379 
1918.] The N.Z. Journal of Science and Technology. 
presumably favour Huntly, but engineers would have a “sneaking regard ” 
for a combination system, even, as in Tuscany, of the three sources of 
power working in parallel.) 
S. H. J. 
Feasibility of Manufacturing Paper from Pulp from Tasmanian Timbers, 
by Henry E. Surface. Report of the Department of Lands and Survey 
of Tasmania for 1914 — 1915, Hobart, 1915, pp. 33-43. 
This report is of special interest in New Zealand, as one of the timbers the 
pulping qualities of which were investigated was Nothofagus Cunninghamii 
(in Tasmania known as “ myrtle ”), which is closely related to and pro¬ 
duces a timber very similar to our Nothofagus Menziesii (silver-beech^ 
or the bush marks “ silver - birch,’ 5 now becoming known as “Southland 
beech ” among timber-traders). The author is on the staff of the United 
States Forest Service, and is well known for his work in connection with 
forest products ; his opinions may therefore be accepted with confidence. 
The report is concise yet comprehensive, and the subject is dealt with in 
such a manner that even were one unaware of the author’s established 
reputation one could not but be impressed by his mastery of the subject. 
When it is remembered that over 90 per cent, of all the timber used 
for paper-pulp in Canada and the United States is coniferous (softwood) 
timber, it is scarcely surprising that the report is condemnatory of the 
Tasmanian hardwoods investigated. The softwoods are most used in 
America because they are the most suitable, not because hardwoods are 
scarce. 
Mr. Surface finally recommends—(1) That as a purely business enter¬ 
prise the utilization of Tasmanian hardwoods for pulp or paper making 
should not be given further consideration ; (2) that if a wood-pulp and 
paper industry be desired recourse should be had to planting and protecting 
suitable species of trees that have long-fibred woods ; (3) that if a larger 
and complete utilization of native woods be desired a number of systematic 
forest-products investigations should be undertaken, looking to new uses 
for the woods as well as larger markets for the timber products now manu¬ 
factured. The investigations should also consider an improvement in the 
quality and quantity of the manufactured timber. There should also be 
a publicity campaign to show how native woods could be substituted for 
those that are imported. He further recommends 1 investigation of the 
value of Tasmanian woods for the production of alcohol, tannin-extracts,, 
veneers (especially for fiddle-backs), wood-paving blocks, creosoted sleepers, 
handles, &c. 
“ Paper-pulp is made from wood by three different processes ? (1) the mechanical 
or ground-wood process ; (2) the sulphite process ; and (3) the soda process, which is- 
sometimes modified in what is termed the sulphate process. A good indication of the 
relative importance of the several processes is obtained by comparing the amounts of 
each kind of pulp produced and consumed. Only about 10 per cent, of the total amount 
of pulp made from wood is obtained by the soda or sulphate process ; the other 90 per 
cent, is about equally divided between the-sulphite and mechanical pulps.” 
Soda pulp is used only in the bleached form and in conjunction with 10 to 60 
per cent, of raw or bleached sulphite pulp for the production of high-class papers 
Sulphite pulp is used either bleached or unbleached, and either alone or mixed with 
other pulps, for a great variety of papers, including wrapping and news-print paper.. 
Mechanical pulp is always used in the unbleached state* and enters largely into all 
the cheaper papers, for which there is the largest demand. 
For pulp the main wood requirements are : (1.) For the mechanical'process a soft 
white-coloured wood having long fibres is essential for about 90 per cent, of the market; 
