pin mari time ie almost confined to the basin of the Garonne. Attempts were made in Sarthe or Mayenne, and in Sologne, but unsatisfactory results caused their abandon ment. The operation was formerly carried on on the Mediterranean shore, but has been given up in face of the enormous production of the Landes. it is recorded that the extraordinary cold of last winter (1880-1) killed nearly all the pins maritime, in N. and Central France, causing enormous losses, notably in Sologne. The occasion was seized hy Prilleux to test the correctness of the popular belief that frost destroys the oleo-resin ; the result of his icvestigation Wal3 that the dry wood of trees not killed by frost gave only 2-3 per cent. of resin, while those which were killed gave 3-4 per cent. This probably signifiee that the dead tisaue was not capable of retaining any of the ob•o-resin, rather than that the frost actually augmented the secretion. About 600,000 hectares of this pine now exist in the Landes and on the sand-dunes. The annual exports now amount to the following figures :—To Belgium, England, and Germany, 3 million fr. worth of turpentine-spirit; to Germany and England, 21 million fr. worth of distillation residues (rosin, pitch); finally, to Germany, England, and Holland, million fr. worth of thus, tar, &e. The consumption in France is estimated at 9 million fr. The total harvest in 1874 was 29,395,417 kilo. (of 2.2 lb.).
Many improvements in the distillation of the crude oleo-resin and its products have of late years been introduced in France. The srrangement of the apparatus for the first distillation, the separation of the rosin and the spirit of turpentine, is shown in longitudinal section in Fig. 1184,
and in cross section on the line A B in Fig. 1185. The crude oleo.resiu, after a certain amount of uaechanical purification by straining and settling, is placed in the boiler b, fitted with a movable lid, heated by the fire a, and furnished with a steam-coil c. After 5-6 hours, the temperature reaches 90° (194° F.), and liquefaction is complete. At d, is an outlet provided with a grating, and all the material reaching above this sort of filter runs into the receptacle e ; there then remains in the boiler but a very small quantity of turpentine (crude) mixed with foreign matters. The distilled turpentine is next transferred from the receiver e to a reservoir f, called the " charge," ing the exact quantity (about 66 gal.) for each operation to be introduced by the pipe g into the still which is traversed by the section-line A B. ln this still (a, Fig. 1185), a, perforated worm permits the introduction of steam when the turpentine, heated by the fire b, has attained a temperature of 135° (275° F.). Effervescence ensues, and the " spirit " or " essence " separates completely. At c, is an opening closed by a wooden bung, and carefully luted, When the spirit ceases to pass into the serpentine receiver (h, Fig. 1184), the operation is suspended ; the rosin, at a temperature of about 130° (266° F.), escapes at c into a box d, and thence into a cylinder e formed of very fine metallic gauze. This cylinder is niade to revolve on its axis ; the rosin falls through into a receptacle, vvhile an uniinportant residue remains inside. The rosin may be at once barrelled and shipped. The spirit leaving the serpentine cooler (h, Fig. 1184), being cloudy, is placed in large earthenware jai s holding about 66 gal. and with clay lilted covers, recalling the timajas used in the olive-oil industry (see p. 1403). Here it remains 4-5 days, and deposits the little remaining impurity. Copper vessels aro sometimes substituted for these jars, and with advantage.
In sorne works, a few improvementa have been made in the foregoing processes. The boiler b (Fig. 1184) may be fitted with an agitator, thus preventing solid matters from burning on to the liottoin. Its coier may carry rims for containing water to condense the vapours. Thermometers may be placed in the boiler and still for regulating the temperature. Finally, it ho.s been attempted to employ steam-heat throughout, as being more easily controlled.