“This is most interesting. Had anyone asked me offhand, if Alaska used reindeer for practical use I would have answered ‘No, of course not, you have to go to Greenland and Siberia for them,’” said Fred Remington.
“Elena, your turn next,” said Zan, as Fred sat down.
“I was given the paper about play-grounds or parks,” explained Elena, opening her paper to read. “In Spain, all exceptionally picturesque or historical regions, forests, lands, or buildings, that the state may select, will be used for national parks. The natural beauty of the land, the fauna and flora, as well as the geological and water features of these parks, will be protected and provide suitable places of interest for everyone. The reigning king, finding that many natural fauna were disappearing from Spain, began this movement which will prove to be a good precedent for other countries to follow before it is too late.
“In our United States, over 1,500,000 people use the National Playgrounds each year, provided by the Government for the public. The present policy of the American Forestry Association is to secure such disposition of public lands as will afford a maximum benefit and joy to the people.
“National Parks in Hawaii are a recent improvement. They cover 75,000 acres and include the crater areas and natural wonders of the three great Hawaiian volcanoes, Mauna Loa, Kilauea, and Haleakala. The latter, less familiarly known than the other two, has a crater 2000 feet deep and offers the greatest volcanic spectacle this side of the moon.”
As Elena finished reading Zan turned and asked Anne Mason to read her paper.
“I was given the subject ‘New and Interesting Manufactures Pertaining to Forest Products.’ And most interesting it proved to be.
“The manufacture of fuel alcohol from pine sawdust is a new industry in connection with the sawmills in Texas and Louisiana. At Fullerton, La., a plant costing more than $750,000. is turning out more than 5,000 gallons of fuel alcohol a day.
“Also, more than twenty thousand tons of wood-flour valued at $300,000. are annually used in the United States for the manufacture of dynamite and for inlaid linoleum. It is also used for making composition flooring, oat-meal wall paper, and other things. In the past, the great sawmills of the United States used half of this waste for fuel in their furnaces and the other half was burned as refuse and discard. Now, however, the huge waste product has found a way to be practically used instead of being burned.
“In the manufacture of linoleum the wood-flour is mixed with a cementing material, spread out on burlap, and rolled to form an even thickness. The cement is the item that makes linoleum so expensive. Cork linoleum is cheaper as it uses less cement. Wood-flour linoleum is light-coloured while cork linoleum is always a dark brown and is slightly more elastic than that of wood-flour, but the wearing qualities are about the same.