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The Forest Servico with District headquarters in San 

 Francisco is ready to give what information it nay have at its 

 command concerning the value and properties of any wood or to 

 cooperate with private individuals to make tests on '-'roods con- 

 cern? ri which no information is at hand. 



One of the chief lines of activities in the San Francis- 

 co office of products undoubtedly will "be the preservative treat- 

 ment of timber, since the conditions of the timber supply in re- 

 lation to demand in all parts of the country are such as to make 

 the increase of the durability of timber of greatest import to 

 those industries dependent upon its use. Considerable study in 

 the preservation of timber used for c.i oss-ties has already been 

 carried on by the railroads which traverse this region. 



The most comr-ion arid successful treatment of lumber is 

 the impregnation with -som* one of the solutions obtained from the 

 distillations of coal. Those substances prevent decay by their 

 action as antiseptic against wood destroying bacteria and fungi 

 and by preventing the entrance of moisture into the wood. Zinc 

 chloride is used to some extent, but being soluble in water it- 

 leaches out after a time and its value as an antiseptic is lest. 



This district also offers a wide field for active work 

 in utilizing mill -waste. Because of a more plentiful timber sup- 

 ply in this region, compared with several of the other districts, 

 the lumbermen have not considered it necessary to make the closest 

 utilization of the tree. In many sections the less progressive 

 mills are wasting mountains of sawdust which might be used for 



