34 DEPARTMENTAL REPOETS. 



The physical properties of creosote oils were carefully studied, with 

 a view to perfecting methods for grading creosotes and detecting the 

 presence of substances other than the distillates from pure coal tar. 

 Methods for the detection of oils of the paralfin series in the pres- 

 ence of creosote and for estimating the moisture in creosoted wood 

 were worked out. 



A study to determine the variation of the soluble constituents of 

 chestnut during the different seasons of the year, and the rate at 

 which these materials leach from the cut timber, was begun. 



Wood distillation was studied at the leading commercial plants in 

 both the North and the South. Particular attention was given to the 

 possibility of utilizing waste material by means of distillation, and 

 the uses of the resulting products. A laboratory study was made of 

 the turpentine obtained by the distillation of southern pine, which 

 lays the foundation for scientific methods of grading it. 



The technical methods of analyzing tanning materials received at- 

 tention, and a study in cooperation with a San Francisco lumber 

 company to determine the amount of tannin present in the waste 

 from redwood lumbering was begun. 



The equipment of the wood-pulp laboratory at South Boston was 

 completed. The woods from which pulp was prepared include red 

 spruce, white fir, loblolly pine, scrub pine, tupelo, hemlock, tamarack, 

 . and cypress. It was shown that all of these woods can be made to 

 yield a merchantable pulp. The samples obtained were in some cases 

 superior to ordinarj' commercial grades of unbleached pulp. 



COMPUTING. 



The section of computing received and tabulated a very large vol- 

 ume of data, including 21,000 log tallies, 11,850 tree analyses, 1,980 

 acre surveys, 590 sample plots, 10,100 card schedules, monthly weights 

 for twelve months, of 1,550 poles, 10,000 ties, and 10,000 cross-arms 

 and computations for. 1,250 timber tests. Miscellaneous work in- 

 cluded the checking of scale books, for timber sales on the National 

 Forests, and numerous less important items. 



The compiling and editing of forest tables covering all measure- 

 ments thus far collected has been undertaken, supplementary meas- 

 urements to be collected during the coming field season, with a 

 view to the preparation of tables of stand, growth, volume, and form 

 for all the more important timber trees in the National Forests. 

 Similar data for the important trees of the Southern, Central, and 

 Northeastern sections will be compiled as soon as possible. 



DRAFTING. 



The section of drafting made maps and did general graphic work 

 for 100 distinct projects, about 90 per cent of which were directly 

 connected with the National Forests. The output for the year in- 

 cluded 1,489 maps of different kinds and 302 miscellaneous draw- 

 ings. Map files for reference were also kept. Maps of the National 

 Forests were prepared for publishers of maps and school geogra- 

 phies. 



