A Decennial Record 01 



at tlie beginning of the war, cannot l)e estimated in dollars. It was 

 put to immediate use in the drying of lumber for all war purposes, as 

 gunstocks, wagon parts, artillery wheel rims and spokes, airplane wing 

 beams and propellers. The results have l)een described elsewhere. 



Preventable losses in commercial operations, due to improper air 

 drying and poor kiln drying, have aggregated annually over one bil- 

 lion dollars, at the present price of lumber. How much of this is now 

 being saved through the assistance of the laboratory it is difficult to 

 estimate, but the losses are obviously growing less through the con- 

 stantly Avidening sphere of laboratory influence. 



The annual saving to American industries directly attributable 

 to the work of the laboratory is estimated at approximately 30 million 

 dollars, with the possibility of a much larger saving were full use made 

 of the results of its investigations. In addition, these results are of 

 much value to Federal and State Governments and to private owners 

 in the management of forest lands, and are promoting forest conser- 

 vation by pointing the way to making one tree do the w^ork of two. 



Results, of course, cannot be obtained over night, and but ten 

 years has elapsed since the beginning of the work. However, the 

 results obtained so far have clearly demonstrated tliat over any rea- 

 sonable period of years, economies residting from organized reseai'ch 

 so greatly exceed the expense involved that there can be no (juestions 

 as to its value. 



As a side commentary on the financial aspects of forest products 

 research, the practical value of the work done at ^ladison has received 

 M'ide foreign recognition. Based on a study of this laboratory a similar 

 institution has been installed by the Canadian government: also in 

 South Africa. India, and Australia, the various local governments 

 have called men of the laboratory staff to direct research in forest 

 products ])articularly in the seasoning and kiln drying of timber 

 species commercially used there. In practically every country on the 

 globe are Ial)oratory contacts, largely with wood-using industries, 

 established through re([iiests for information availal)le at the labora- 

 tory and tlie recognition of tlie ])ractical value of this information. 



