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Finding land with Norway Spruce...

Started by Davyorg, July 05, 2012, 09:39:58 PM

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Davyorg

I'm trying to find land with Norway Spruce on it.  More specifically I want Norway spruce resin from the tree itself, but I don't think there's anyone in North America tapping this type of tree.  So I've decided to try and find some land that has mature trees, and harvest them.  Any Idea where in the U.S. would be best, or anyone you've heard of harvesting picea abies resin?

Thanks,     Dave

beenthere

Welcome to the forum.

Where are you located?

What size "mature" N spruce are you needing, and how/when would you tap the tree for the resin?
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Davyorg

Thanks, I am currently in Albuquerque NM.  By "mature" I mean trees that are tall enough to have the trunk showing at ground level, for ease of tapping.  Depending on the climate, you can tap from spring to fall.  To tap the tree you make angled scores in a v shape on the bark, and collect it with a tin bucket. 

beenthere

That's interesting.
Are you harvesting, or tapping?

If harvesting, what tonnage are you looking for?
How would you process the trees?
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

thecfarm

Daveorg,welcome to the forum. What's the resin going to be used for? I heard of spruce gum around here. It's just about a lost act now here.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Davyorg

I'm a violin maker, I'll be using the resin for making oil varnish.  The old Italian makers used N. Spruce resin as well.

Davyorg

Maybe the terminology is wrong, but I just want the resin from the trees, not to harvest the trees.  So tapping I guess, only spruce isn't  tapped like maple with a spigot.  It is collected by scoring.  Sorry for the confusion.

beenthere

Ok, so you are planning to travel to the trees and spend some time bleeding them for resin.

How long do you think it might take for the amount of resin you are looking for?

There has been some continued interest in the N. spruce resin for medicinal purposes as well.
Apparently some pretty impressive results over some serious infections.

http://www.repolar.com/media/pdf/Drug%20Metabolism%20Letters.pdf
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Davyorg

It is common in Europe for N. Spruce resin to be used medicinally as a salve.  Bed sores are the primary use. 

It takes very little effort/ time to bleed the tree, you just wait several weeks for the results.  The resin will run all summer and slow down with cooler weather.  It does not hurt the trees either, unless done improperly.

PC-Urban-Sawyer

In the South, it was once very common to extract pine sap from SYP, to make turprentine. The methodology was very similar to your description. Not much of that happening any more.

SwampDonkey

Balsam fir resin is used in Buckley's cough syrup and has been for decades. Balsam was once used in many ways, including optics and slide mounts and fixing windshield cracks. It does not crystallize like spruce resin does, it hardens clear and does not yellow. It grows like a weed up here in about every forest type, but does not like wet ground even though it can sometimes germinate thick on wet land.
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Davyorg

The Irony of the turpentine industry is that we took it from England, and it has now been taken from us by asia.  I can't even find a U.S. turpentine farm for pine resin, they all went under.  They do still have festivals commemorating the good ol' days.  Still hoping I'll find an old timer still tapping pine and spruce out there.

WDH

Turpentine is also produced as a by-product from the Kraft pulping process that uses southern yellow pine.  It is distilled in large tanks and sold by the railcar.  This is part replaced the tapping of the trees in the field. 
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