APPENDIX E CXIII 
2. Nova Scotia mine timbers. À general investigation of Nova 
Scotia mine timbers has been carried on co-operatively by the Forestry 
Branch and the Mining Department of McGill University. The 
Forest Products Laboratories have been engaged in the mechanical 
testing of the timber, studying the effect of fungus attack, considering 
methods for preservative treatment, etc. The species covered are 
black spruce, red spruce, and balsam fir which are now being used in 
the coal mines in the east, and yellow birch, white birch, and jack pine 
which have been suggested to supplement the supply. 
3. Vapour pressure and shrinkage. Plans were made some 
time ago to study the variation in the moisture content of wood with 
the changing humidity of the atmosphere at various temperatures 
and the relation between the shrinkage of wood and change in moisture 
content. Special apparatus has been designed and procured and pre- 
liminary experiments have been made but the investigations had to 
be given up for the time being on account of the enlistment of tech- 
nical men for active service. 
4. Wood pulp beating. The object of this investigation is 
to study the factors connected with the proper beating of paper 
pulp. During the year the single and double experimental beaters 
have been put into shape and plans have been made for carrying out 
the work. 
5. Waste sulphite liquor. Research work was started last 
summer by Mr. J. A. McRae, of Queens University, on the chemical 
characteristics and composition of waste sulphite liquor. This is a 
very difficult field of research and it appears that more ample pro- 
vision will have to be made if results are to be expected which will 
point to a satisfactory utilization of this pulp-making by-product. 
An extensive set of abstracts of the technical literature has been 
prepared. 
6. Chemistry of wood and pulp. The object is to study the 
chemical characteristics of Canadian pulp woods with special refer- 
ence to their pulp-making qualities. The work up to the present 
has been along the lines of comparing methods of analysis and devising 
new methods for the determination of cellulose, lignin, resin, and other 
constituents of wood and pulp. Studies are being made of pulp 
produced in small digesters, special attention being given to spruce 
and balsam fir. 
7. Blotting paper. Some attention has been given to the manu- 
facture of blotting paper, as only small quantities of the cheaper grades 
are at present made in Canada. Samples of blotting paper from 
various foreign sources have been examined. A satisfactory pro- 
cedure was worked out for the treating of cotton and linen rags and 
