The Champion Fibre Company, manufacturers primarily of all kinds of chemical wood pulp, and also makers on a large scale of paper, container board, and tannin extract, operates the largest mill of its kind in the world. The daily consumption of raw material is 650 cords elf wood, and 70,000 board feet of saw-timber, which is equivalent to the yield of an average 70* acres of the section from which it draws its supplies. The location of the plant is such that it can tap a wide territory, heavily limbered and within reasonable freight haul

Damtoft, W. J

English

The Champion Fibre Company, manufacturers primarily of all kinds of chemical wood pulp, and also makers on a large scale of paper, container board, and tannin extract, operates the largest mill of its kind in the world. The daily consumption of raw material is 650 cords elf wood, and 70,000 board feet of saw-timber, which is equivalent to the yield of an average 70* acres of the section from which it draws its supplies. The location of the plant is such that it can tap a wide territory, heavily limbered and within reasonable freight haul.</p

Damtoft, W.

Digital Repository @ Iowa State University (ISU)

128                     '[`l-Il1`,     J\ME.S     FORESTERActivities of a Large Pulp  Companyand a Forest Engineer's RelationTheretoW.  J.  Damtoft,  Forest  EngineerThe  ChanlPiOn  Fibre  Company,  manufacturers  primarilyJof all kinds of chemical wood pulp, and also makers  on a largescale  of  paper,  container  board,  and  tannin  extract,  operatesthe  largest  mill  of  its  kind  in  the  world.    The  dailv consump-tion  of  raw  material  is  650  cords  elf  wood,  and  70,ooo  boardfeet   of  saw-timber,   which   is   equivalent  to   the   yield   of  anaverage  70*  acres  of  the  section  from  which  it  draws  its  sup-plies.    The location of the  plant is such  that  it can tap a wideterritory,  heavily limbered and within  reasonable  f'reight  haulThe  mill  is  located  at  Canton,  N.  C.,  eighteen  miles  fromAsheville.     It  is  on the  Murphy  Branch  of the  Southern  Rail-way,  a  1-Oad  Which  runs  from  Asheville   120  miles  westwardbetween, and paralleling the Pisgah and  Great Smoky Ranges,crossing  over  the  Balsam  and  Nantahala  Mountains  at  highaltitudes,.  and  terminatingl  at   Murphy,   N.   C.    Tributary  tothis  railroad  are  some  of  the  largest  and  finest  boundaries  ofmountain  hardwoods,  hemlock  and  spruce  to  be  found  in  theSouth,  includillg  OVer   100,000   virgin   acres   owned   by  TheChampion  Fibre  Company  itself,  alld  from  Which  it  draws  acertain  amount  of  its  raw  material.The  species  of wood used  in  the  manufacture  of pulp  andpaper,  by  the  Company,  in  order  of  quantity  collSumed,  areChestnut   (Castanea  dentata),  Spruce   (Picea  rubra),   Balsam(Abies  Fraseri),  Hemlock   (Tsuga  canadensis),   Pine   (Pinusechinata,  palustris  and  taeda),   Yellow   poplar   (IJiriOdendrOntulipif'era),  Gum(   (Nyssa  sylvatica,  Nyssa  aquatica  and  Li-quidamber    styraciflura),    Cucumber    (Magnolia    acuminta)..Maple,   Beech   and   Buckeye.     Of   these   tlle   Principal   onesused  and  the  respective  daily  consumption  of each are :  Chest-anut   (3OO  cords),`  Spruce  and  Hemlock  (25O  cords),  Pine  andPoplar   (loo  cords).     All  these    species   are   found  in   largequantities  in  the  nearby   mountains,   except   pine   and  gumlwhich  two  species  are  obtained  principally   from   the   lower*Such  an   aver\age   includes   cut-over   and   poorly   timbered   lands.It  must  not  be  overlooked  that  the  yield  from  virgin  timber  lands  ofthe  region  is  grelatly  in  excess  of  this  figure.TI-IE    A}[ES    FORESTER                   12QPiedmollt  and  Coastal  sections  of  North  and  Soutll  Carolinaand  Georgia.Lumber  manufacturing  by  tile   Compally  iS   rather  inci-dental  to  its  own  pulpwood  operations.      In  the   purchase  oftimberlands,  for  the  supply  of  pulpwood,  it  was  necessary  tocol-ra1   large   areas   whicll   COntain   a   COnSiderable   quantity   ofhardwood  peculiar  to   the   Southe1-tl   Appalachian   region,  ot:such  size  and  quality  as  to  nlake  it  more advisable  to  converttllem  into  lumber  than  into  pulpwood.     For  this  reason  twosaw  mills  have  been  installed  upon  these  lands,  manufactur-ing  lumber  of  the  following  species:    Ash,  basswood,  beech,birch,  black  gtlm,  box  elder,  buckeye,  cherry,  chestnut,  hem-lock,  maple,  oak,  poplar,  spruce  and  yellow  pine.Although  the  Company  has  some  300,000  acres  of  timberlands,  either  owned  by  it  in  fee  or  controlled  by  it  throughsubsidies   or  contracts,  its  policy  is    to    draw   but  a  limitedquantity  of  raw  material  from  them  in  order that  it  may  holdtllem  in  reserve  aS  long  as  possible.     Therefore,  it  lo6ks  tothe  followirlg  three  sources  for  its  greater  Supplies  of  wood:(a)   Custom  wood,   o1-  wood   PurChaSeCl   I.   o.   b.   cars,from   farmers,   s111a1_1    operators    and    other   illdi-viduals.(b)   Contracted  wooc1,  or  wood  from  operations  sub-sidized  or  finallCed  by  tile  Company.(c)   Saw  mill   ref'use,   i.   e.  slabs,   edgings,   trimmillgSand  other  odds  alld  ends  from  lumber  mills.Three  chemical  processes  for  the  mallufaCture  Of  Pulp  areused, to-,wit:  Sulphite,  soda  alld Sulphate.    The  species treatedby  these  various  processes  are  as  follows :Sulphite   Process-Spruce  and  hemlock.Soda Process-Chestnut, poplar and other hardwo'ods.Sulphate  Proc.ess-The  yellow  pines.The  sulphite  process  of  converting  wood  lchips  into  pulpwas  developed  by  B.  C.  Tilgham  about  fifty  years  ago.    Thispulp,  oritc>crinally  made  from  spruce,  and  in  more  recent  yearsfrom  hemlock  also,  took  the  place  of  rags  in  the  manufactureof  paper,  its  long  fibre  gi_ving  the  necessary  strength.     Pulpmade  bv  this  process  is,  in  unbleached  conditioll,  mixed  Withabout  nJine  times  the  quantity  of  "Ground  wood  pulp"   (i.  e.pulp   made   by   the   mechanical   tearing   of   fibre   from   wclodpressed  against  large  stone  wlleels)   for  the  manufacture  of"News  print"  and  is  also  used  in  larger  proportions  for  themaking  of  ttBag''  and  "Wrapping".     Bleached  pulp  made  bythis  process  is  mixed  with  pulp  of  sllOrter  fibre,  Such  e.  g.  aSis  produced  from  species  reduced  by  the  soda  process,  for the13O                  TIIE    AMES    FORESTERDiagrammatic  Representation  o'f  Products  Manufactured  andof  Processes  and  Raw   Materials   Employed   byThe  Champion  Fibre  Co.Bleached  pulpSpruceHemlock--\--Sulphite  PulpctBindex"  liquorChestnutPoplar  andother  hardwoodsBond  papeloPostcard   (with  507,  sodapulp)Book  paper(!with  2597o   soda  pulpand  25%  sulpIlate  Pulp)Screenings  usecl   in  lnaking  COntainer bOa1`d(TannlC  AcidBleached  Soda  PulpUnbleachedBleachedSulphate  pulpTurpentineSalt             by  electrolysisBook  paperwith  2597,  sulphate  and50r/f  sulphite  pulpPostcard   ('with  50%  sulphittIpulp)Book  pape]-}J 5(OW;pthsu215p7hoitseodpaulpa-rd\KI-aft  Paper   (i75%  pine-2597ohemlock)Container  board  I(from  screeningChlorineHydrog-enCaustic  SodaTIIF,    A}JJ[ES     FORESTER                    131making  of  "Book"  paper,  and  an  excellent  grade  of  "Bond".A by-product of this  sulphite  process is marketed  as  ctBindex."Bindex   is   a   ligno-sulphite    liquor,    obtained    as    a    by-product  from  the  cooking  of  spruce  and  hemlock  wood  (f'romwhich  tlle  ba1-k  has  been  removed)   in  the  Preparation  Of  Cel-lulose   (wood  pulp).     The  wood  is  digested  with  a  solutionof  Calcium  polysulplliteS  Prepared  by  Passing  Sulfur  dioxidegas into  milk of lime.     The  digestion  is carried  on  under pres-sure-in  large  autocla\TeS.     Tile    Cellulose    fiber    (pulp)   is    re-moved  and  tile  remaining  liquor  is  employed  for  the  prepara-tion  of  Bindex,  principal.1.y by  concelltratiOn.    Bindex  colltainSthe  original  resins  of  the  wood,  glucose  and  ligneous  matter.whicll  consists  Principally  of  embryo  cellulose  matter,  besidestile  SulPllite  Of  Calcium.     Bindex  is  freely  soluble  in  water  inall  proportions.    According to  Dr.  Joseph  Hyde  Pratt  of  TheNorth  Ca1-Olina  Geological  and  Economic  Survey,  Bindex  ex-tract  actually  enters  into  intimate  chemical  combinatioll  WithrIsand  and  clay,  f'orming  a  bond  which  becomes  permanent  intime,  and  for  this  reason  it  is  especially  adaptable  for bindingthe  surfaces  of  sand  aIld  gravel  clay  roads.The  soda  process  of  pulp  manufacture  produces  a  "shortfibre"  whicll  iS  used  in  mixture  With  Sulpllite  Pulp  for  making-a   high-grade   paper.     It   insures   a   strong,   well-closed   slleet.with  a  surface  well  adapted  for  coating  or  supercalellderingfor  the  lligheSt  Class  Printing.Tannin  extract  is  obtained  from  tile  ClleStnut  wood  Pre-vious to  the  pulping of tlliS  species.     Owing to  the  very  largequantitv  of  chestnut  used  b\r the  plant,  this  industry  is  a  ver}ri-mport;nt  part  of  The  Champion  Fibre  Cc,mpany's  activities.rJand  its  daily  production  of  tannin  exceeds  tllat  Of  any  Plalltin  the  country,  not  excepting  tho`se  which  are  devoted  exclu-sively  to  this  one  product.The  sulphate  process  of  pulp  making  is  a  comparati\-e1}-recent  developmellt,  and  iS  Well  adapted  to  the  treatm'ent  oI-pine  wood,  or  v`rood  too  ricll  in  resinous  matter  tO  yield  read-ily to  the  ot11e1-methods.    It  is  by  this  process  that the  "kraft'®(Germall  for  ttStrOngJj)    papers  are    made.     This  pulp,  in  itsunbleached  state,  is   con\-erted   into   ttwrapping'J   paper,  andhigh-grade  container    board,   its    special    value    being  in    it`-`strengtl1.    The  problem  o±-  bleaching  sulphate  pulp  economic-ally,  llaS  Only  recelltly  been  solved.     It  is  interesting  to  notethat  in  connect.ion  with  tlle  OPeratiOn  Of  reducing  Pine  ClliPSby  this  process,  turpentine  is  secured  as  a  by-product.The  agent  employed  ill  the  bleachillg  Of  the  Pulps  fromall   the   processes   is   c111orine,   \`T11iC11   iS   Produced   b}T   tile   elec-,132                  THE    AMES    FORESTERtrolysis  of  Na  C1  (salt).     A  by-product  of  this  process,  caus-tic  soda,  is  marketed  in  considerable  quantity.The  foregoing  gives  a  general  outline  of  The  ChampionFibre  CompanyJs  activities,  and  its  requirements  in  the  wayof raw-material.    The  responsibility  of  meeting these  require-ments  lies  with  two    departments  within   the   organization,namely,  the  "Wood  Department" and  the  "Wood  Buying  De-partment'J.    The  former  has  charge  of the  CompanyJs  timber-lands,  their  purc`hase,  sale  and  development,  including  opera-Portion   of   the   great   Smoky   Mountains,   North   Carolinalions  both  for  pulp  wood  and  saw-timber.    The  latter  is  re-sponsible  for  keeping  up  the  current  supply  for  the  pulp  millby outside  purchases,  contracts,  etc.,  f'or the  amounts  requiredin    addition    to    that    supplied    from    the    CompanyJs    ownoperations.The  central  organization   of  the   "Woods    Department"consists  of  an  Operatillg  Superintendent  and  a  Forest  Engi-neer.     The  former  has  the  entire  supervision  of  the  Depart-mtnt,  but,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  devotes  the  greater  amount  ofIlls  attention  tO  the  OPerating  and  Production  end,  delegatingto  the  Forest  Engineer  most  matters  of  other  nature.In  this  arrangement  the   field   of  the    Forest   Engineerincludes :(a)   Keeping  alert  for  favorable  purchases   and   sales   ot-timber  lands.Making timber estimates,  valuation  examinations andSurveys.Investigating   titles     (co-operatillg   With     Compan.vAttorney).Keeping  up   status   map   and  recor{1  of  transactions.TIIE    AMES    FORESTER                   133Compiling  records  pertailling  tO  timberlands.(b)   A,JIaking  timber  estimates    and   preliminary    railroadsurveys  to  assist  operating-  superinte11de11~t  in  deter-~mining  best  methods  of  de\-elopment.(e)     Keeping informed  as  to  a\tailable  supplies  of variousspecies, both  on  Company  owned,  and  on  other landswitllin  SlliPPing  distance  Of  tile  mill.(d)   Inspecting  cutting  operations  with  view  to  advisingon  best  method  of  llalldling various  types.(e)   Supervision of forest nursery and planting operations.(I)     Protection  of  Compally  O\`Tned  lands  from  trespass,fire.  insects,  etc.(g)   Geheral  forestry  acti\TitieS,  Such  aS  utilization  inves-tis-ations,   co-operating  witll  Various  Public  agenciesdevoted  to  forestry  matters,  keeping  posted  on  for-estry  and  land  legislatic,n,  etc.This  field  is  large,  and  one   whicll  Will    not  be  entirelycovered  f'or  several  years  to   come,   owing  to   certain  of  th-eactivities  being-of  more  urgent  nature,  temporarily,  than  otll-,A   splendid   stand   of   Chestnut,   Oaks   and   Poplal`   in   theSouthern   Appalachians.ers,  'e.  g.,  until  the  Company  has  acquiretl  practically  all  theacreage  of  timberland  which  it  is  deemed  advisable  to  own,.and  has  cleared  up  title  to  same,  there  must  be  a  very  largeportion  of the  time  of the  Forest  Engineer consumed  in  mak-ing  valuation  surveys,  title  investigations,  etc.     During  thisperiod  what  attention  can  be  di\terted  from  this  work  is  a1-134                  TIIE    AMES    FORESTERmost  entirely  directed  to  current  operations,  to  making  pre-liminary  railroad  surveys,  securing  rights  of  way,  estimatingminor  watersheds,  etc.The  current  woods  operations  of  tile  Company  are  many,and  diversified  as to  character.     Three  of  them  involve  ratherextensive  railroatl   development,  with   steam   machinery,  andtwo   of  them   are  principallv  fluming-  propositions,   althoughthe  combination  of  both  theJse  methods  of  transportation  pre-vails  on  all  the  operations.     Considerable  preliminary  work  islleCeSSarV  in  determining  Which  method  Or  the  extent  Of  thecombilla-tiOn  Of  these  methods  iS  most  economical  f'or  the  var-ious  units.     The  factors  to  be  collSidered  are  quantity  Of  tim-ber,  character  of  timber,  grades,  available  water,  character  ofground,  etc.     Mucll  time  must  be  devoted  tO  tlliS  work  Whenas  many  as  five  operations  are  under  way  at  one  time,  andplans  are  always  being  made  for  beginning  new  ones.As  time  g-oes  on,  llOWeVer,  Purchase  work  and  attendanttitle  work  sho-uld  diminisl1,  thus   Permitting   attention  tO  becentered  upon  operating  and  silvicultural  problems.    A  verygreat  amount  of  work  will  be  necessary  in  order  to  get  com-plete  data  upon  whicll  tO  base  Plans  for  getting the  Companyelwned  la11d`l,  in  tlLle  best  CllnditiOn  tO  meet  the  future  needs  Ofthe   mill.     Complete    timber  inventories    must    be    obtained,growth  studies  made,  requiremelltS  figured,  amount  Of  avail-able  wood  from  outside  soul-CeS  estimated,  etC.The  prot,lem  of  handling  any  considerable  f'orest  area  inthe  Southerll  Appalachians  to  grea,test  advantage  for  futureproduction  is  a   difficult  one.       Even   within   the    Companyowned  I,oundaries  are  found  more  than  fifty  species  of  com-mercial  trees,  occurring-  in  a  great   variety  of   combinations(types)   over  a  wi`de  altitudinal  range,  with  diversified  topo-Igraphical   features.     To   determine   the   silvioultura1   1-equire-ments  of  these  manv  types  is   difficult,  and   after  this  shallhave  been  done  theie  wi-ll  arise  the  problem  of  making  theI,1ethOd  Of Cutting and  Skidding tile  timber  tO  COnfOrm  tO theserequirements,  e.  g.,  in  the  spruce  type  it  is  probably  most  ad-visable  f'rorTl  a  Silvicultural  standpoint  to  cut  the  trees  to  adiameter  limit,  leaving  young  saplings  and  poles  fclr  secondgrowth      However,   the   only   economical   methods   thus   farfound I;r operating in this type employs  large overhead  stean1.skidders  which,  in  sllaking  Or  Pulling-  in  the   logs,  do  greatdamage  to  th_e  trees  which  have  been  left  standing.The  question  of utilization  is  also  a broad  one.    With  themany  differerlt  tree  SPeCieS  Of  the  Southern  Appalachians,  andthe  matly  Products  I_hat  Can  be  Obtained  from  them,  it  Willprobablv be at  a  very  distant  date  that the  ultimate  in  utiliza-TI-I11`J    li1\IES     FORESTER                    135lion  of  them  will  be  attailled.      Possibilities  are   colltinuallvp1-eSenting  themselves  in  tlle  Way  Of  new  industries  Or  in  th~eraw  material  which  might  be  elllPloyed  in  existing  industries.Then  there  is  also  a  la.rge  field  for  the  Forest  Engineerin  deter111i11ing  the  best  Plan  Of  mallagement  Of'  the  Companyowned  lalldS,  Which  are  Suitable  for  other  purposes  tllan  treegrowth,  or  whic,h  have  upon  or  within   tllem,   merChantablep1-OduCtS  Other  than  timber.     There  are  always  within  largetimber  boundaries  of  the  Southern  Appalachians,  areas  whichmake  splendid  farms,  areas  which  afford  a  good  stock  range,areas  w11iC11  are  Well  adapted  to  grass,  areas  which  give  indi-l`atio11S  Of  Valuable  mineral  deposits,  and  last  but  not  alwaysof  least  cons]®deration,  areas  splendidly  adapted  for  game  andWood   storage   yard   on   operiltion   of   CllamPiOn   Fibre   Cor1~lPany,Canto'_I,   N.   C.fisll  Preserves,  WhiCll  are  in  demand  by  Clubs.     It  is  not  al-ways  an  easy  matter  to  determine  how  or when  these  i,7ariOuSareas  should  be  developed,  and  mucll  Study  iS  required  in  COn-nection  with  this  problem.To  completely  enumerate   the   phases  a,I  the  work  of  aForest  Engineer,  to  a  large  pulp  and  lumber  company,  own-ing  an  extensive  area  of  mountain  land,  is  almost  impossible.The  number  of  acti\tities  which  will  receive  his  attention  arelimited  mostlv  by  his  knowledge,  at,ility  and  energy.~

Activities of a Large Pulp Company and a Forest Engineer's Relation Thereto

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Activities of a Large Pulp Company and a Forest Engineer\u27s Relation Thereto

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