Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-10-12
LITTLE KNOWN FOREST PRO-
DUCTS WIDELY USED


IN addition to the ordinary uses OF
wood with which We are familiar, man
kind is dependent upon the forest for
variety Of products whose appear
ance does not indicate their origin.
saw members of the Forest Service.
Numerous as these products are. and
as extensive as is their use at the
present time. science is contanJly
learning new constituents which enter
INTO The makeup Of wood and is md
ins new uses to which these C0nsti-
tuentS and those ALREADY known can
Re put Powder for munitions or
Blasting, distinfectants for protection
AGAINST contagious diseases. and 1rtt-
fetal silk for clothing are among the
products obtained in whole or in part
from wood.
Charcoal, rs everyone knows. is es-
sential for the manufacture of black
powder. al OF the ace,one used as 4
solvent IN making nitloCtlu.ose pow
ders is derived from aatic acid, .
product of hardwood dis citation. Great
Britain. II is said. is dependent upon
tie United States for ayet0u5 used in
making cordite. BLACK walnut IS
standard for gunstocks. and has been
SC much in demand for ,ae past two
years that our supply OF tHis valuable
wood has been considerable reduced
ana other woods, notably birch, ara
heng substituted. From Europe comes
the complaint that there IS shortage
q willow Tor making wooden less.
lure wood alcohol is JI5 only sub
stance which can be converted COM
mcIclally into fermaldrbydo, which is
universally used for disntection
against such contagious diseases as
smallpox, scarlet fever and tubercu'
iosis. The experts at The Forest Pro
duets Laboratory have conducted eX
tens!ye experiments on TIE production
ol grain or ethyl alcohol from wood
and have been successful in expert.
mental work in raising The yield ana
lowering the cost Of production. II
tbs process can be put cu a CONNER
cial basis, the foresters say, it Will re-
suit in putting the millions Of tons
d coniferous sawdust and other ma
teridl which is now wasted every year
tc a profitable use.
BY converting cellulose, one Of the
elements Of wood. into a selatnous
material, known as yiscose, a wide
field is opened up for the utilization Of
wood waste, and a new line OF pro-
ducts, varying all the way from saul
sage castings to tapestry, is added to
tht already lengthy list. Many Of the
socalled silk socks, neckties and
fancy braids now on the market con-
tain artificial silk made from wood.
About nine-tenths Of all the paper
which We use is made from wood.
BESIDES the detailed investigations OF
the methods of making newsprint
paper and Of the production OF paper
from woods hitherto unused for that
purpose, which have been conducted.
Kraft paper, which compares fayorably
with the best on the market, has been
produced eIperimentally at the Forest
Products Laboratory from iongleaf-
pine m.ll.waste. This kraft paper IS
brown in color ard is very much
stronger than ordinary papers. Il Is
used for 4 variety Of purposes. and,
cut into strips, is spun or twisted into
thread which is then woven into onion
and coffee bags. mating, suitcases
and wall covering, similar to burlap,
and furniture closely resembling that
made from reeds, as well as other
articles Of common use.
Within the past year the Forest Pro,
ducts Laboratory has, by cooperating
with manufacturers, succeeded in get-
ting a dye made from mill waste of
Usage orange put on the market as a
substitute for iustlc, which we import
from Jamaica ana Tehuantepec.
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