Evening star., 1923-08-05
Uses of Wood.
Copyright. 1929

IF one were to approach a person on
the street and be so impertinent
as to tell him that the stockings ne
wore were made largely from wood
1t is most probable that he would
regard you as being suitable can
didate fora lunatic asylum. Equal
ly surprised (and Indignantly would
be a young lady IL we told her that
her silk frock was so per cent wood.
Furthermore, you would be stili
more amazed if, while at breakfast,
some one impaired the information
that the sausage you were eating
had castings made of pure wood.
| Silk is composed largely of cellu-
| lose, and as wood is composed chief
ly of that substance, Ii has been
found possible to produce silk from
| wood. The cellulose of the wood IS
| first converted into substance
known as viscose, which greatly re-
sembles celluloid and is often used
as a substitute for it; also as cas-
ing for sausages. In the production
of silk the viscose is dissolved in
water, forced through the capillary
tubes of a spinning machine and the
fine threads produced are hung up -
dry and to be converted into cellulose
by warm currents of air The threads
woven then into silk cloth
with a cotton warp. This artificial
silk is difficult to distinguish from
/" - ! v"
the original product and Is Offering
keen competition to the original ar
t
In Wisconsin there is what is
known as the forest products labora-
tory. and IL Is there that Uncle Sam
employees a staff of experts to find
means of extending the usefulness
of wood in the daily life of the ma
tion and further to perfect the varI-
Gus chemical and mechanical proc
esses directly connected with wood.
The laboratory is provided with min
iature paper making machines. ap-
paratus for the production of grain
alcohol. still, apparatus for the
study of fire prevention and, In fact.
everything necessary for the practi-
cal experimentation of processes in
volving wood.
There are many varieties of trees
of little commercial value. Many of
these the laboratory has put through
rigid test Among those which
have come triumphantly through
their examination are the white FIR,
several species Of which are found
in our Pacific coast states; the lodge
pole pine, also western growth;
Engelmann spruce. perhaps not so
well known, and several others
Paper made from the wood or
these trees has been tried out sue
cessfuny on several metropolitan
dailies.
Even the bark of trees is not
overlooked in this efficient labora-
tory. Hemlock. in particular. is
promising in this respect. The
bark where utilized at all now is
burned as fuel. 1t could. however.
be employed in the manufacture OF
felt roofing. Rag stock. now quite
precious. is largely used in the in
dustry. Hemlock bark could take
up an appreciable percentage of this
work. AS the annual output OF
roofing felt approximates 100000
tons, this conservation Is of prime
! importance.
The consumption OF wood in the
United States Is enormous. 1t is
claimed by reliable authorities that
almost $4,000 900. 900 board feet of
wood are cut yearly in this country
alone.
| There are more than million men
employed in the United States in the
various phases of the lumber indus
! try. 1t may be safe to assume that
So, ,0oO, 100000 Is just valuation of
the annual product. Here is busi-
ness so gigantic in its proportions
that this laboratory's findings are
of prime Importance, not only too
manufacturers, but TO the nation at
large.