Gum Naval Stores

Book excerpt: Pinus is one of the most widely distributed genera of trees in the northern hemisphere, extending from the polar region to the tropics and including Central and North America, Europe and Asia. It is also one of the most widely planted exotics for timber and pulp purposes and large areas of pine are therefore found outside their natural range in South America, Africa and Australasia. In addition to their use for wood, pine trees are a valuable source of non-wood forest products: they can be tapped for resin, which can then be distilled to produce gum turpentine and gum rosin. Gum Naval Stores: Turpentine and Rosin from Pine Resin provides information on the technical and economic aspects of pine resin production including the tapping of trees and the distillation of the resin. It also reviews recent trends in world production and markets for gum turpentine and gum rosin. The book is intended for prospective new producers of turpentine and rosin, and for organizations and individuals appraising projects involving their production. It is particularly intended for those in developing countries.