Agricultural Research in New Hampshire 39 



produce what the market needs, in the form desired. Although we have 

 not yet set up the objectives and methods to be followed, there are plenty 

 of them from which to make a selection. (Clark L. Stevens) 



Spruce Reproduction 



Only a small amount of work has been done on this project, and 

 most of the funds assigned to it have been relinquished. Since the pro- 

 ject involves travel to the northern part of the state, it appears that the 

 best method of carrying it on will be to combine it with work at summer 

 camp during July and August. (Clark L. Stevens) 



Fence Post Durability 



The observation of fence post durability has been continued, but no 

 money has been spent on this project during the year. The annual spring 

 check on the condition of the posts shows no measurable change. (Clark 

 L. Stevens) 



Determination of the Supply of Low-grade Wood 

 Available for Manufacture into Plastics 



Before lumbering became one of the leading industries in New- 

 Hampshire, the subject of waste in connection with woods operations 

 was of little importance. Trees grew to maturity and died, their re- 

 mains falling to the ground to become a part of the soil from which they 

 arose. The gradual addition of dead and dying woody material to the 

 litter was beneficial rather than a detriment to forest growth. 



Concurrent with the first large-scale logging operations, an over- 

 abundance of slash, the discarded portions of trees, began to be left on 

 the ground. Not only was the slash of small value in soil building, but 

 its presence constituted a severe fire hazard and a breeding place for 

 insects and disease. 



Waste as it occurs in woods operations may be classified as follows: 

 stumps, tops, limbs, defective and broken logs, improper log lengths, 

 transportation and storage decay. These losses, when averaged among 

 various species and regions, have been determined as 20 per cent or even 

 higher in relation to the standing tree. During manufacture additional 

 waste accumulates, such as bark, sawdust, shavings, edgings, trimmings, 

 slabs, and seasoning defects. Varying with the industrial use, manufac- 

 turing may ad*l another 40 per cent, so that of the original tree less than 

 one-half is economically useful. 



In attacking the problem of the determination of woods waste, re- 

 cognized forest types were located within which sample plots one-tenth 

 of an acre in size were established. From the results so far obtained, it 

 is rather easily seen that the amount of wood waste in any particular 

 stand varies with its age, composition of the stand, and the quality of the 

 site on which the trees are growing. Thus, in stands of white pine which 

 are 60 to 80 years of age, where the trees are tall and symmetrical, the 

 waste is relatively low-in the vicinity of 9 per cent of its total volume. 

 On the other hand, trees in the same age class which are of the type com- 

 monly known as pasture pine show a waste volume slightly over 49 



