Los Angeles herald., 1909-04-19
TRY TO PREVENT
WASTE OF WOOD
FOREST SERVICE TAKES UP
NEW PROBLEM
MORE THAN FIFTY PER CENT OF
TREE uNuTlLlZED
Branch of Products Established to
Educate Lumber Handlers in
Regard to Use of By
Products

SAN FRANCISCO, April 1S.-Forest
conservation means the striving FOR
better utilization of forest products ana
the consequent checking of useless
waste as much at it does the protection
of forests from fires and the reforesta-
ton of lands which should grow timber,
according to foresters> and progressive
lumbermen of the new school,
Few people have a clear idea OF the
| Importance of the study of proper WOOD
utilization, and one of the effects OF the
establishment of the forest service ais
trict offices most beneficial to the peo-
pie of the west is the possibility OF
close, helpful relation with branch OF
| the service whose workings have mere
tofore been little understood in this
region. This is the branch of products.
| The work of this part of the Iorest
] service has to do with the best and
most economical utilization of the pro-
ducts of the forest, not only lumber ana
| its products but also the bark, resin,
sap and even leaves of these trees OK
which these parts are of value TO man.
1t is not enough that care should be
given to the growing of new forest
and to the careful and economical cut
| ting of the present crop of trees, but IL
| Is of equal importance that~care be
| taken to bring about as complete
utilization of the tree as possible ana 10
make the utilized timber serve It's pur-
pose as long as possible. To bring about
! the utilization of what is now wasted
in manufacture or to increase the
disable life of timber is considered as
much forest conservation as to grow
forest where the original has been
| cut off.
Fifty Per Cent Wasted
Since more than 80 per cent of the
growing tree is not utilized, according
| to American methods of numbering, 1t
appears that there is considerable
need of study along the line of more
economical utilization. Although exist
| ing conditions are so different as to
make comparison difficult. yet the fact
that in Germany practically so per cent
of the tree is used gives some lndlcatlofl
of what may be accomplished Where the
price of lumber and the lack of a suf-
ficient supply make efficient and care
| full methods Indispensable.
The branch of products has made a
special effort to make possible the
utilization of the waste incident TO
manufacture after the log has reached
the mill. For some time experiments
! have been carried on studying the pos
sibilities OF utilizing slabs and saWdust.
In regions where there is sufficient
demand a considerable income is de-
rived from the secondary manufacture
| by private parties or slabs and edgings
| into box shocks, barrel slaves and lath.
! AS yet private and federal EFFORTS TO
utilize sawdust have not been as sue
cessful as may be desired. The lines oil
most promise, however, have been It's
use in paper making and in the distil-
| lation of pine sawdust for the produc-
ton of turpentine. Much remains TO DE
accomplished, however, to make this
work an unqualified success.
ignorance Causes Waste
Still another dissipation of timber
wealth has occurred through prejudice
| or the ignorance of the properties or
| certain woods. For some reason GER
tain species have been considered as
| inferior largely because such preJu-
dice has been formed against them as.
to render them practically valueless
on the lumber markets, on which ac-
count they are left in the woods,
total loss In many cases the popular
| conception of their value has later not
been borne out by the facts, or has
been found to be the result of ignor-
ance of the proper method of handling
| these species.
Notable examples are those OF the
hemlock and red gum in the east,
which for a long time were considered
worthless and were wasted, but which
upon a better understanding of their
use and properties have come to- have
considerable value as lumber trees.
| The western hemlock and tanbark oak
! suffered the same fate and caused the
total loss of millions of feet of good
| lumber To eliminate this waste tim
| Der testing laboratories are conducted
| nv the forest service in which woods
| are tested to ascertain their true value
| and properties and to formulate meth
| DDS whereby they may take their right
! full place among the woods of econom-
| ical value to man.
The forest service, with district
Headquarters in San francisco Is ready
| to give what information it may have
at it's command concerning the value
and properties of any wood or to CO.
| operate with private individuals to
| make tests on woods concerning which
no information is at hand.
To Preserve Lumber
one of the chief lines of activities
in the San Francisco office of products
undoubtedly will be the preventative
treatment of timber, since the condl-
| tions of the timber supply in relation
| to demand in all parts of the country
are such as to make the increase of
! the durability of timber of greatest
import to those industries dependent
upon it's use. Considerable study in
| the preservation OF tlmDef USED IOr
cross ties has already been carried on
by the railroads which traverse this
region.
The most common and successful
treatment of lumber is the impregna
ton with some one of the solutions
| obtained from the distillation of coal
These substances prevent decay by
their action as antseptic against wood
destroying bacteria and fungi and by
preventing the entrance of moisture
| into the wood. Zinc chloride is used
to some extent, but being soluble in
water it teaches out after time and
| it's value as an antiseptic is lost.
This district also offers wide field
for active work in utilizing mill waste.
Because of a more plentiful timber
supply in this region, compared with
| several of the other districts. the lum-
bermen have not considered it neces
sary to make the closest utilization of
| the tree. In many sections the less
progressive mills are wasting noun
tains of sawdust which might be used
for wood distillation and the eXtrac-
ton of-turpentine and alcohol or even
| for fuel Thousands of tons of slabs
are wasted in the same way.
The office of products of this dis
| trict is DESTROYS of coming in touch
with all who use timber where pres
ervation would lengthen it's use and
stands ready to render practical as
| .ic+nuca both nv furnishing iDfOrTna-