Work of the Forest Products Laboratories of Canada for 

 Year Ending March 31st, 1918. 



The Forest Products Laboratories in connection with the Forestry 

 Branch of the Department of the Interior have continued a number 

 of the investigations that were under way last year, but have not been 

 able to develop any special new lines of investigation owing to the 

 shortage of men and money consequent on the war conditions. The 

 work under way has, however, been kept up and the development 

 in the main lines of special investigation that have been carried out are 

 detailed as follows: 



Testing Clear Specimens 



The stafï of the Timber Testing Division, greatly depleted in size 

 on account of the war, was occupied for the entire year on the testing of 

 Nova Scotia mine timbers. Samples of black spruce, "gray" spruce, 

 white spruce, white pine and red pine have been air drying since last 

 year and will be ready for test early this coming summer. The 

 testing of the corresponding green material was finished last year. 

 After many delays Forestry Branch Bulletin No. 60, Canadian 

 Douglas Fir, has been received from the printer and is available for 

 distribution. This publication is of particular interest since it not 

 only deals with our most important species but it is also the first 

 publication of a series which will eventually be produced and which 

 will cover all Canadian woods. 



Nova Scotia Mine Timbers 



Strength tests on 270 props and booms of black spruce, red 

 spruce, balsam fir, yellow birch, white birch and jack pine were 

 completed in 1915. Corresponding samples were allowed to season 

 in our yard until air dry and were tested during the past year. Half 

 of the samples were seasoned with the bark on, and the other half were 

 peeled. Both lots were under exactly the same conditions so that 

 some very interesting and valuable data have been derived from this 

 part of the work. All the testing in connection with this investigation 

 is now complete and it only requires that the data be analysed and put 

 in shape for publication to complete our share of the work. Sixty 

 booms in 12-foot lengths and 152 props in 6-foot lengths have been 

 tested since last report. 



Proc. Sig. 7 



