KEvi i:\vs 73 



(pulp and paper). The productive capacity of Europe, the United 

 States, and of Canada is diminishing constantly in inverse ratio to the 

 capacity for consumption. The United States and Canada will place 

 restrictions on the devastation of their forests of pulp wood, and in 

 Europe the war has increased the great demand for material from 

 America, especially in the reconstruction of destroyed towns. Almost 

 all the wood needed for reconstruction in Europe must come from 

 America. 



Regarding forest devastation in Brazil, there has been protests since 

 colonial times, hut under the Empire and the Republic this condemna- 

 tion has been largely platonic. This almost criminal devastation was 

 accelerated by the lack of foreign fuel during the war and resulted 

 in the destruction of virgin forests fit for a better use than the funnels 

 of locomotives. 



The author predicts the increased export of ties to foreign countries 

 from Brazil. 



Another menace threatens Brazil — the erection of pulp and paper 

 mills — which will accelerate the devastation of the forest and which, 

 in the selection forests, will be particularly bad, since only one tree in 

 ten is suitable for pulp. Hitherto the Brazilian paper mills have been 

 chiefly confined to making wrapping paper — not book or newsprint. 



The author speaks of the growing shortage of pulpwood in Canada 

 and in the United States and the corresponding probable demand on 

 Brazil and other South American countries. 



Among the plants which are not natives of the forest but of great 

 importance in pulp production are rice-straw and bagasse, the pulp of 

 the sugar cane. 



The author also speaks of the possible use of leaves for making pulp 

 fur paper. This involves maceration, scraping, washing, and bleach- 

 ing, after which the pulp is ready. One thousand kilograms of leaves 

 yield the following: 250 kilograms of pulp. 200 kilograms of pure 

 charcoal, 30 kilograms of coal tar. 1 kilogram of pyroligneous acid, GOO 

 grs. acetone. 



The author recommends the founding of a laboratory of ''vegetable 

 technology'' similar to the Forest Products Laboratory at Madison, 

 Wis. The government which will give such a laboratory will confer 

 an inestimable benefit on Brazil with regard to teaching the people the 

 way to take care of their forest wealth, a possession, the value of which 

 until now, has been almost totally overlooked. A. B. R. 



