INSTRUCTIONS RELATING TO FOREST PRODUCTS. 21 



the individual or company interested. If such studies are under- 

 taken, it is immaterial whether the company or individual is a co- 

 operator in the work. The essential thing is that the Service obtain 

 the best conditions for a successful investigation. In no case will a 

 charge be made by the Service for such work but the individual or 

 company interested may furnish without charge materials or facili- 

 ties for the investigation. 



PUBLICATION OF DATA AFFECTING COMMERCIAL INTERESTS. 



The Forest Service will not hesitate to publish the results of scien- 

 tific investigations, when conclusively established, regardless of the 

 effect of such publication, either beneficial or detrimental, upon com 

 mercial interests engaged in exploiting the articles or processes in- 

 vestigated. It is, however, essential that such publications be re- 

 stricted to data which have been scientifically determined beyond 

 possibility of error. This will ordinarily require publishing infor- 

 mation only which has been obtained by the Forest Service itself. 

 Information from other sources should be included in publications 

 affecting existing commercial interests only when its authenticity is 

 as certain as if it had been obtained by the Forest Service in the first 

 instance. 

 Use of proprietary names. 



The names of patented or proprietary processes and articles may be 

 used in such publications, preceded by a qualifying phrase such as 

 " Preservatives sold as." No statement other than a mere presenta- 

 tion of the facts should be published which could be construed as an 

 endorsement by the Forest Service of any commercial article or 

 process. 



CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION. 



Members of the Forest Service may and should receive confidential 

 information. Assurance may be given that such information will 

 not be used in any way which would make public the operations of an 

 individual plant or the details of the business of any specific opera- 

 tor. Xo guarantee to this effect, however, can be given other than 

 the good faith and honesty of the officer who receives the information. 



DISPOSAL OF PRINTS AND DESIGNS. 



Photographic prints, blue prints, sketches and designs may be sold 

 at cost with 10 per cent additional (act of March 1, 1907). with the 

 approval of the Forester: or given without charge to cooperators 

 and in other cases where valuable educational results will be obtained. 

 See Manual on General Administration and Protection, page 57. 



COMPILATION OF DATA FROM OUTSIDE SOURCES IN LABORATORY 



PUBLICATIONS. 



The greater part of the material prepared for publication at the 

 Forest Products Laboratory will be original data experimentally 

 established at the Laboratory itself. Publications of such data, how- 

 ever, should include references to similar or related data obtained 

 elsewhere as far as necessary to make the publication of the maximum 

 value to those interested in the subject with which the publication 



