234 DEPAETMENTAL REPORTS. 



Seattle laboratory, Seattle, Wash. — Tests of western hemlock 

 for structural purposes, and of western spruce, western hemlock, and 

 other timbers of the North Pacific region for cross-ties and telephone 

 jDoles. 



At all points the organization for the timber-test work will be 

 alert to come into touch with the consuming interests of the country, 

 in order to promote the use of inferior timbers in the place of rare 

 and expensive ones, the economy of material, and the general inter- 

 ests of forestry. 



WOOD PBESBBVATION. 



Probably not more than 10 per cent of the ties laid for renewal 

 in the United States are treated. Yet railroad engineers almost 

 unanimously agree that treatments must be applied generally within 

 the next decade. And the variations in climatic and other conditions 

 will make it necessary to adopt different processes of treatment in 

 different parts of the country. Evidently the time is at hand for 

 the fullest study of the problem. The facilities now available are 

 inadequate for a thorough study of the subject. It is therefore pro- 

 posed to establish a treating plant at Washington, D. C. 



The question of handling timber to secure the maximum benefits 

 of preservative treatment includes questions like the effect of the 

 time of year of cutting, the effect of soaking, the effect of various 

 forms of piling, and the effect of air seasoning. It is planned to 

 conduct experiments on poles or ties, or both, of chestnut, northern 

 white cedar, southern white cedar, western red cedar, eastern tama- 

 rack, southern cypress, and western yellow pine. 



As a part of its work in wood preservation the Service will test 

 the effect of paints and other applications which are applied' ex- 

 ternally to wood to preserve it. Another subject of great importance 

 is that of methods of kiln-drying lumber. The present practice 

 is admittedly ineffectual in many cases. A preliminary study of 

 this problem is already under way. 



Dbndeo-Chemistey. 



The dendro-chemical work which the Service has previously con- 

 ducted at the laboratory of the Missouri Botanical Garden closed 

 at the end of the year. The study of chemical problems connected 

 with the utilization of wood products will be conducted temporarily 

 at a laboratory at New Haven, Conn., in cooperation with the Shef- 

 field Scientific School of Yale University. The work to be taken 

 up has the possibility of high value, and the search for suitable woods 

 for pulp, the study of ways to utilize the present enormous sawmill 

 waste, the im^provement of processes of wood distillation, and the 

 analysis of wood preservatives and of treated woods will be carried 

 forward. 



In view of the open field for this work and of the dependence 

 of the general public and business interests upon the Forest Service 

 for the solution of these and kindred problems, there will be estab- 

 lished in Washington during the next year a laboratory with ade- 

 quate equipment to handle the work. 



EXJENDITDEES. 



The expenditures under forest products amounted to $56,881,22, 

 or 13J per cent of the total apfp'rOp'riation. 



