HARDWOOD RECORD 



43 



H y.\y>:/xau>.^Ml'>MtfWiWtWiWt mama^ 



Pertinent Information 



Boosting Birch 



Secretary R. S. Kell&gg. in conjuuction with tlie advertising committee 

 of the Nortliern Hemlock nnd Hardwood Manufacturers' Association, 

 has made quite a name for himself as an advertising man. Working in 

 ^•onjunction with Chairman M. C. McCuUough of the advertising com- 

 mittee, he has gotten out some mighty live literature in the form of let- 

 ters, booklets, etc.. which has very materially increased the sale of 

 hirch and hemlock of the members of that association. 



One of the latest ideas in connection with the birch campaign is a 

 series of ten birch panels of eighth-inch stuff with various finishes 

 which can be successfully used on that most excellent wood. The panels 

 are arranged on two tapes and can be hung up conveniently on a small 

 space. The linishing material is all of the highest grade obtainable 

 and shows up the beauty of the wood to the best advantage. A large 

 numl>er of these samples will be sent out to architects and builders in 

 various parts of the country and will unquestionably result in increas- 

 ing the already active demand for birch. 



Bulletin of Lumbermen's Underwriting Alliance 



According to bulletin nuuiber GV>. issued by the Luml)ermen"s Under- 

 writing Alliance at Kansas City, the number of fires at lumber manu- 

 facturing plants this spring is in excess of the number of fires last 

 spring. The causes of fires at saw and planing mills are few and. 

 aside from fires caused by the exposition of one building to a confla- 

 gration at finolher building and, in addition, from lightning, it is proba- 

 ■ble that ninet.v-eight per cent of all fires listed were caused by the 

 spark hazard, the friction hazard, and the electric hazard. Under the 

 first heading are included sparks from locomotives, boiler stacks and 

 slab fires and the various hazards created by smokers. The friction 

 hazard is created by any friction of two surfaces, including hot bear- 

 ings. The electric hazard includes all dangerous features developed b.v 

 electric equipment, such as short-circuiting, the formation of the electric 

 arc, over-fusing, and overloading. 



The fire danger from any of these causes should be eliminated in any 

 well-watched mill that is kept clean. Combustion at the start is fre- 

 <iuently retarded if the only fuel and vehicle for fire is a clean floor 

 planking and clean, well white-washed timbers and lumber comprising 

 the structure itself. The usual fire-fighting equipment and facilities 

 promptly brought into action will, in most cases, speedily put such fires 

 under control. There is. however, no known means which can be relied 

 upon to save the mill if flames feed on dry sawdust and debris. In other 

 words, continuous cleanliness in mills is absolutely essential to the entire 

 prevention of destruction by fire. Without cleanliness all other safe- 

 guards and helps become ineffective. 



Indiana Forestry Report 



The State Forestry Board of Indiana has issued its twelfth annual 

 report in the form of a book of l.SO pages. The compilation is by Charles 

 C. Dean, secretar.v. Indiana was once a great timber state and it yet 

 stands high in production. The process of gradually working round from 

 natui-al forests to cultivated timber lots is slowly taking place. The 

 forest, in the old sense of the w.jrd. is largely a thing of the past there, 

 but much logging is carried on liy cutting timber on farmers' lots. Little 

 headway has yet been made in tret* planting for commercial purposes, but 

 the movement is under way. The present report devotes considerable 

 space to that subject, and a very important feature is a list of trees 

 which ought not be planted. It is poor business to waste time and money 

 planting a scrub tree when a good one is as easily planted. If some 

 such advice on the subject had been given the western people thirty or 

 forty years ago. some millions of box elders, soft maples, catalpas and 

 green ashes would not have been planted, but better trees would have 

 occupied timber claims, roadsides and door yards instead. 



Prospective tree planters in Indiana are furnished with lists of suit- 

 able trees for planting, and information is supplied as to the rate of 

 growth that may be expected of the various kinds. 



A valuable feature of the Indiana report consists of an outline course 

 in forestry study for the public schools. The instruction is. of course, 

 very simple, but it is practical and if carried out it will doubtless accom- 

 plish much good. This study is not designed to turn out tichuical 

 foresters, hut it will open the way to a better understanding of the 

 planting, care and value of trees. 



An Instrument for Locating Forest Fires 

 Step by step we are moving on to Iwtter methods of fire-tlghtlng. One of 

 the latest innovations in fire-fighting equipment is what is known as the 

 ■'Eric Outlook Table." which was invented by F, B. Knapp, an engineer and 

 forester. 



It is used in systems of fire protection which use the lookout station. 

 The lookout watchman is stationed where he can watch a wide expanse of 

 country. He is equipped with telephone connection, field glasses and the 

 "Eric outlook table." The latter is the key to the situation. When a Are 

 is discovered, it is sighted to by an alidade lying horizontally over the 

 "Erie outlook table " This table is no more than a topographical map of 



the region which falls within the watchman's eye, showing all of the moun- 

 tains, hills, valleys, railroads, huts, streams, roads, trails, oriented with 

 divided circle and alidade, pivoted at the center. 



This alidade measures off the exact compass direction of the fire — just 

 like a pilot compass. The watchman telephones his compass direction of 

 the fire to another away off on some other lookout station, who immedi- 

 ately gets his reading. Where the two readings intersect the fire is 

 located. It is now only a matter of men, tools and food to put it out. 



In the past, in some cases out West, some of America's biggest forest 

 fires were unavoidable because they could not be located within several 

 days. 



The New Hampshire State Forestry Department has adopted this new 

 invention and is finding it of the greatest value in locating forest fires 

 and in putting a fire fighting force into the field quickly. 

 Building Operations for May 



Sixty-five cities issued huildins,' permits during the month of May to 

 the total valu(^ of $80,609,773, compared with a total value of $78,209,- 

 529 for May last year, an increase of 3 per cent, as shown by reports 

 received by the American Contractor, Chicago. This is a gratifying 

 showing, in view of the fact that for the month of April the building 

 operations showed a decrease of about 6 per cent, as compared with 

 the corresponding month in 1912. and also in view of the fact that both 

 New York and Chicago reveal during May a somewhat lessened activity 

 than a year ago. Of the 63 cities gains were made in 28 and losses in 

 37. The most notable increases, together with percentages, were made 

 by the following : Birmingham, l.il ; Bridgeport, 114 ; Dallas. 256 : 

 Pittsburgh, 117 : South Bend, 99 ; Spokane, 99 ; Worcester. 95 ; Detroit. 

 87 : Cedar Rapids, 83. 



For the five months ending May 31. building permit reports from 65 

 cities show total costs of $289,148,595, compared with $298,543,903 

 for the first five months of 1912. a decrease of 3 per cent. 



May, 1913. May. 1912. — Per Cent — 



Clty^ Cost. Cost. Gain. Loss. 



Akron $ 584,380 $ 454.S00 29 



Albany 399.665 453.540 .. 11 



Atlanta 771.657 778,08!) .. 1 



Baltimore 835.147 .s:i(i,,-,(i2 1 



Birmingham 969.227 :iS.-.,34o 151 



Boston 2.538.900 1,188,(]75 114 



Bridgeport 249.672 



Buffalo 1.568,000 1.8S0.00O .. 17 



Cedar Rapids 293.000 llio.oou 83 



Chattanooga 70.390 90.640 .. 22 



Chicago 8.925.500 10.373,200 , . 14 



Cincinnati 790.572 785,777 1 



Cleveland 1.958.025 2.014.207 .. 3 



Columbus 613.338 507.122 3 



Dallas 1.107.405 310.923 256 



Denver 244.430 586.000 .. 62 



Detroit 3.900.645 2,088.075 87 



Evansville 183.859 136.457 35 



Ft. 'Wavne 237.2.50 304,815 .. 22 



Grand Rapids 320.957 287.044 12 



Harrisburg 124.0.50 239.025 . . 48 



Hartford 674,530 731,580 . , 8 



Indianapolis 1,088,479 841,895 29 



Kansas City 1.129,660 1,446,705 .. 22 



Lincoln 113.485 131.095 .. 13 



Lns Angeles 3.735.410 2.277.410 64 



Manchester 206.917 201.6.58 3 



.■Memphis 417.412 684,435 .. 39 



Milwaukee 1.391.591 1,244,849 12 



Minneapolis 1.260,645 955,260 32 



Xashville 117.275 1.56.444 .. 25 



Newark 1.683.705 1.290.469 30 



Xew Haven 351.936 463,021 .. 24 



Xew Orleans 417.086 342,617 22 



Manhattan 5.926.544 13.7.50,748 .. 57 



Brooklyn 3.091.270 4.722.274 .. 34 



Bronx 3.247.934 4,303.289 24 



Xew York 12,265,748 20,776,291 41 



Oakland 1,357.077 1.203,137 13 



Omaha 477.000 .590,020 .. 19 



Paterson 148,360 228.597 . . 35 



Philadelphia 4.170.095 3.996,785 4 



Pittsburgh 2.541.716 1,171.709 117 



Portland 848.530 1.528,496 . . 44 



Richmond 292.651 507.030 .. 42 



R'.chesler 1.078.387 1.'J56,.504 .. 14 



St. Joseph 90.525 161.615 .. 44 



St. Paul 1.072.903 930.063 15 



St. Louis 1.392,655 1,9.83,853 . . 30 



Salt Lake City 240.775 399.025 40 



San Antonl.i 275.156 573,604 .. 52 



Scranton 140.537 144.355 .. 3 



Seattle 683.380 738.110 .. 7 



Shreveport 1.58.070 123.1.53 28 



Sioux City 159.135 183,172 13 



South Bend 223.030 112,090 99 



Spokane 1,776,066 892.660 99 



Springfield 120.040 120.292 



Tacoma 231,902 137,l'.i5 69 



Toledo 479,930 l,392,o54 .. 65 



Topeka -. 109.804 lOU.O.'.o 9 



Trov 102.066 112. .560 .. 9 



Washington 976.3.32 1.599.330 . . 39 



Wilkes Barre .53.2.5li 1.58.808 .. 60 



Worcester 883,747 452.002 95 



Total J80.600.773 178,209.529 3 



A Valuable Idea of the Forest Service 

 The Forest Service has undertaken to assist students and others in 

 forestry along research lines by the publication of something entirely new 

 in bulletins. The first volume has already come from the public printer's 

 hands, which was of an introductory nature. Hereafter, however, the 

 prime object of the series will be followed and will keep all foresters 

 engaged upon investigative work in touch with each other and the results 

 of each study as it develops. The publication will go beyond the doings 



