Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1917-10-19


of little-known branch of government, the forest
products laboratory situated at Madison, Wis,
Mr.. Hallauer and his associates hope to teach this
country how to save two billions of dollars an
nually.
He is confident that it can be done; that is that
the annual cut of wood, valued at two bill
lions be made into articles Of use which at
present prices would bring double that amount.
! 1t is a man-size job but the confident engineer
points proudly to unbelievably vast economies al
ready effected in the wood trades through the
work of the forest products aboratory's chemists.
They are in such terms that it would be hard to
tabulate the exact savings, but there is little
doubt that they run over S100OO00OO a year.
Few persons outside the wood trades know of
the laboratory, the first of it's kind ever to be es-
tablished but which has been initiated in num-
Der of countries since it began operation It's
annual appropriation is small for the work it
does something less than 100000.
The laboratory is now looked upon to save the
paper situation of the country, and it cheerfully
tackles the job Only recently announcement was
made in Washington that the laboratory had dis
covered that good grades of paper be made
from a number of far Western woods and that
Wisconsin paper mills already ordering
trainloads of wood chips from the West for paper
pulp. The cost of freight to Wisconsin is
than offset by the cheapness of the chips, and the
paper thus made is expected to prove a consider
able factor in relieving the paper famine.
A visitor who leaves Mr. Hallauer can scarce
ly believe that there is anything which cannot be
made from wood.
"How about the cabled story that the Germans
have discovered a food they make from wood
which they feeding to Russian prisoners?"
was the first question asked.
almost surely not true he said 1.-THE hui
man stomach cannot stand it. 1t is possible to
convert sawdust into cattle food and that
probably the foundation for the story"
But Germany from her forests is obtaining such
great results that if, as English writer recently
suggested impractcally England to destroy
Germany's forests the would surely end
very SOON Artificial cotton is one of the things
which are being supplied from wood. Paper shirts
are also being used, but then Japan is supplying
these to the Russian soldiers.
Germany has been driven to extreme of her
forests by necessity, but country with the ex-
ception of Germany has made such systematic
effort at developing forest products the United
States
Charcoal for the manufacture of black gun
powders is being obtained from dogwood, willow
and alder Great quantities of alcohol and ether
are made from imported molasses, but if we were
cut off from this material we could depend
upon the forests Alcohol could also be made from
grain but in war times grain would be required
for food. 1t is estimated that during the present
year 100000 gallons of denatured alcohol will
be used at home, while huge quantities are being
exported
The use of wood for gunstocks is generally IA
miliar. Our supply of seasoned black walnut, the
most suitable wood for the purpose, has been en-
-rey exhausted by the heavy demands of Europe.
Heretofore the practice has been to let gunstock
material air season for months before it would
)e worked up. Time became important that
artificial seasoning was resorted to, but improper
Methods destroyed too much of the material.
The forest products laboratory has per-
ected dry kilns which overcome the trouble, and
IS a further aid is perfecting methods of using
ther woods, notably BIRCH for gun stock. Then
here is the near relative of the gun stock the
wooden leg making heavy demands for willow.
ions of feet of lumber and heavy timbers
equired in war times for structural purposes,
uch as the erection of docks bridges, trenches
nd temporary shelters.
e made from wood. Pure wood alcohol is the
My substance that can be converted into for
laIdehyde, universally used for disinfection
gafnst such contagious diseases as smallpox,
rarlet fever. diptheria and tuberculosis. 1t is
lso used to prevent crop diseases by dislnfecting
lie seeds.
But the Importance of forest products for
Ipplies in way compares with their import
nee for industries. The largest of these the
mber. pulp and paper, naval stores and dis
llation industries. They employ than