New York State Forestry Association 



By Mr. F. F. Moon, Professor of Forestry Engineering N. Y. State College of Forestry. 



A highly successful meeting of the New 

 York State Forestry Association was held 

 at the New York Botanical Garden on 

 October 17. 



The regular program was somewhat 

 curtailed on account of the absence of Mr. 

 Pettis so that the State^wide Fire Law was 

 not discussed nor was the Jones Bill taken 

 up to any extent. Professor Mulford of the 

 Department of Forestry, Cornell University 

 gave an interesting talk on the possibilities 

 of the Farm Woodlot. In the discussion 

 that followed it was brought up that co- 

 operative marketing is in many cases as 

 important as Community production and 

 efforts should be made that will enable the 

 small wood-lot owner to market limited 

 quantities of his products at the prevailing 

 market price instead of letting them go at . 

 cut rates. 



The question of a forest inventory of New 

 York State was discussed by Professor Moon 

 of the New York State College of Forestry. 

 It was stated that New York State while 

 previously a large producer of timber has 

 at the present time slipped back to 23rd 



in the list of the States in timber production 

 in spite of the fact that it has enormous 

 areas of natural forest land. New York 

 State consumes more lumber viz. one and 

 three-fourths billion board feet and more 

 pulp viz. over one million cords per annum 

 than any other State in the Union but out 

 of the total annual lumber bill of $54,000,000, 

 approximately $20,000,000 are sent outside 

 of the State each year to purchase raw mate- 

 rial. 



The report soon to be issued by the New 

 York State College of Forestry in connection 

 with the United States Forest Service on the 

 Wood Utilizing Industries of New York State 

 indicates that the Empire State has 14,000,- 

 000 acres better suited to the growing of 

 timber than agricultural purposes. This 

 enormous acreage should be made to yield 

 a revenue instead of lying absolutely idle 

 or at best producing but a fraction of its 

 capacity. 



It was tentatively decided to hold the 

 January meeting in Albany and plans for 

 a vigorous campaign to increase the member- 

 ship were made. 



USES OF SAWDUST. 



Flour for trade purposes from saw- 

 dust is now in common use. It .is an 

 ingredient of dynamite, linoleum, 

 xyolite, etc. The wood flour is ground 

 in a mill, very similar to those which 

 grind corn and rye. Pine and spruce 

 sawdust is used, and after being pass- 

 ed through the stones 'and the bolt- 

 ing chest, it is sacked or baled for 

 shipment. It is then worth 48s. to 

 52s. a ton. The flour has a number 

 of uses. It is the absorbent for nitro- 

 glycerine, which is the explosive in- 

 gredient. Wood-flour dynamite is in- 

 ferior to that made with infusorial 

 earth as the absorbent; but it serves 

 many purposes and is cheaper. But 

 dynamite is one of the smallest pros- 

 pective uses for the product. Linol- 

 eum makers mix it with linseed oil 

 and give body to their floor coverings. 

 It is not considered quite equal to 

 ground cork for this purpose, as it is 



less elastic, but it is cheaper and meets 

 requirements for medium grades. The 

 flour fills an important place in the 

 irtanufacture of xyolite, a kind of arti- 

 ficial flooring, resembling wood in 

 weight, and stone in other respects. 

 It is used for kitchen floors, and in 

 halls, corridors, cafes, restaurants and 

 public rooms. It is impervious to 

 water, and is practically fireproof. It 

 is used as floor material in some of the 

 German war vessels. It is so used be- 

 cause it is not liable to take fire or 

 splinter if struck by shells. 



Many owners of woodlands in Massa- 

 chusetts, in addition to making a careful 

 selection of trees to be cut, are replanting 

 in every case where their lands are not 

 sufficiently wooded, and many areas that 

 for a century perhaps have been what are 

 known as run-down pasture lands are be- 

 ing planted with suitable trees, either 

 pines, maples or other woods that are 

 best adapted to peculiar local conditions. 



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