114 The Forest Pkoducts Laboratory 



result. But to organize, correlate, co-ordinate and direct such effort 

 must, in the long run, bring greater progress, in less time, with less 

 exi^ense, and greater saving. 



This has been the guiding thought in the development of the 

 Forest Products Laboratory — the systematic acquiring of useful 

 knowledge that may be transformed into the power that builds up 

 American industries. With the exception of a similar and much 

 smaller institution in Canada, it is the only institution of its sort in 

 existence. However, the importance of such work is becoming gen- 

 erally and, in fact, internationally recognized. The Australian gov- 

 ernment now has under way the development of a forest products 

 laboratory and similar developments are under way by the British 

 government in India, and, to a very limited extent, in South Africa. 

 Former members of our staff have, within the year, left to take up such 

 work in these countries. Norway also has similar plans under devel- 

 opment although they have not, as yet, progressed as far as in Aus- 

 tralia and India. 



AVork of this character requires the services of highly trained 

 specialists along widely varying lines. The forester's knowledge of 

 tree gro^\i;h is necessary to the engineer studying the mechanical prop- 

 erties of various trees in order that he may wisely select for study those 

 species which are or may l)ecome available for use; the engineer's 

 knowledge is necessary to the physicist engaged in problems of drying 

 wood in order that the effect of such treatment on the mechanical prop- 

 erties may not be overlooked ; the pathologist's knowledge is necessary 

 )>oth to the engineer and physicist in order to determine the effect of 

 decay on the properties under investigation and equally is his knowl- 

 edge necessary to the chemist pursuing his work on the development 

 of durable water-resistant glues, on preservatives to prevent decay, 

 and on prevention of decay in pulp wood and wood pulp. The knowl- 

 edge of the dendrologist is necessary to all in order that the identity 

 of the species under study may be determined witli certainty and in 

 order that peculiarities of their structural anatomy may not be over- 

 looked. 



An organization of such men provided with proper equipment, 

 materials and facilities for Avork cannot, in the long run, fail to secure 

 results of value. It is such an organization that we have attempted 

 to develop here. I shall make no attempt, at this time, to describe it 



