Biiietie TIN Or THE 
USDEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE * 
No. 145 
April 12, 1915. 
PROFESSIONAL PAPER. 
ee TESTS OF WOOD PRESERVATIVES. 
By Howarp F. Weiss, Director, and C. H. Tepspae, In Charge of Wood Preservation, 
Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wis. 
INTRODUCTION. 
A list of the various substances that have been used or suggested 
for preserving timber from decay would include a surprisingly large 
number of those known to industrial chemistry. By-products for 
which no use could be found have often taken their last stand as 
_ possible preservatives of wood. There have been sent to the Forest 
_ Products Laboratory for test the condensed fumes. of smelters, the 
_ waste liquors of pulp plants, the refuse of tanneries, the skimmed | 
milk of creameries, and miscellaneous assortments of compounds 
under trade names. Many of these have not been tested, because the 
claims made for them were manifestly impracticable. Those, how- 
_ ever, which showed some promise or about which numerous inquiries 
_ were received were admitted to test. 
The object of the tests, which were carried on at the Forest Prod- 
ucts Laboratory maintained in cooperation with the University of 
Wisconsin, was to secure data on the practical value of these com- 
_ pounds and chemicals as wood preservatives. More than this, how- 
ever, it was thought that such an investigation would show clearly 
1 The following members of the Forest Products Laboratory performed the experiments herein described: 
Emest Bateman, chemist in forest products; C. J. Humphrey, pathologist, Bureau of Plant Industry; 
Ruth Fleming, scientific assistant, Bureau of Plant Industry; Robert E. Prince, assistant engineer in 
_ forest products. 
_ Acknowledgment is also made to Ira H. Woolson, consulting engineer, the National Board of Fire 
_ Underwriters, for valuable assistance in the inflammability tests, and to the following cooperators, who 
_ furnished some of the preservatives used: United Gas Improvement Co., Philadelphia, Pa.; Bruno- 
_ Grosch & Co., New York City; Carbolineum Wood Preserving Co., Milwaukee, Wis.; C. A. Wood Pre- 
Server Co., St. Louis, Mo.; Marden, Orth & Hastings, Boston, Mass.; Logged-Off Land Utilization Co., 
_ Seattle, Wash.; Lake Superior Iron & Chemical Co., Detroit, Mich.; Spirittine Chemical Co., Wilming- 
ton, N. C.; Materials Preserving Co., Burlington, Vt.; Atlantic Turpentine & Refining Co., Savannah, 
Ga.; Indian Refining Co., New York City; Copper Oil Products Co., New York City; Balaklalla Consoli- 
_ dated Copper Co., Coram, Cal.; Franz Workman, Scotland (representing Messrs. Bruening & Marmet- 
'Sehke); John M. Long, Winston, Va.; Philadelphia Quartz Co., Chester, Pa.; Blagden, Waugh & Co., 
London, England. | 
___58293°—Bull. 14515 —1 
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