Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1910-07-20
TURPENTIHE NOW
FROM DRY WOOD
INTERESTING EXPERIMENT AT
FOREST LABORATORY GIVES
GRATIFYING RESULTS.

Were turpentine one Of the com
modities forming the lbasis Of the
general protest against the high cost
OF living. II might be of some consoia-
ton to those concerned to know thar
thes United States government expert
mental station at the university nas
found a means whereby dead trees
can be tapped as well as those that
still have their roots and life.
The department OF wood distilation
under the direction of DR.. l.. r. Haw-
ley can be laurel crowned by some
magnanimous paint firm If turpenune
manufacturers at some time or other
raise their prices on the product. The
Investigations started by this labora-
tory Immediately after the big build
ing was opened June 4, are still IN
thei;, infancy but II Is believed that
from experiments already made, and
results attained, the laboratory VIII
do much in the way of informing the
general public how apparent waste
matter can be utilized and that some
of the things that may be deemed as
dead may still be among the living.
The object of the wood distiTlation
department is to learn what use can
be made of what is ordinarily known
as waste wood. This Of course In.
cludes such wood as cannot be made
use CT in the saw mills after the tree
trunks are sawed into logs and
boards. 1t is said that only about
one half Of the tree can be usf for
lumber and that more than fly pei
cent. Of It is thrown away as useless
Several years ago turpentine manu-
facturers Of the south decided thai
something could be done with thi'
waste and by a boiling process sue
ceeded in obtaining crude turpen
tine that could not be marketed rs
odor was different from what Il
should have been. and IN addition tc
that, lts color was very dark.
Then the United States took hold
Of II. 1t experimental extensively IL
the laboratories at Washington. but
IL was moi till very recently right here
in Madison, at the local experimental
station. that the only practical meth
Cd OF refining this crude article was
discovered The result was that Dr
Hawley mas found himself In posses
sion of a bottle of turpentine as pure
az oolorless and as turpentiny as ans
that has ever been tapped from the
! live trees. And what Is better. be
has managed after long series 81
tests, to boil Il out Of the dead woot
| that came to him Ike so much kind
ling
fnst thls may become a profitable
industry without destroying TIE woot
wit be tho object Of future expert
ments ia This laboratory SO far i
has been found necessary 70 grind th'
wood into small pieces and mix those
with shaYings and saw dust but f. Is
thought that IN the course Of tins
after more experiments have beer
made. large pieces 81 wood logs an'
lumber alike may be tapped Of thei
VALUABLE chemical properties before
being sawed into boards and shin
giles. Tae wood from which turpen
tine Is made fs southern white pine
Precisely how Dr. IIawleY Manages
10 get the turpentine from dead wOo'
ard then refine Il viii Of course hav'
r. remain government secret 70
the present bat II there are an
doubling Thonases, all these have .
do Is walk into bis laboratory and se
| the bottles Of good refined turDentin
taken out Of dead wood that has bse'
thrown away as useless.