WOOD PRESERVING DEPARTMENT 



999 



to give the visiting public and the American manufacturer 

 in particular a good idea of the grades and qualities of 

 these products as produced in the Islands. Mangrove 

 bark, from which the tanning extract, known in the com- 

 mercial world as cutch, is produced, can also be seen ; 

 800 square miles of mangrove swamps are available for 

 tan bark extraction and make an attractive source of 

 supply for tanning extracts. 



A small, rather inconspicuous exhibit of Boho Bamboo 

 is shown, the source of one of the finest and best paper 

 pulps in the world. Thousands of acres of this bamboo 

 are available for use. This bamboo, after being cut, 

 sprouts and is ready for cutting every three years. The 

 fiber and quality of this material can be seen and ex- 

 amined in the wall covering known as "Sauale" which 

 is woven with splints of Boho Bamboo. 



Many more products can be seen which will interest 

 the American business men. 



These facts about the Philippines may be of interest : 



Number of islands, over 3,000. 



Total area, 120,000 square miles, about the size of the 

 State of Xew ^Mexico. 



Population, between 8,000,000 and 10,000,000 people. 



Area now cultivated estimated at 6,000,000 acres. 



Area suitable for cultivation estimated at 30 to 35 

 million acres. 



Virgin Forest area estimated at 25 to 30 million acres. 



Second growth area estimated at 15 to 20 million 

 acres. 



ICXHiniT TAKES GRAND PRIZE 



Just as this number goes to press a report from San 

 Francisco to American Forestry says: "The Philip- 

 pine Bureau of Forestry exhibit at the Panama- Pacific 

 exposition has captured the grand prize for the best for- 

 estry exhibit in the entire exposition. This is the highest 

 honor within the power of the exposition officials to 

 award. Moreover, the exposition officials consider the 

 exhibit of such unusual excellence that in addition they 

 have awarded to the Bureau of Forestry two other grand 

 prizes, three medals of honor, four gold medals, six sil- 

 ver medals, seven bronze medals, and one honorable 

 mention. It is expected that the exhibit will get still a 

 few more awards." 



Wood Preserving Department 



By E. a. Sterling 

 The Modern Application of Wood P reserving Methods J'arious Treatments and the Use of Treated Woods 



CHESTNUT, which is the wood featured in this 

 month's issue of American Forestry, does not 

 figure to any extent in wood preserving practice. 

 It is a timber which is naturally durable, and has long 

 been used for fence posts and other purposes where re- 

 sistence to decay is an essential quality. Strangely 

 enough, chestnut is one of the most difficult woods to 

 treat by any known preservative method, so it is for- 

 tunate that it possesses the inherent power to resist decay. 

 Although the wood is of open nature and the pores in 

 the spring wood are distinct to the naked eye, it is al- 

 most impossible to force preservative liquids of any kind 

 for any distance into the wood. This is for the reason 

 that there are cross walls in the pores which are not easily 

 broken down, and which effectively prevent the move- 

 ment of introduced liquids even under high pressure. 

 While a few chestnut cross-ties are treated at some of 

 the Eastern plants, this species constitutes only a small 

 percentage of even the miscellaneous timbers which are 

 given preservative treatment. 



THESE general statements in regard to the pre- 

 servative treatment of chestnut ajiply mainly to 

 the large plants which use a ])ressure j^rocess. 

 In the very extensive use of chestnut for telegraph and 

 telephone poles there has been some use made of creo- 

 sote and carbolineum oils for brush treatment at the 

 ground line. In a few cases an open tank treatment of 

 the base of the pole for about fi feet has also been given. 



Although chestnut is naturally durable, the thin sapwood 

 decays quite rapidly in contact with the ground. It is 

 with the aim of checking or preventing this superficial 

 decay that the brush treatment of chestnut poles at the 

 ground line has been practiced. If properly done with a 

 high boiling creosote or coal tar derivative, which will 

 not show too great loss by evaporation, the brush treat- 

 ing of chestnut poles at the ground line is fully justified. 

 By preventing the decay in the sapwood the development 

 of fungus growth, which would ultimately extend into 

 the heartwood, is eliminated. 



AN INTERESTING order was received recently by 

 / \ a Chicago firm for shipment to South Africa. It 

 * * consisted of a cargo of creosoted oak ties for 

 use in building a new railroad. For many years it has 

 been necessary to use metal ties in parts of South 

 Africa on account of the ravages of the white ants. It 

 now seems to be conclusively demonstrated that creosote 

 treatment is an effective protection against these insects. 

 Even with this fact established an order for creosoted 

 ties would hardly be expected in America, and the ex- 

 planation is that the war has closed the Baltic ports and 

 Europe is now unable to supply creosoted timbers in the 

 African market. Within the past year several cargoes 

 of creosoted Douglas fir ties have been shipped from 

 Pacific Coast points for use in India, and since the aver- 

 age life of a well-creosoted tie properly protected from 

 mechanical wear is about 30 years, it is a natural expec- 



