14 FOREST PRODUCTS 



any large proportion of this waste into other forms. Considerable quan- 

 tities of slab wood are being used for paper pulp in Maine, New York, 

 and Wisconsin, where the manufacture of wood pulp is largely centralized, 

 and in other sections certain forms are being used for box boards and a 

 great variety of small wooden products which can use odd pieces of 

 wood which would otherwise be wasted after logging or sawmilling 

 operations. 



Under present conditions, however, a very large percentage of the 

 wood's waste is left to rot in the woods and the sawmill waste is burned 

 under boilers for the development of power or is consumed in burners 

 especially designed to dispose of this waste. In Europe the woods 

 waste is much less because of the customary practice of cutting the 

 stumps close to the ground, the utilization of the tree trunk to a small 

 diameter in the top, and the conversion of woods waste such as tops, 

 limb wood, defective material, etc., into charcoal, or its direct utilization 

 for fuel wood. In the sawmill operations it is a common practice to use 

 a much thinner saw-kerf, sawing is done almost universally by the use of 

 gang frame saws, there is an almost utter absence of waste of edging 

 and trimming, and there are more efficient methods of handling and 

 manufacture. Furthermore, there is a common willingness among the 

 wood-using industries and the public at large to use waney-edged lumber, 

 a factor which is of considerable importance. The bark is used for 

 tanning purposes in case of spruce and oak, or used for fuel. Other 

 sawmill waste is used for making briquettes in case of sawdust, or for fuel, 

 charcoal and small wooden products such as novelties, woodenware, 

 kitchen utensils, etc. 



There is a great amount of waste incurred in the production of cross 

 ties in this country because a large percentage of them are hewn and 

 this means considerable loss in their manufacture. The production 

 of tight and slack cooperage stock involves enormous wastage, particu- 

 larly in the case of the former. The details of the loss in the production 

 and manufacture of these and other forest products are described in the 

 chapters dealing with those subjects. 



CONVERTING FACTORS 



The following list of wood equivalents or converting factors have been 

 followed in this book. There are exceptions, however, and additions in 

 the various chapters. These converting factors are the ones used by 

 the U. S. Forest Service. 



