A Decj^xnial Record 78 



mental j)liysical laws governing the drying of wood and the relation 

 of moisture to strength. 



Tliis data forms the groundwork whereby characteristic indus- 

 trial problems involved in the seasoning ])rocesses have been dealt with 

 extensively and tlu-ougli whieli this country, shortly after its entrance 

 into the war. l)ecame recognized as the highest autliority in the world 

 on the kiln drying of wood. This data, incomplete though it still is, 

 has already done much to promote more scientific and more efficient 

 kiln drying of wood. 



The laboratory has not only worked out kiln-drying schedules for 

 a number of our more important species, but it has developed two 

 types of dry kilns, one especially ada])ted to slowly drying refactory 

 hardwoods and the other to rapidly drying softwoods. Within its 

 limited means it has given assistance to lumber companies and wood- 

 working plants in designing and remodelling conunercial kilns, and 

 through experiments it has developed methods of kiln drying many 

 kinds of lumber green from the saw, reducing, in some cases, the time 

 of drying as much as from 4> or 5 years to 90 or 100 days. 



With an expanded organization it would be possible to bring 

 about very generally better methods of drying wood, by sending lab- 

 oratory representatives to the different plants and helping tliem to 

 solve their problems upon the ground. In the course of a year the 

 laboratory receives many such requests, but is able to meet relatively 

 few of them without interrupting its regular work. 



There is, furthermore, great need for more extensive study of 

 auxiliary dry-kiln apparatus in order to sim])lify the operation of 

 dry kilns: the development of himiidity control in shops and storage 

 sheds; the improvement of drying schedules for many species u])on 

 which conclusive investigations have not yet been possible: and the 

 development of improved methods of air seasoning lumber in order to 

 reduce degrade to the minimum. 



Industrial Investigations 



This field might be termed "the technical study of the efficiency 

 of wood ccmversion processes". It is a field in which the laboratory's 

 work has been exceedingly limited, owing to the fact that an adequate 

 organization has not been available. Some of the problems involved 



