Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-05-09

what is now considered saw mill waste. In
deed, it should ultimately almost abolish the
waste of wood. Sound parts can be
taken out of timber partly rotten, worm
eaten or otherwise damaged, and combined
to make good lumber.
The work which the laboratory has done
in designing packing boxes and other con-
tainers is especially interesting in view of
the fact that we are entering upon an era
of foreign trade competition. 1t is estimated
that the amount of loss due to the poor con-
tanners and poor packing methods used in
shipment averages more than $1O,00O,000
annually. The ultimate consumer pays this
little tax
The laboratory experts claim to have
proved by the work they did for the quarter
master corps that this loss be reduced
to negligible amount, and in addition, first
cost for containers can be greatly reduced,
and much space on carriers saved In every
case in which the laboratory designed spe-
ciaI cOntainer for some sort of goods, from
10 to 40 per cent was saved in shipping
space, and a gain in the strength of the
container made at the same time. The lab
oratory now proposes to go ahead and pre-
pare specifications for every kind of con-
tainer which is regularly used in foreign or
domestic trade. Everything from pins to
potatoes would then be shipped in boxes,
crates barrels, carefully adapted to pre-
serve the contents and occupy the least pos
| sibe space, and standardized as to material
what millions would be saved by this work.
| The application of preservatiyes to wood
| is another line of investigation in which the
war started the laboratory, and which prom
| Uses great things for the future. 1t is esti-
| mated that if all structural timbers, which
! are subject to decay were given preserv-
ative treatment, about 7,0O0,000,000 board
| feet of lumber would thereby be saved annu-
| ally. A preservatVe which added one year
to the life of timber would have third to
| a half of the annual consumption of wood.
! CrccsOte has heretofore been considered the
| best preserVative, but it has drawbacks as
! to color and odor. The laboratory is work
! ing on other preservatives which can be
more generally used
| During the war, the French air pilots re-
| jected about 80 per cent of the airplane pro-
| pellers because they were warped out of
| shape, until the forest products laboratory
| perfected a method of Waterproofng the
| wood This method they are now going on
| to apply to peace-time purposes. Doors and
| windows that warp are nuisance with which
| almost every one is familiar, but it is not
! so generally known that most furniture
made in this country can not be sold in the
tropics because it will not stand the change
| of humidity. Such furniture should be
treated by a special process Problems like
this the laboratory confidently expects to
solve
Loss of wooden structures by fire is due
very largely to carelessness, in the opinion
! or the laboratory experts, ana Cney 40 not
refer to carelessness in the of matches
and cigarettes, either They say that the
faulty use of wood in building is the cause
| of many fires, and they are carrying on in
| vestigations to determine just how wood can
safely be used. These experiments are ac-
companied by others in the making of wood
freproof. The experts say that there is no
reason why wood, the cheapest and most pill
ant building material, should be discrimi-
mated against because of its infammability
and it's lack of lasting qualities. Both of
these shortcomings, they say, can and will
| be overcome.