News and Notes. 775 



downward has come with the demand for box material, until 

 "three-men boards," as they have been jocosely called, are now 

 graded as No. 5 or anything below that. The call for low-grade 

 stuff has become so general and insistent that such stuff is more 

 saleable than the medium and better qualities. This feature is 

 true, not only of the lumber market of the Northern States, but 

 pertains also to that of Canada. At Toronto the demand for the 

 lower grades of pine is especially active and large, so that there is 

 a veritable shortage of mill culls and what are called "dead" culls, 

 the latter term applying to lumber that has no sort of "pickings" in 

 it. This condition with respect to the lumber market of Ontario 

 shows how closely the lumber trade of that province is connected 

 with that of the United States, the same requirement for cull 

 lumber — namely, for box manufacture — prevailing in that 

 province as in the northern part of the United States. The way 

 in which the cull lumber of the Northern States and Canada is 

 being used up almost to the last carload has more than ordinary 

 significance ! It means that anything in the shape of a tree or log 

 is being utilized in the way of sawed product, and that timber that 

 was once considered usable only as firewood is now being con- 

 verted into lumber that actually sells quicker than good stock. — 

 American Lumberman. 



After 1912 all mail in U. S. must be carried in all steel cars, as 

 provided by Post Office Department. There were also six bills 

 introduced in 19 12 to supplant all wood passenger equipment. 

 This would on 55,872 cars of 225 companies mean an outlay of 

 $632,746,000. 



It has been demonstrated quite conclusively that the full cell 

 creosote treatment of timber when preceded by steaming as a 

 means of artificial seasoning, materially reduces the strength of 

 timber. At some railroad plants, however, bridge timbers are 

 given full cell treatment without preliminary steaming and there 

 has been some question as to whether treatment of this kind 

 results in any reduction in strength. The Santa Fe Railroad in 

 order to demonstrate this point has recently completed a series of 

 tests, under the direction of H. B. McFarland, Engineer of Tests. 

 Thirty-two standard long leaf pine stringers, 7" x 16" x 28' were 

 used, these being picked from the stock in the yard at the creo- 



