The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-06-02
vVoopSPULP; REPORT.

sc.sIo,GaH q: y: Edltor
,Wioo & ri LIZ; REPORT
4 IA preliminary report OF I; the con-
sumption OF phlpwood and the amount
III pip manu- actured last year has
dust been issued BY the Bureau OF the
census The advance statement is
made from the statistics collected by
The Census Bureau in cooperation with
he United States Forest Service.
Many or the figures bring out inter.
esting facts; which i show the rapid
ssg.Fsowthg 81 the paper making and allied
:tndnatries during the last decade.
Nearly four million cords OF wood, in
exact nnmbe i 8, s62 ego cords. were
used IN the United States in the manu-
sfacture 8of paper pulp last year, Just
twice Eas much sas was used in 1899,
the hrst ear for which detailed tlg-
uress were ayaila able. More than two
and one:half million3 tons OF pulp were
protlnceds The pulp mills used soo.;
IOo0 smore cords Of wood in 1907 than
I'M the prev ous year. az "a
The amount OF spruce used was cs
per cent Of the total consumption OF
pulp Iwood, Or 90 900 cords The in.
creased price of spruce has turned the
Intention of pap rmanufacturers to
number OF other woods. hemIock
ranking next with SIC 900 cords. or
per cent OF the total consumption.
More than 70 per cent was poplar, and
the remainder consisted OF relatively
small amount t of pine, cottonwood. bal
sam and other woods. Is
There was O marked Increase last
year in the importation Of spruce.
RhichS has always been the most popu-
lar wood J for pulp. For number OF
years pulp manufacturers OF this coun-
Try have been heavily importing spruce
from Canada, since the available sup
ply OF this wood in the north central
and New England states, where most
ofS the pulp mills are located, is not
equal to- the demand. Figures show
that the amount OF this valuable pulp
wood brought into this country was
more than two and one.half times MS
great sin j 9O7 MS in 1899. In 1907 the
imp rtations were larger than ever
before, being: 25 per cent greater than
sone;third of the: consumption OF spruce
pnlp wood. Only slightly greater
amount gof domestic spruce was nsed
than In II SOC. "a NJ
5s Large quantities Of hemlock were
used by the Wisconsin pulp mills, and
EtheIreportish shows that the Beaver State
@nows3r ranks third In pulp production,
New " ork and Maine ranking first
and second. respectively. Poplar has
Z been used for a long time in tre manu-
stacture Sofa high.grale paper, but the
supply Of this wood is limited and the
consumption Of It has not increased
rapidly.
Wood pulp is usually made by. either
sone OF two general processes, mechan.
;.ical Eorj chemical. In the mechanical
process the wood. after being cut into
suitable sizes and parked. is held
sasainst revolving grlnds+enes in
stream of water and thus reduced to
pulp: In the chemical process the
asbarked wood is reduced to chips and
cooked In large tligesters with chemi.
Gals which destroy the cementins ma
stterial 5of the fibers and leave practi-
call pure cellulose. This Is then
washed and screened to render It suit
I able able for paper making. The chemicals
ordinarily used are either bisulphlte
aotS lime or caustlc soda. A little over
ss54halt Of the pulp manufactured last
kAyear E5was made by the sulphite pro.
cess: and about one.thirl by the me-
1 chanical process, the remainder be
Ing produced by the soda process.
Much NY, Il, of the mechanical pulp. or
Ground wood az 1t is commonly call
ed, lis used in the making OF news
paper. It is never used alone In max
Ing white paper but always mixed with
some snlphlte fiber to give the paper
9strengt 9Th. "a cord of wood ordinarily
about one ton OF Mechanical pulp or
about one:halt ton OF chemical pulp,
4 II ON w s.4.MEREDITH.
Tf nm II