THE HAWAIIAN FORESTER 

 AND AGRICULTURIST 



Vol. XV. Honolulu, February. 1918. No. 2 



FOREST SERVICE IN THE WAR. 



"Upon the rupture of diplomatic relations with Germany," 

 says the report of the federal department, "the forest service 

 began to plan for meeting the responsibilities which, if war fol- 

 lowed, it should assume." Among these were emergency assist- 

 ance in the protection of public works and transportation lines 

 and the gathering of military reconnaissance information valu- 

 able to the war department. 



Wood and other forest products have almost innumerable 

 uses in modern warfare, it is pointed out. Never before has the 

 demand for exact knowledge been so urgent. "In the work 

 relating to forest utilization and forest products, the resources 

 of the service have been employed to the limit of their capacity 

 since the war began in rendering assistance to the war and navy 

 departments, the emergency fleet corporation, various commit- 

 tees of the council of national defense, and manufacturers of 

 war orders. The peace-time program has been largely discon- 

 tinued. The force and the work have been centered in Wash- 

 ington and Madison. Every effort has been made to bring 

 available knowledge to the attention of the organizations which 

 have need for it and to assist in anticipating their problems." 



Much of the work has concerned aircraft material. It has 

 included also problems connected with the construction of 

 wooden ships and of vehicles. Assistance has been given to 

 hardwood distillation plants in order to increase the production 

 of acetone and other products needed for munition making. A 

 commercial demonstration has shown that costs of producing 

 ethyl alcohol from wood waste can be materially reduced. 

 Methods have been developed by which walnut and birch can 

 be kiln-dried in a much reduced time with comparatively little 

 loss. In general, the report says, "much assistance has been 

 given on a great variety of war problems relating to forest re- 

 sources and the manufacture, purchase, and most efficient use 

 of wood and other forest products." 



Tuberculosis control among dairy cattle for January, accord- 

 ing to the report of the Assistant Veterinarian, shows 31 animals 

 condemned out of 870 tested, or 3.56 per cent. It will be 



