SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 
for the manufacture of groundwood pulp, have proved to be adapted 
for such use. In the manufacture of soda pulp the time of cooking, as 
a result of experimentation, has been reduced by 20 to 60 per cent. 
thereby making possible an increased production with existing plants 
of from about 50 to 100 per cent. Laboratory investigations in hard- 
wood distillation have shown that, with no increase in the cost of 
equipment or operation of a commercial plant, the yield of wood alcohol 
and acetate of lime may be increased approximately 80 per cent. and 
15 per cent. respectively. : 
The building and construction trade uses annually about 
5,500,000,000 feet of timber. This material is worth, roughly, 
200,000,000 dollars. Investigations at the Forest (Products Laboratory 
cn the mechanical properties of American woods, have shown that 20 
per cent. increases in the allowable strength stresses of structural 
timbers are permissible. This means the use of smaller timbers, with 
subsequent saving of raw material, and possible economy in the cost 
of about 40,000,000 dollars annually. If results are actually applied 
to only 10 per cent. of such material, the annual saving would still be 
equal to about 4,000,000 dollars. Improved methods of turpentining, 
developed by the research workers in forestry, resulted in increased 
yields and less injury to timber, with a net: saving ageregating 4,000,000 
dollars a year. Economies in this direction are unlimited. Our pre- 
sent consumption of lumber is around 40,000,000,000 board feet. This 
represents probably not less than 75,000,000,000 feet of standing timber 
in the woods. There is an enormous waste between the tree and the 
finished product. It is roughly estimated that by better methods of 
utilization based on scientific investigations a saving of over 
10,000,000,000 feet is possible. Ten billion feet of ripe timber saved 
each year means a saving of one year’s supply every four years. It 
means prolonging by 25 per cent. the remaining timber supply. Merely 
to indicate the possible economies in the use of wood a few illustrations 
may be mentioned. The railroad and electric lines in this country use 
about 120,000,000 wooden ties a year. Of this about 28 per cent. are 
treated with some preservative. The average life of a railroad tie pro- 
perly treated is fifteen years, of an untreated tie about seven and a-half © 
years. If all ties were treated there would be an annual saving on 
railroad ties alone amounting to from 1,500,000,000 to 2,000,000,000 
board feet a year. If, in addition to the ties, poles, posts, mine props, 
shingles, and other lumber used under conditions subjected to decay 
were treated, the annual saving would be increased to some 6,000,000,000 
board feet. 
The best utilization thus far accomplished under chemical processes 
in the manufacture of paper is 45 per cent. of the wood substitute. 
That means that for every cord of wood pulped, some 55 per cent. of 
the original weight of the wood is lost, and for the total annual con- 
sumption, over 2,000,000 cords a year. Now, by proper methods of 
storing, preventing shrinkage in the weight of wood and loss through 
decay, a saving of some 600,000 tons of pulpwood might be effected. It 
-s believed that there is an annual loss of 1,000,000,000 feet in the drying 
of lumber. By proper methods of kiln drying this loss could be cut 
in two. 
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