Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-04-18
THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICUL TURE--IV
J

administration work OF the Forest Ser
vice Is Of vital Importance to tho ma
tons meat supply. through it's regula-
ton and conservation Of tho grazing
Since tho grazing on national forests
has been under departmental super
vision the number OF an'n,iis that
the range supports has Increased over
- per CEN. end the grazing IL IN bet
te: condition than 1t was wien the
service took charge There ura sill;
2Sr.t0o.0U0 acres OF public land used
largely TO- glazing. which lie outside
the national forests not under govern.
ment supervision. These enormous
areas are not supporting nearly AS
many meat animals AS they might un-
d":a better s3 STEM y Wise .rcr-
5rIcy var RE; cure, and oae which
would benefit the country greatly
would be the placing OF the grazing
On these public lands Under the SUI
rerviSiCn of the experts OF the forest
service.
Thanks 10 the work Of the .o,c.t
products laboratory. the United States
has more information available on tho
strength and mechanical properties OF
timber than any other nation in the
world. Last year. 1880 tests we're
made on the strength Of different kinds
OF timber. and the total number OF
government tests Is over 900 This
Is very important line OF work where
trench warfare is concerned. Millions
OF feet OF lumber are needed for trench
and duSout building. and ii liz essen
tial to know it's strength and qualities
In this connection arises the immense
wooden shpbuilding program which
has been planned. A thousand wooden
merchant ships are to be rushed 10
completion. the greatest fleet that WAS
ever launched All the timber that
goes into them must be inspected and
passed upon. AS ono forest service
man puts it, there is as much differ
cncc between two planks as between
Two horses and il needs an expert I'm
each ease to judge. The forest SER
vice has the men for inspection work,
and the most comprehensive data OBJ
tainable on American timbers.
Numerous other wood products en-
ter into war materials. Wood four IL
the favoritc absorbent base for the
nitrogl yccrin that combines with Il
TO make dynamite Acctonc. 4 product
OF wood distillation. the same process
that yields wood alcohol. is an essen
'tial constituent Of many high explo-
sives. on this list is corditc. the stand
ard high explosive OF the British en-
pire. Methods for increasing the ylcld
of acetonc have been worked out in
the Federal laboratory.
IT is possible that wood itself NAV
be used directly IN the production OF
nlRn explosive pDWderS This ig
question that Is puZzling the scientists
Of Europe. Many OF them think that
Germany has solved IL. Since tho al
lies declared cotton contraband. Il IL
almost certain that the Tcutons have
not got enough cotton TO use for this
purpose. and Just what they arc using
in its place is subject OF endless
speculation Many British scientists
think they are using the celiuiose Of
wood. but others hold that the process
presents SO many difficulties that il Is
practically impossible.
Many minor uses are found for wood
products in war Finely ground Trash
wood Hour Is said 10 make u fine dress
ing Tor wounds. On the Russian front
many OF the soldiers are wearing pa
pcr shirts. made from wood pulp. They
borrow this custom from the Japanese
The shirts have many advantages for
var work. notably because they arc
SO cheap that they solve tho problem
Of cleanliness. and thus do much TO
prevent wound Infection. y dirty pa
per shirt can he burned and replaced
with fresh ono. The garments are
said to be warui and comfortabic
In the matter Of timber resources. az
source Of wood and its numerous
products. the United States has an in
eXhhustiblc supply. More important
even than the law material IL the
knowledge and the methods necessary
to make use Of II. The time has como
when the years of patient work by the
scientists OF the department will hear