REPORT OF THE FORESTER. 187 



reasons, if any, which are withholding National Forest timber from 

 local markets, were continued in nearly all of the districts. Investi- 

 gations are under way to ascertain the cause for brown stain in sugar, 

 western yellow, and western white pine lumber, and to develop pre- 

 ventatives. Several National Forest species were found to be suit- 

 able for kraft paper of an excellent grade. Engelmann spruce was 

 found suitable for sulphite pulp. A report was prepared, as the result 

 of an extensive field study, on the possibilities of pulp and paper pro- 

 duction in Alaska. Approximately 5,000 mechanical tests were made 

 of National Forest species, and other tests were initiated to determine 

 the possibility of utilizing the products secured through distillation 

 of National Forest species in the flotation process of mineral reduction. 



Forest Products Laboratory. — The growing value of the Forest Prod- 

 ucts Laboratory as a source for information and advice to the various 

 wood-using industries and the general public was indicated by the 

 receipt of approximately 18,000 inquiries for data on the properties 

 and uses of American woods and by visits to the laboratory of ap- 

 proximately 4,000 persons, including representatives from eight for- 

 eign countries. Cooperative relations were maintained with a con- 

 siderable number of individuals, companies, associations, States, and 

 other Federal departments in various investigations and tests. 



Investigations by the Forest Service of particular importance in the 

 news-print situation were continued. Tests on 22 species to improve 

 methods and to determine the suitability of various species for the 

 ground-wood process, which supplies in part the material for news- 

 print, have been reported previously. Engelmann spruce, found in 

 arge quantities on the National Forests, has been shown to be suitable 

 r or manufacture under the sulphite process, which supplies the other 

 pulp constituent of news-print, and efforts are now under way to 

 determine the feasibility of chipping and drying this wood for ship- 

 ment to the mills of the Lake States, which have practically exhausted 

 the local supply of spruce and are now largely dependent upon Cana- 

 dian timber. These efforts are of great economic importance because 

 of the possibility of retaining in the United States the news-print 

 industry, which for the past few years has been moving rapidly to 

 Canada. 



One of the most important problems of the lumber industry has 

 been an efficient utilization of low-grade material. Low grades are 

 used in a large percentage of the wooden boxes now manufactured. 

 The railroad companies of the United States are paying annually 

 claims amounting to many millions of dollars because of damages to 

 goods in shipment. Much of this damage can be prevented through 

 properly constructed boxes. Tests conducted at the laboratory indi- 

 cate for canned-food boxes an increase in strength of 300 per cent by 

 the use of four additional nails in each end. The results of these 

 tests are being adopted rapidly by manufacturers and canners. 



In the kiln drying of lumber the most important developments of 

 the year were the discovery of a method of piling which improves 

 circulation, the perfection of a method for southern-pine lumber 

 which permits drying in 39 hours from green to shipping weight with 

 a loss of less than 1 per cent, and the perfection of a method for red 

 gum, one of the most difficult and refractory woods to dry, which 

 reduces ordinary commercial losses of approximately 15 per cent to 



72412°— age 1916 13 



