732 JOURNAL OF FORp;STRY 



equivalent to 14,000,000 tons dead weight (according to statistics of 

 timber importations for 1915-16) would be saved. 



Announcement has been made that the Minister of Reconstruction is 

 now giving careful consideration to this report, with a view to ascer- 

 taining how far and by what means effect may be given to the recom- 

 mendations of the forestr}^ subcommittee. 



Eastern Spruce eor Airplane Manufacture 



Eastern spruce has for some time been used for airplane construc- 

 tion in the United States, although only a very small percentage of this 

 timber is sufficiently clear for this purpose. Tests made by the United 

 States and Canadian governments show that where material of suitable 

 quality can be found, Eastern spruce serves admirably for airplane 

 construction, and may be expected to supplement in a very valuable 

 way the supplies of Sitka spruce from the West. 



The Imperial (Canadian) Munitions Board has now taken up the 

 question of securing in eastern Canada as large an amount as possible 

 of Eastern spruce of the grades suitable for airplane manufacture. 

 This work is being carried on in co-operation with limit-holders and 

 sawmills, and a foundation is being laid which will undoubtedly result 

 in the spruce of eastern Canada becoming a valuable contributing factor 

 toward winning the war in the air. 



The material for this purpose has to be sawed parallel to the bark, 

 instead of parallel to the axis of the log, as is done for lumber. In this 

 way, straight-grained boards are obtained, having the highest possible 

 percentage of material free from knots and possessing a maximum of 

 strength. 



Timber Re.sources of the British Isles 



An erroneous idea as to the British timber resources seemed to pre- 

 vail before the war, according to a London trade paper. It seemed to 

 be the opinion that the coal mines were dependent on supplies of pit- 

 wood from overseas, and that in the absence of their importation fur- 

 ther operations would be impossible. Although the country has been 

 at war for four years, no shutting down has occurred. In 1917 ap- 

 proximately 995,000 loads of mining timbers were imported, as against 

 an importation of 2,477,000 loads in 1914. This difference was offset 

 by the production of a trifle less than 2,000,000 tons from the British 

 forests. According to the trade paper, recent timber surveys indicate 

 that there is sufficient timber available to meet the demand for some 



