Contributions of Botany to Military Efficiency. 55 
wooden ships. For the turning of these treenails black locust is the 
preferred material, but the supply of this wood became so limited in 
certain districts that it was necessary to substitute live oak for it. The 
Emergency Fleet Corporation’s specifications called for thoroughly air- 
seasoned treenails. Stocks of air-seasoned live oak were soon exhausted, 
and in a number of the shipbuilding districts green or incompletely cured 
material was used. As a result serious defects in the ships developed 
through shrinkage of the treenails and loosening of joints. On that 
account the services of the Forest Products Laboratory was sought and 
the whole situation was investigated by the experts of the laboratory. 
It was decided that the long time necessary for air drying of live oak 
made it impracticable to insist upon the Emergency Fleet Corporation’s 
specifications as to curing of treenail stock. Recommendations were 
made for the kiln drying of such stock at central points in each pro- 
ducing region and for the best kiln drying procedure. 
Difficulties encountered in the bending of heavy oak for the rims of 
artillery wheels were made the subject of experiments by the laboratory, 
which resulted in the development of satisfactory methods. These were 
introduced into the factories engaged in this work. A _ schedule pre- 
pared by the laboratory for the curing of walnut blanks for rifle stocks 
came to be widely used by the manufacturers. 
The molding of stock for the construction of army vehicles of many 
sorts called for investigation of the fungi concerned and of the methods 
by which mold development might be prevented. Mold which devel- 
oped during the period between the felling and the arrival at the factory 
was particularly troublesome in the case of wood for the manufacture 
of spokes. As a resuit of extensive experiments, one series of which 
involved the testing of forty-three different antiseptics, means were 
found which were largely effective in removing this trouble. 
Not all the cases have been here mentioned in which experts in forest 
products gave direct aid in the solution of problems arising in the indus- 
tries engaged in the production of equipment, munitions and _ ships. 
Other branches of applied botany than those touched upon here might 
be cited which have contributed no less truly, although less directly, 
perhaps, to that great complex of factors which made for the success of 
our army. Sufficient has been said, however, to indicate that a by no 
means unimportant place among the sciences in the matter of contri- 
butions to military efficiency belongs to the science of botany. 
