SECTIONAL TRANSACTIONS.— K*. 3!)1 



Possibly, as resources diminish, greater care will be exercised in forest protection 

 and timber utilisation. Even so, however, a serious shortage of soft woods is in 

 sight with an accompanying marked rise in prices. Great Britain will be one of the 

 first to suffer because it imports more soft woods than any other country and obtains 

 90 per cent, of these supplies outside of the Empire. 



Mr. R. S. Pearson. — Utilisation of Soft Woods, Developments ami 

 Improved Methods. 



The paper opens with a paragraph explaining that the subject is a very large one 

 which can he discussed from several viewpoints, and that one of the most important 

 factors governing the situation is the present position held in the market by softwoods 

 of foreign origin. It goes on to discuss the reason why home-grown softwoods axe 

 not favoured by architects and builders, citing the primary causes, such as the quality 

 of the timber, the scattered nature of the forests, their individual limited area, and 

 the consequent difficulty in obtaining large supplies of uniform grades. 



The position of the import trade is then discussed, and the economic position 

 reviewed with reference to the source of supply and the large quantities available, 

 permitting of grading and a study of market requirements. 



The paper goes on to point out that the problem resolves itself into the question 

 of creating large forest areas in this country, and in co-ordinating existing supplies 

 on the one hand and of improving methods of utilisation and in determining what 

 species to plant on the other. The former problem being outside the scope of the 

 paper is not further discussed, and the question of more intense utilisation and what 

 species to plant alone dealt with. 



A review follows as to what has been done to solve similar problems in other 

 countries, followed by a more complete analysis of the functions of a Forest Products 

 Research Laboratory in investigating the anatomical structures of wood, its strength 

 factors, seasoning and working qualities, durability, possible uses and its deterioration 

 from fungi and insects. 



The paper concludes by giving three definite examples of these classes of investiga- 

 tion, and ends with a plea for discussion. 



Mr. Wm. Dallimore. — Minor Forest Products. 



This paper directs attention to many of the minor products of forests that occur 

 in various parts of the world. Some of them help very materially towards the financial 

 success of sylvicultural undertakings, and they should receive greater attention from 

 forest officers in general. The aim of the writer is not to present an exhaustive 

 treatise upon the subject, but to bring forward suggestions for discussion in order 

 that a better understanding may be arrived at as to the future possibilities of these 

 products. Among the subjects mentioned are oils, resins, tans, dyes, drugs, maple 

 sugar, nuts, &c. 



Mr. G. K. Fraser. — Wood Derivatives. 



Mr. W. R. Day.— Forest Mycology. 



There are three chief branches to forest mycology : first, the study of the pathology 

 of trees as related to plant parasites ; second, the nutrition of trees as dependent on 

 the soil micro-flora ; third, the decay of sawn timber. 



Forest pathology is to-day dominantly the pathology of conifers. For an under- 

 standing of the present position in forest pathology, there must be a true appreciation 

 of the way in which Britain is becoming reafforested, chiefly with species that are 

 not only exotic but are also of an entirely different type from those indigenous and to 

 which the soils reafforested are not immediately suited or adapted even if the climate 

 is more or less agreeable. This situation is complicated by an incomplete under- 

 standing of the requirements of the new species and the introduction with them of 

 exotic parasites of yet largely unknown importance. The pathology of broad-leaved 

 trees is here shortly compared with that of conifers. 



Closely related to pathology is the study of the relation of fertibty to the micro- 

 flora of the forest soil. It is probably more important when reafforesting a difficult 

 soil to establish a suitable soil micro-flora than to attempt, in the first instance, the 

 growing of an economic crop. 



