52 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 
slab and sawdust. Improper seasoning also causes much 
deterioration and waste. 
Aside from this form of waste which takes place every- 
where, there is another kind not so apparent. It is the use 
of high grade species for low grade uses. For instance, 
a valuable species of saw timber size may be used for fire- 
wood or a durable species used where durability is not re- 
quired as in packing boxes. Species with great strength 
are used where this quality is not necessary. The uses of 
the different woods have not therefore been adjusted to 
conserve the most valuable qualities of species now be- 
coming scarce. Recently the Government has done a great 
deal along this line. The Forest Service has established a 
laboratory at Madison, Wisconsin, to study the different 
problems connected with wood utilization as pulp woods, 
wood distillation, etc. The strength of different species in 
different conditions is also tested. 
Such problems as these have not received attention 
until recently because of abundance of material of all kinds. 
With the growing scarcity of timber, closer and more eco- 
nomic utilization becomes imperative and better methods 
of manufacture and distribution of uses are seen to be 
practical. 
SILVICULTURAL PROBLEMS. 
Under this head comes a number of the more techni- 
cal forest problems. Marking timber for cutting is one 
of the most intricate, since both practical and theoretical 
considerations are involved. The success of the logging 
operation often depends upon securing a certain amount 
of scale from a given area. The maturity of the trees, 
soil protection, reproduction, injured and diseased trees 
are also factors in marking. The principal aim is to keep 
the yield of the forest at the maximum in both quantity and 
quality. Mixed stands present very different marking 
problems than pure stands, dense stands than open ones, 
while uneven aged stands must be considered still dif- 
ferently. As a general statement all the trees of a stand 
which are mature should be marked for cutting so far as 
