The weekly Iberian., 1916-11-11
LITTLE KNOWN
FOREST PRODUCTS
WIDELY USED,

VI "oou Win WHICH we are IAN
llar, mankind Is dependent upo
Tue forest for a variety of product
whose appearance does not ind
cate their origin, say members O
the Forest Service. Numerous a
these products are, and as exten
siVe as Is their use at th
present time, science is CONSTANT,
learning new constituents whlcI
enter into the make up of woo(
and Is finding new uses to which
these constituents and those al
ready known can be put. Powder
Tor munitions or blasting, disip
fectants for protection against
contagious diseases, and artifcia
SIX for clothing are among the
products obtained In whole or in
part wood.
Charcoal, as everyone knows, is
essential for the manufacture of
black powder. All of the acetope
used as a solvent in making nitro.
cellulose powders is derived from
acetic acid, product of hardwood
distlllation. Great Britain, it is
said, is dependent upon the United
| States for acetone used In making
cordlte. Black walnut Is a stand.
ard for gunstocks, and has been
SO much in demand for the past
two years that our supply of this
valuable wood has been considera
bly, reduced and other woods. no
tably birch, are being substituted.
From Europe comes the complaint
that there Is shortage of willow
for making wooden legs.
Pure wood alcohol is the only
substance which can be converted
commercially into formaldehyde.
which is universally used for dis
Infection against such contagious
diseases as smallpox, scarlet fever.
and tuberculosis. The experts at
the Forest Products Laboratory
have conducted extensive experl-
ments on the production of grain
or ethyl alcohol from wood and
have been successful in expert
mental work in raising the yield
and lowering the cost Of produc-
ton. If this process can be put
on commercial basis, the forest. !
ers say, it will result in putting
the millions of tons of coniferOus
sawdust and other material which
is now wasted every year to a |
profitable use.
BY converting cellulose. one of
the elements Of wood, into a gela.
tlnous material, known as viscose,
a wide field is opened up for the
utilization of wood waste, and
new line of products, varying all
the way from sausage castings to
tapestry, is added to the already
list. Many of the so.
called ''silk" socks, neckties and
fancy bralds now on the market
contain artificial silk made from
wood.
About nine tenths of all the pa.
per which we use is made from
wood. Besides the detailed inves.
legations of the methods of max.
ng newsprlnt paper, and of the :
production of paper from woods :
hitherto unused for that purpose,
which have been conducted, kraft ,
paper, which compares favorably .
with the best on the market, has /.
been produced experimentally at /.
he Forest Products Laboratory !.
rom longleaf.pine mill waste.
This kraft paper is brown in color :
IND is very much stronger than or.
llnary papers. 1t is used for !.
1ariety of purposes, and, cut into
'tIlps, is spun or twisted into
bread which is then woven into g
'nion and coffee bags, mating, I
uitcases and wall covering, simi. p
ar to burlap, and furniture close t
y resembling that made from Il
eeds, as well as other articles of
OmmOn use. "
Within the past year the Forest il
'r0ducts Laboratory has, by co. :
perating with manufacturers, sue. u
eeded in getting a dye made o
rom mill waste OF Usage orange p
ut on the market as a substitute "
Or fustic, which we impart from 81
amaica and Tehuantepec. p
These are only a few examples =
f the various lines of work car e.
led on at the Forest Products La. -
oratory, say the men in charge. :.
'ther activities, ranging all the ..
'ay from the study of decay IN =, =,
o0d to that of the resistance of =.
Ood to fire, are in progress, and :.
ew discoveries are constantly be. .
'g made. Incidentally, the For
st Products Laboratory, at Madi. "
N, Wisconsin, was the first of III
s kind in the world and is pr0ba- pl
y still the best equipped. With in
le possible exception of Germany, is
} other country has done as much ia
, the United States symtematlc C'
ly to investigate the possibili- in
es of it's forest resources. dc
L