Evening journal., 1912-10-03
LEAD PENCIL
SUPPLY MAY
SOON GIVE OUT

"i6 ShOllhtpn OF iedQ pencils through
out the entire world is forecast in
current number OF the Scientific
American. unless a substitute wood
can be found to take the place Of the
practically exhausted supply OF
american pencil cedar The proper
tles OF the native pencil cedar-which
includes the Northern red cedar and
ooutnern cedar--are so marked and
SO different from those Of other com
merclal woods that il seems almost
hopeless 10 find a satisfactory sub
stitute. Even now earnest experi-
ments are being made with several
varieties in the hope OF finding
suitable substitute. The most recent
Is win an East African variety Of
wood resembling cedar.
Ihere is no other wood-using in
uustry in the United States so de-
pendent uron a single species as the
pencil entry is upon red CEDAR" says
the scientific journal. "The scarcity
OF the pencil material will soon be
felt also in Europe A firm i'm Nh
tremburS, Germany, makes annually
lover 300,000000 lead pencils out of
3the American cedar. About 100. 600
tons, or 100000 cubic feet of wood
are required for making these pen-
ellis. An equal amount Is consumed
annually in the United States in the
pencil industry alone This makes
e total OF more than 100000 tons, CT
4aAcut 10000 900 cubic feet of wood
2annually; or little over 600 tons of
a eeaar wood are used for pencils each
Nay IN the year. How long the sup
}ply Vii last at this rate OF consump-
zion is difficult to say but 1t is GER
tain that unless suitable substitute
Is introduced some of the mills now
IL opeiation must shut down inside
o. a few years.
Wood NJ st De Good.
The requirements for wood used IN
the pencil industry are most rigid
Tie wood must be soft, light, strong
close and strong-grained free from
de ects and must not check or warp
Tie physical properties of cedar are
subject to considerable variations due
to soil and climate conditions, and
for this reason it must be carefully
inspected and graded as to quality.
7 e ghtest and softest wood is pro-
duced in the swamp hummocks Of
Flo da and Georgia.
Tile older the tree, the softer and
beteg the wood becomes The wood
OF the shell OF rotten logs is said to
be the best for making lead pencils.
TIE hard fiinty wood. such as is OBJ
tanned principally from trees on the
dry uplands or near its western limit
OF distribution, is considered poor
grade.
Pencil makers both in this country
and abroad have long since been
searching for a suitable wood to take
the place of cedar, and an announce
ment has been made that a substi-
tute was discovered in East Africa,
which may be obtained In sufficiently
large quantities at reasonable price.
In Europe this announcement was ac-
ccpted al its full face value. In
America the pencil makers prefer to
wait, pending more exact information
for fear that thi discovery may
share the fate of many others, which,
under the rigorous test Of quality
amount of available supply, and cost
of production, have failed to realize
the anticipations formed by them OF
even TO establish a claim to CONNER
cial value There can be very little
doubt, however, in case of the wood
from East Africa. because it is known
30 be very good weed, and pencil
makers have tested it and found il
70 be an excellent substitute for rhs
American cedar.
New Wood Comes Slowly.
THE introduction of a new wood Is
usually very slow, and the promoters
and exploiters OF strange woods fire.
quently score heavy losses, although
the kinds they import are good ant
useful. This Eaat ffrican cedar Is
now being imported into Germany
and it is likely that 1t will soon b
used in this country. The tree which
yields this wood is very closely allied
to our pencil cedar and is knowf
botanically as Juniperus procera. Il
forms beautiful tree from 70 to i2s
feet in height. and from to feet n
diameter. Sclater, az English natur
al'st states that in British Eas
AfriLa the tree often attains height
OF 200 feet and a diameter of feer
East African cedar is distributed ovei
the mountainous districts from Abys-
sinia southwark into German Eas
Africa, and Is found in great abun
dance around Killiamandscharo.
Similar 70 our native cedar, th'
wood is soft, light durable, easil,
IS worked, highly scented, Of good color
uniform texture and fine grained. III
annual rings OF growth are indistine
to the unaided eye. The surface CS
posed b. cutting the wood with
sharp knife Is very smooth and
a satiny lustre These are facts whicl
will place this wood on par will
the American pencil cedar not onl,
in the manufacture OF lead pncils
but for othe purposes requiring espe
cially fine grained and durable WOOD.