AMERICAN FOREST CONGRESS 287 



with very satisfactory results. This goes to show that 

 there may be many ways and means for protecting the 

 soft woods against wear. 



The success of any preservative process will depend 

 largely upon the care with which it is carried out. 

 One must come more and more to the realization that 

 preservation is a dendro-chemical industry, involving 

 a technical knowledge of timber and of chemical 

 processes, all stages of which should be carefully con- 

 trolled. In dealing with timber one deals with one of 

 the most variable classes of material, no two pieces of 

 which are alike at any time, and knowledge and judg- 

 ment are required to obtain the best results under these 

 varying conditions. There are numerous preserving 

 plants now in operation, but of these there is only one, 

 so far as I am aware, where a trained chemist with a 

 good laboratory watches every stage of the process. 

 The wood-preserving industry, although it has been 

 practiced in this country for many years, is still com- 

 paratively a new industry, which is beginning to assume 

 larger proportions. Wherever preserving is carried 

 on it should be with all the care of a chemical factory. 

 The nature of the wood should be known, its stage of 

 seasoning, its absorptive capacities, the absorption 

 obtained in various runs, the temperatures reached 

 during treatment all these points and many others 

 should be watched and recorded for future reference. 



This naturally leads one to speak of the person who 

 is to have charge of work of this character. I have 

 repeatedly urged that the preserving problem, in its 

 relation to the railroad and other industries using 

 treated woods is a problem worthy of the undivided 

 attention of a trained technical man. 



A railroad should have a man who can deal with 

 timber in its broadest sense. I do not mean a pur- 



