"According  to  the  statements  contained  in  the  report  for  1880,  the  crops  amounted  in  the  years  1879-'80  to  25,409
barrels  of  spirits  of  turpentine  and  158,482  barrels  of  rosin.  During  a  period  of  eight  years,  between  1873  and  the
close  of  the  business  year  of  1880,  160,000  barrels  of  spirits  of  turpentine  and  800,000  barrels  of  rosin  have  been
produced  in  this  same  district,  (a)

"  The  increase  in  prices  during  the  last  few  years  for  all  kinds  of  naval  stores,  and  particularly  the  active  demand
for  the  best  class  of  rosin,  have  given  an  increased  impetus  to  this  business,  in  consequence  of  which  many  of  the
older  orchards  have  been  abandoned  and  new. ones  started,  while  the  number  of  new  boxes  cut  during  the  present
season  is  greater  than  ever  before.  There  are  no  returns  to  be  obtained  of  the  production  prior  to  1875,  but  it  can
be  safely  assumed  that  up  to  that  year  250  square  miles  of  pine  forest  had  been  boxed.  The  production  since  1875
must  have  involved  a  further  destruction  of  640,000  acres,  or  1,000  square  miles  of  forest.  With  the  low  price  at
which  pine  lands  are  held  there  is  not  the  slightest  regard  paid  to  the  utilization  of  their  resources,  and  under
the  present  system  they  are  rapidly  destroyed,  regardless  of  the  needs  of  the  future  and  with  the  sole  object  of
obtaining  the  quickest  possible  yetums  on  the  capital  invested.
