FOREST SERVICE. 249 



Work on the production of book and similar papers from cotton 

 1 inters was continued, and mill tests have demonstrated that a very 

 high grade of paper can be made. Two large companies are now 

 erecting plants for the manufacture of paper from this material, bas- 

 ing their plans largely on the experimental work conducted by the 

 laborator}'. AVork was continued on the determination of the suit- 

 ability of wood pulp for the manufacture of nitrocellulose, and an 

 acceptable pulp was developed for the use of the Ordnance Corps. 



A comprehensive study was made of the influence of deca}^ in wood 

 on the quantity and quality of pulp produced. Infected wood is esti- 

 mated to cause losses in pulp yields of up to 20 per cent, while the 

 losses in stored pulp are probabl}^ at least $5,000,000 a year. The 

 effect of a wide variety of preservatives on ground wood pulp laps, 

 the infection of wood under various moisture conditions, the isolation 

 and identification of the organisms causing decay, and the local con- 

 ditions under which pulp is stored were investigated. 



Efforts to get the results of investigations widely known and prac- 

 tically applied included publication through Government bulletins, 

 periodical articles, and mimeographed technical notes; commercial 

 demonstrations of new and improved methods; cooperative instruc- 

 tion courses; and the maintenance of close contact with the wood- 

 using industries generalh'. 



These measures facilitated the early and general utilization of re- 

 sults and brought more requests for assistance than could possibly be 

 met. Practical training courses in kiln-drjnng, glue work, and box- 

 ing and crating have been developed to meet these requests more 

 effectively. These courses, largely attended by factory superintend- 

 ents, have proved one of the most satisfactorj^ means of getting the 

 results of the laboratory into actual use. 



A much wider use by American industries of the practical results 

 of the studies could readily be brought about. A large percentage 

 of the time of the research staff is being given to the handling of 

 impiiries, to the detriment of further study of problems that are of 

 urgent importance. To preserve a proper balance between research 

 essential to further progress and efforts to secure application of the 

 results of past research, either the working force must be increased 

 or a limitation must be placed on the time given to making results 

 available to industry. 



In the National Forest districts in the West the work in forest 

 products consisted largely in the advising of administrative officers 

 on current problems connected with forest and wood utilization and 

 the development of markets for the closer utilization of National 

 Forest timber. Time and cost studies of logging and milling opera- 

 tions were also conducted, the results of which will be of value both 

 to private operators and in National Forest administration. 



FOREST MANAGEMENT. 



Under this head is included a wide range of investigations having 

 to do with the botanii al and silvical characteristics of trees and 

 forests and with their protection, reproduction, and growtli. In 

 nearly all of them ol)servations covering many years are necessary 

 to establish definite conclusions. For this reason the bulk of the 

 work is being centralized as rapidly as possible at Fore.st experi- 



2443.5— AOR V.yj(y 17 



