570 



AMERICAN I'ORESTRY 



SOUTHERN PINE STRONG AS DOUG- 

 LAS FIR 

 THERE is little diflference between the 

 strength of the southern pines and that 

 of Douglas fir from the Pacific Northwest^ 

 tests made at the United States Forest 

 Products Laboratory show. True longleaf 

 yellow pine averages heavier, stronger, and 

 tougher than Douglar fir. True shortleaf 

 pine averages heavier and tougher than the 

 fir, but is, about equal to it in strength as 

 a beam or post. Loblolly pine, though 

 averaging heavier than the fir, is somewhat 

 weaker. The difference in strength between 

 any of these pines and Douglas fir, how- 

 ever, is not so great but that low density 

 pieces of the one species are weaker than 

 the average for other species. 



As far as strength properties are con- 

 cerned, the choice between any two lots of 

 southern pine and Douglas fir will depend 

 upon the grade and density of the timber 

 composing each lot. The Rocky Mountain 

 type of Douglas fir averages considerably 

 weaker than the Pacific Coast type. 



ONE SPARK 



The weather was hot and dry. No rain 

 for a month. The east wind moaned through 

 the trees. Pine needle;s snapped underfoot. 

 July in the forest. 



The crash of falling trees. The ring of 

 axes. The s-w-i-s-h of saws. Logs, logs, 

 everywhere. Dry tops, branches, and slash- 

 ing. And amidst all these a puffing donkey 

 engine. 



A glowing spark from the stack. A 

 wisp of smoke. The hiss of burning pine. 

 Crackling flames sweeping onward, sky- 

 ward. A living wall of vivid fire. Black 

 death and destruction. 



ONE LITTLE SPARK and in its wake 

 20,000 acres of fire-swept land; 15,000,000 

 feet of burned timber; four logging camps, 

 15 donkey engines, one locomotive, 35 flat 

 cars, 20 houses and three automobiles in 

 ashes, and $90,000 worth of property gone 

 up in smoke. 



It all happened this summer in the state 

 of Washington. It could happen any sum- 

 mer in any forest. 



ALCOHOL MADE FROM WOOD 



People do not generally think of wood 

 as a source of alcohol ; that is the grain or 

 ethyl alcohol formerly used for beverage 

 purposes and still of use in perfumes, in 

 manufacturing ether and as a solvejit. It 

 is quite possible, however, to make grain 

 alcohol froim wood waste through a process 

 described by F. W. Kressman of the Forest 

 Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin. 



This .process is outlined in Department of 

 Agriculture Bulletin 983, "The Manufac- 

 ture of Ethyl Alcohol from Wood Waste," 

 just issued. The making of ethyl alcohol 

 from such things as straw, cotton, wood, 

 and many other plant fibres is not at all 

 new, but previously, except in ve.ry few 

 instances, it was not possible to use these 

 materials profitably. 



There is wasted annually, Government 

 experts estimate some 15 to 20 million tons 

 of wood suitable for the manufacture of 

 ethyl alcohol and capable of yielding 

 about 15 gallons of alcohol to the ton. 



THE SERIOUS FIRE MENACE 



"This is the most serious forest fire 

 season we have had for several years, 

 and unless the public who are using the 

 forests are more careful even more serious 

 fires than we have had are apt to accur," 

 said George H. Cecil, District Forester at 

 Portland. 



"We have 

 had few if any 

 lightning fires 

 to date, but we 

 are very apt to 

 have many of 

 these during 

 the early part 

 of this nK)nth. 

 No one can 

 prevent the 

 lightning fires, 

 but if people 

 who go into 

 the woods, for 

 business or 

 pleasure, would 

 only realize the 

 constant dan- 

 ger from fires 

 spreading 

 we would have 

 far fewer loss- 

 es of valuable 

 timber. 



"The U. S. 

 Air Service is 



assisting in the patrol again. As a pre- 

 cautionary measure, we have been com- 

 pelled to require all campers, fishermen 

 and hikers on the National Forests of 

 (Jregon to secure camp fire permits as is 

 beinK done in the National Forests of 

 Washington. 



"If only the people who go into the for- 

 ests would follow a few simple rules what 

 a saving in valuable timber and exipense to 

 the government, states and forest fire as- 

 sociations would result," said Mr. Cecil. 



"What we call the six rules for pre- 

 venting forest fires are short and simple, 



WAKE UP! 



Chapin tn "America at Work " 



easy to understand and easy to follow," nearest United States 

 said Mr. Cecil. "Here they are: 



(1) MATCHES. Be sure your match is 

 out. Pinch it before you throw it away. 



(2) TOBACCO. Throw pipe ashes and 

 cigar or cigarette stumps in the dust of 

 the road and stamp or pinch out the fire 



before leaving them. Don't throw them into 

 brush, leaves or needles. 



(3) MAKING CAMP. Build a small 

 campfire. Build it in the open, not against 

 a tree or log or near brush. Scrape away 

 the trash from all around it. 



(4) LEAVING CAMP. Never leave a 



campfire, even 

 for a short 

 time, without 

 quenching i t 

 with water and 

 then covering 

 it with earth. 



(5) BON- 

 FIRES Never 

 build bonfires 

 in windy wea- 

 ther or where 



- there is the 

 slightest dan- 

 ger of their 

 escaping from 

 control. Don't 

 make them 

 larg'er than you 

 need. 



(6) FIGHT- 

 ING FIRES. 

 If you find a 

 fire try to put it 

 out. If you 

 can't, get word 

 of it to the 



forest ranger or 

 State fire warden at once." 



When the great number of fires is con- 

 sidered, it is not surprising that statistics 

 show that the area of forest land annually 

 burned over is about twice that cleared by 

 the a.x for lumber and other purposes. 



>! 



