Bismarck daily tribune., 1908-06-09
Demand For Foresters to Plant Timber
Especially For Matches May Be
Made-Best Grade Of Wood Needed.
How to Make Industry Permanent.

~. A2okiS VI laAS PidAtS dIS very ldrSe,
one on the Pacific coast covering 240
acres, with thirty-two miles Of rail-
road, which supply the match ma
chimes with 1900 feet Of sugar pine
and yellow pine logs day.
A statement Of the number Of cubic
feet OF wood which actually Is con-
verted into matches each year would
convey only an inadequate idea Of the
number of trees required for the in
dustry. For the manufacture Of the
match the best grade Of wood is neces-
sary. Sapwood, knotty or cross grain
ed timber will not do. This makes 1t
necessary to search the best forests and
pick out the choice trees only, and moth
ing but the choice portions Of the choice
trees goes to the match machines.
Seldom Is the little splinter tipped
with sulphur or some, other substance,
to be ignited by friction. given even
scant mention In the consideration Of
the depletion Of the worlds finest for
ests, vet the manufacturers of these
little fire sticks are es much concerned
over the timber supply question as any
other class OF men engaged III an in
dustry whose welfare depends on the
use Of forest products.
1t might be supposed that because
matches are small the makers of them
would utilize scraps and leftovers.
This is never the case. Matches are
not byproducts. The match machine
takes the finest timber, and what 1t
rejects goes to the byproduct yard, and
the byproduct end Of the match busi-
ness becomes the largest end, SO far as
bulk Is concerned. Among the by
products turned out by the large Pa
cific coast factory just mentioned are
LOCO doors and 800 sashes daily.
AS a matter OF fact, 1t would be i'm
possible to carry on the match busi-
ness at all at present prices If the re-
jected lumber were not worked into
something else. The room where
matches are made is frequently the
smallest department Of a match fac
tory. The larger portions contain the
sawmills and planning mills. where
doors. sash. shingles, laths, siding,
posts. cord wood and many other sala-
bic commodities are made ready for
market. q g.
The United States does not manu-
facture enough matches to supply the
home market. Thousands Of dollars
worth are annually imported from
Germany, Austria, France, Sweden
a Yn6 nf nAp f,s9n Nhns a,
largely safety matches, which can be
struck only on the box or other special
" prepared surface.
Wood for matches is much more
serious problem in some Of the Euro
pean countries than 1t Is In the United
States. The most suitable match tim
Der is pine, linden, aspen, white ce-
dar, poplar, birch and willow. 9th
ers, however, are occasionally used
Germany imports willow and aspen
from Russia. Some time ago the Ger
man match manufacturers petitioned
the minister Of agriculture to cause
the foresters to plant aspen in the
state forests to supply wood for
matches without importing 1t. A sim
liar petition to their government was
presented by the French manufactur-
ers Of matches who wanted home
supply. At the same time the Russian
manufacturers Of matches asked their
government to take measures to check
the export of match wood to foreign
countries because the material was
needed at home.
In the United States as well as In
Canada a diligent search for choice
forests is maintained, and very large
tracts have been bought by compa-
MES In the match business not only to
meet present demands, but to provide
for years to come. In single year
one match company cut 225. .OO0. 600
board feet Of pine In the lake region.
The cut, however, In that instance was
exceptionally large in order to save
the timber, which was at that time
threatened by the ravages Of q bark
beetle. There are more than 100
match manufacturers IN the United
States and about half that number in
Canada.
Matches are manufactured In many
waya and with numerous kinds Of
machines. Nearly every manufactur-
Ing company has machinery made spe-
cially for its use and covered by pat
lents. and It also employs processes dis
covered or devised by its own chem
lists and mechanics and kept secret to
prevent rivals from obtaining and prof
fdng BY them. A single machine has
been known to turn out 177,926,4O0
matches In one day. boxed and labeled
ready for shipment.
Some matches are shaved with the
grain from sawed blocks; some are
cut both ways BY saws. In some tao
tories the blocks are boiled to make
them cut easily. BY some machines a
boiled or steamed log Is revolved ON
Its own axis, and a shaving the thick
ness OF a match Is cut round and
round. This shaving Is at the same