Hurray for Friday!

The amount of work expected from those in a turpentine labor camp was astounding. The woods were divided into “drifts.” These were demarcated by either natural markings, or slashes on trees to show worker’s their sections. A crop was an area of about ten thousand trees. One worker was expected to complete a crop each week.

During research, I noticed some variation in the counts, but generally speaking the numbers were fairly consistent for the expected daily quota. Chippers used a bark hack to put the streaks on a tree (called a catface). They would strike a tree in one direction, and pull the bark hack to their right, and then do the same in the opposite direction. It formed a chevron, or V shape, and the sap would eventually run down the tree into the cups, guided by the streaks or the tin gutters that were also used.

Chippers were expected to do about 1,800 to 2,000 trees per day –  depending on the time of year. If it was summer and they were working sunup to sundown, that could be a twelve plus hour day. As daylight began to shorten, the quota may have dropped. I didn’t find anything on this in particular, so I’m just assuming this is what would have happened logically.

Dippers, those who scraped gum out of the tin cups and it into a bucket did approximately 1,800 cups per day. Their buckets, once full, were then dumped into a barrel. The barrels filled with pine sap would be loaded onto a wagon to go to the distillery,

Add in the heat, humidity, insects, and and other challenges – you get the idea it wasn’t easy. And Rae Lynn, posing as a man, is trying to keep up. Not making quota would draw the eye of your boss, the woods man over you.

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Chapter 12

Rae Lynn

After almost two weeks in the camp, she’d yet to make her daily quota.

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GIVEWAYS GIVEAWAYS GIVEAWAYS!!!

I am giving away Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) of The Saints of Swallow Hill – basically until they’re gone! If I get more, I’ll give those out too. Eventually, I’ll have the finished copies – and guess what happens to those? Yep, those will be given away too! I hope to make some readers happy! Aside from giveaways on Fridays – I’m also doing “pop-up” giveaways – which is a good reason to follow me. 🙂

TO WIN THIS WEEK’S SIGNED ARC:

We’re going to try something different! Have you read the SNEAK PEEK?

• The Sneak Peek is available on the Kensington Publishing Company site, and you can easily read the sample right here.
• Next, leave a review on Goodreads about what you think! (So yes, this giveaway will be tied into Goodreads.)

The winner this week will NOT be announced until next THURSDAY. That way you have more time to read and drop your thoughts about this teaser! Don’t worry about the word “review.” This seems to intimidate some, but you can write something as simple as, “More, please!” or whatever you want.

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NETGALLEY

Are you a NetGalley reviewer? The Saints of Swallow Hill is available for request! I’ve started seeing a few reviews. It’s so exciting to read what people are saying about the book!

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Last, but not least, don’t forget to:

• Add The Saints of Swallow Hill to your Goodreads “To Read” shelf
• Share this post with your reader friends
• Follow me on Goodreads, Twitter, Facebook, Bookbub, or my blog

Pre-order a copy!

You might win a copy, but, you can always give away one as a gift! 🙂