The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1911-02-18
Department OF Agriculture Starts
an Experiment Wood Pulp Mill

an Experiment Wood Pulp MIL
Officials OF the U. $. Department Of
Agriculture have received with salts
faction announcement from the expert
mental ground wood pulp mill which
the Department has been equippnig at
wausau. Wisconsin, in cooperation
with the American Pulp and Paper As
ISOLATION. that the mill has begun TO
grind. The carrying on of the tests
now announced as under way was pro-
vided tor by special appropriation,
placed at the disposal of the Secretary
OF Agriculture by Congress last winter.
10 conduct tests Of the suitability for
paper making of plants and wood
which seem likely to become valuable
source of supply of new material.
Secretry Wilson considered that the
best use which could be made OF this
money would be TO conduct expert
ments on commercial scale, with var
ions kinds OF woods. Some OF these
have already been studded In the labor
atory, and found to be intrincically suit
able for pulp manufacture. Indeed.
the Forest Service mas actually made
paper by one-of the chemical processes
from several OF them. But In order
10 know whether they can protitably
lie utilized, under present conditions,
IL is necessary 10 test them under
- a ..anuFaofura com rablp IN
those employed In actual business OPP
CREATIONS. In particular. ID is desired 10
find out to what extent new woods can
be used for ground pulp, the cost OF
which is usually less than that OF
chemical pulp.
The Wausau mill has been built es-
pecially for the use OF the Government
for as long as the experiment NAV re-
auire. Its inside. dimensions are 40 by
100 feet, and IL is equipped with cleo
trical machinery aud all necessary APP
paratus of the most up-to-date tpye.
Part-oi the equipment is contributed
by the American Pulp and Paper AS
ISOLATION, and part is furnished by the
Government The Association. Will
also furnish the wood for the tests.
The wood now on hand includes car
load lots Of jack pine, spruce, hemlock,
and tamarack The jack pine Is to be
the FIRST wood tested.
While the experiments are intended
to cover wood from all parts Of the
country which. from the standpoint of
physical properties and available sup
plies. promise To furnish new material
for the paper making industry, "A spe-
cial point will be made OF tests OF
Western wood which are abundant IN
the National Forests. There are enor.
nous supplies Of various softwood in
these Forests for which there now ex
lists little demand, and this fact constr
tutes one OF the serious problems OF
management of the National Forests.
In order 60 have forests produce timber
steadily they must be- cut but IL there
isa market only for timber from this
most valuable kind Of trees the result
OF cutting is likely to be the disappear
ance of these trees and their replace
ment i'm the forest growth by speciei
which are not In demand.
Since the pulp mills take materia
too small for the lumber mills, specie
suitable tor paper making can be Gu
at low timber diameter. and thus Tn,
balance may be turned in favor Of tn
reproduction OF the more yaluahl
kinds of trees
In addition to the benefit which tn
public will derive from the advaEce
ment of forest conservation In oonss
auence OF the wool pulp experiment
OF the Government. there Ia the furth'
benefit OF cheaper paper which IL Is b
Iieved these experiments spoul1 NAL
possible. The price OF paper OF q
cheaper grades. including newspspe
has been advancing rapidly Of rece
years as the supply OF spruce
dwindled, and American mills are M
drawing q large part OF their sup
from Canada. II ground pulp Of
requisite quality can be made fr
ew and abundant woods as cneaply
&C In made from spruce, one OF
most serious problems OF the new
paper Publisher nowadays will
sheuld be considerably nmpli6ed.
LA GRIPPE COUGHS.
Strain and weaken the eyatem and