THE WORK OF THE FOREST PRODUCTS LABORATORIES 



OF CANADA. 



The Forest Products Laboratories, Canada, were established in 

 1913 under the Forestry Branch of the Department of the Interior. 

 The plan of co-operation with McGill University has proved to be a 

 very satisfactory one and this union of government and university in 

 scientific research may be considered as marking an era in Canada's 

 development. The relation of the laboratories to the University is 

 flexible and the co-operation is primarily one of goodwill, the univer- 

 sity having provided quarters for our laboratory work and the Federal 

 Government, through the Forestry Branch, paying all salaries and fur- 

 nishing all equipment. 



The period to date has been mainly one of organization and prepa- 

 ration for systematic, scientific work. The progress has been slow in 

 some respects owing to the newness of this type of work in Canada and 

 the small supply of specially trained technical men. However, I 

 think it will be apparent from the discussion which is to follow that a 

 real start has been made in this work, which is of such vital importance 

 to Canada. 



PERSONNEL. 



At the beginning of the fiscal year, April 1st, 1914, the writer took 

 over the duties of Superintendent in succession to Mr. A. G. Mclntyre. 

 At this time the stafï numbered ten, made up of seven technical men 

 and three ofifice assistants. Twelve months later the permanent 

 staff totalled twenty-three, while at the present time the permanent 

 staff numbers twenty-nine, with two others appointed to commence 

 duties later in the summer. Five of our technical men are now absent 

 on active military service, these being Messrs. F. W. Fraser, D. M. 

 Trapnell, L. N. Seaman, W. B. Campbell and L. L. Brown. 



ACCOMMODATION. 



Up to the fall of 1914 the staff found temporary accommodation 

 in the Old Medical Building, granted for our use by McGill University. 

 We are now quartered for a period of four years in the buildings at 

 700 University Street, which were recently purchased by McGill 

 University. The office building is a large stone structure containing 

 about twenty-five rooms in all. The adjoining building has been re- 

 constructed to serve as an experimental paper mill. For the work in 

 timber testing the university placed at our disposal the testing labora- 



