1 904 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



55 



half acres of land, as rich as the Valley 

 of the Nile, await to be reclaimed. 



' ' Markets are being sought for the 

 world over. Extension of trade is the 

 cry of the hour. Compare the annual 

 expenditure of the average family in 

 the United States with the yearly ex- 

 penditure in those countries which are 

 now being exploited by our commer- 

 cial agents, such as Central America, 

 South America, the Philippines, China, 

 and Japan. During a recent visit to the 

 last-named country the Minister of Agri- 

 culture informed me that, taking an av- 

 erage family of five, the annual expendi- 

 ture was estimated at 300 yen, or about 

 $150, of which more than two-thirds 

 was for food. Those who have given 

 any attention to the purchasing power 

 of the family in. our country will need 

 but little argument to be convinced that 

 the value of our home market is not 

 even approached by that of any other 

 section of the globe." 



Wood-Coal. Mr. A. A. Low, the 



owner of an extensive 



tract of woodland and a handsome camp 



at Horseshoe Pond, in the Adirondacks, 

 has devised and installed steam-driven 

 machinery for the purpose of preparing 

 fuel in an economical way from tops, 

 dead and down wood, and trees removed 

 from the forest in thinning or otherwise. 



The wood is fed between toothed roll- 

 ers, which force it against knives revolv- 

 ing at a high rate of speed. The cut 

 wood is delivered in fragments from 

 twice the size of a man's fist down to 

 splinters and shavings. In this form 

 it dries easily and quickly, and is con- 

 venient for handling and feeding fires. 

 As a test of the efficiency of the machine, 

 a Fir tree 30 feet long and 9 inches 

 through the butt was reduced to ' ' wood- 

 coal " (as Mr. Low names his product) 

 in a few seconds, being fed through the 

 rolls butt first, top and all. 



The wood- coal is packed in sacks. 

 Mr. Low thinks of placing it upon the 

 city markets as a fuel. A plentiful sup- 

 ply last winter would have been a boon, 

 but it seems extremely doubtful, consid- 

 ering the item of transportation and the 

 ordinary grates in use, if it can ever com- 

 pete with coal on account of the greater 

 fuel value of the latter. 



THE MACHINE WHICH PREPARES WOOD-COAL AT A. A. LOW'S CAMP IN THE ADIRONDACKS. 



