128 DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS. 



MECHANICAL AND OTHER PROPERTIES OF LEATHER PREPARED BY TAN EXTRACTS 



FROM DIFFERENT NATIVE TANBARKS. 



An investigation to determine the mechanical properties of leather 

 from different tannages will be begun at the request of a leading manu- 

 facturer of American leathers, upon samples to be furnished by him 

 and other manufacturers. This study follows naturally upon the 

 investigation of tan barks already mentioned. It is expected to yield 

 important results upon the comparative wearing qualities of leathers 

 prepared by various tannages. 



CONIFEROUS PRODUCTS. 



Turpentine orcharding. — This investigation will be continued for 

 this season along the lines already described. A comparative study 

 of European and American methods on the ground will be undertaken 

 and should be of very great advantage to the development of the new 

 method now under experiment. 



Distillation of pine woods. — The preliminary study already made of 

 the distillation of waste Longleaf Pine butts for the production of 

 turpentine and other by-products will be continued, with a view to its 

 application to waste pine tops. 



FOREST STATISTICS. 



An effort will be made to begin the collection of data showing past 

 and present consumption of raw and manufactured wood of various 

 kinds for all purposes. The investigation is planned to include a 

 considerable number of American and foreign woods in home and 

 foreign markets and the i^roductioii and value of forest by-products. 



PRESERVATION OF WOOD. 



The mechanical treatment of railway and other construction tim- 

 bers with preservatives to increase their durability and comparative 

 studies of the behavior and durability of treated and untreated tim- 

 ber in actual service will be continued. Further study of the causes 

 of decaj' in timber and methods of prevention will be made. These 

 investigations will be conducted in cooperation with the Bureau of 

 Plant Industry. 



TIMBER TESTS. 



In cooperation with the Bureau of Chemistry, a series of tests to 

 determine the strength of the principal merchantable timbers of the 

 United States has been commenced. There is an urgent and wide- 

 spread demand for reliable information of this kind, and it is intended 

 to take up the work in a very thorough way. The Division of For- 

 estry began in 1891 tests which related principally to the southern 

 pines and which in 1896 were discontinued. Beyond this no sj's- 

 tematic tests of American timbers have ever been made. 



The work in timber testing now undertaken by the Bureau of For- 

 estry will be of direct practical value to engineers and to others inter- 

 ested in the utilization of timber. Testing stations have already been 

 established at Washington, D. C, and at New Haven, Conn., the lat- 

 ter in connection with the Yale Forest School, and their number will 

 be increased as rapidly as possible. Experienced engineers will be 

 employed in the laboratories, and the material will be collected by 

 trained men. 



