The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-02-03
WOOD FOR MAKING PENCILS.
Rapid Consumption of the Suppiy-In-
PRODUCTION OF East African Cedar.

PRODUCTION OF East African Cedar.
AT time when our principal poncil
wood Is practically exhausted discov-
cry OF another suitable wood tending
to relieve this state of things is a boon
difficult TO overestimate. The proper.
ties OF the native pencil cedar, which
includes the northern red cedar tJuni-
perus barbadensisl, are so marked and
SO different from those of other COM
mercial woods that IL seems almost
hopeless 10 find satisfactory substi-
tute. Other native species Of the genus
Juniperus yield woods nearly similar TO
the regular pencil cedar, and they have
all been tested for use in the pencil
industry. While these woods have nor
given entire satisfaction, a good deal III
the available supply will eventually be
used for making pencils.
There is no other wood using indus
try in the United States so dependent
upon a single species as the pencil in
dustry is upon red cedar. The scarcity
of the pencil material will soon be felt
in Europe. A firm in Nuremberg, Ger,
makes annually over 300000000 lead
pencils out OF the American cedar. Abolt
100000 tons, or 100000 cubic feet of
wood are required for making these pen
ellis. An equal amount is consumed an
nually in the United States in the PEN
ell industry alone. This makes to-
tai consumption of over 100000 tons, or
about 100000 cubic feet of wood an
nually, or little over 600 tons of cedar
wood are used for pencils each day in
the year. How long the supply will |
last at this rate of consumption is dfiI- |
cult to say, but it is certain that un-
less a suitable substitute is introduced |
some of the mills now in operation must |
shut down inside OF few years.
The requirements for wood used in |
the pencil industry are most rigid. The |
wood must be soft, light, strong. close
and straight grained, free from defects
and must not check and warp. The ply
steal properties of cedar are subject to
variation due to soil ard
climate conditions, and for this eason
il must be carefully inspected and grad
ID as to quality. The lightest and soft
est wood is produced on the swampy
of Georgia and Florida. The
older the tree the softer and the better
the wood becomes. The wood of the
she'll of rotten logs is said to be the
best for making pencils. The hard,
Unity wood such as is obtained prin-
,ipally from trees on dry upland, or
near its western limit OF distribution,
s considered a poor grade.
Pencil makers both in this country
md abroad have long since then teen
searching for suitable wood to take
he place of cedar, and an announce
nent has been made that substitute
l. 4.
which may be obtained in sufficiently
arge quantities at reasonable price.
n Europe this announcement was &C
epted at its face value. In America
he pencil makers prefer to wait, pond
ng more exact information, for fear
hat this discovery may share the fate
I many others, which, under the rig
rous tests OF quality amount OF avail
bic supply and cost of production, have ,
allied to realize the anticipations formed j
V them, or even to establish claim
/ commercial value. There can be very 9
title doubt, however, in the case OF I
he wood from East Africa, becausa it :
known to he very good wood. and :
enciI makers in Europe have tested it "
nd found it to be an excellent suEsti- n
ite for the American cedar. q
The introduction of a new wool Is
sually very slow, and the promoters :,
"a exploiters of strange woods FIRE !,
lently score heavy losses, although the II
nds they import are good and useful. "
his East African cedar is now ne n,
g imported into Germany and it is II
1ely that it viii soon be used in this cr
untry. The tree which yields the a.
God is very closely allied to our penn q
cedar and is known botanieallv as n
lniperus procera. 1t forms beau ~
tu tree from rs to l25 feet in height Il
ID from two to four feet in diameter. 80
Baltimore American. m