Pulp and paper 



The purpose of the Laboratory's 

 pulp and paper investigations is to 

 ^increase possibilities of economical pro- 

 duction, higher yield, and better pulp 

 quality from our native woods, in- 

 cluding those now little used or unused. 

 Millions of tons of pulp and paper are 

 imported annually into the United 

 States from abroad to supplement 

 waning supplies of eastern spruce, 

 balsam fir, and hemlock, which have 

 heretofore been the mainstay of the 

 domestic industry; meanwhile, other 

 American woods are being wastefully 

 used or neglected which, if adapted to 

 pulping purposes, could supply our 

 present paper requirements several 

 times over. Alteration of these con- 

 ditions would mean better returns to 

 forest management through the utiliza- 

 tion of small trees and thinnings, 

 profitable yields from lands now idle, 

 and employment and wages for thou- 

 sands of workers. 



The need of a broad and dependable 

 domestic basis of pulp supply seems 

 destined to become more and more 

 urgent as time goes on. The utiliza- 

 tion of pulp products in the United 

 States reached 13 million tons in 1929. 

 Despite a temporary recession it is 

 again on the increase, with a prospective 

 annual consumption of 25 million tons 

 within this century. The develop- 

 ment of new paper commodities and 

 pulp conversion products such as rayon 



•and cellopahne is mounting in volume 

 and variety. Meanwhile, world con- 

 sumption of pulp is also increasing 

 with changing habits and standards 

 of literacy in many countries abroad, 

 and it is entirely possible that, as 



American requirements approach a 

 maximum, cheap and abundant pulp 

 imports such as we enjoy at present 

 may no longer be forthcoming. 



These considerations emphasize the 

 importance of better and more adequate 

 utilization of our own pulpwood re- 

 sources. Toward its accomplishment 

 the Laboratory has mobilized a varied 

 research attack. 



Additional species 

 for pulping 



By systematic pulping tests the 

 Laboratory determines basic data for 



M-22506-F 



Wood is reduced to pulping size by use of a 

 mechanical chipper. 



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