Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1882-01-11
AGRICULTURE.

Coal TAI FOR PosTs AND WAGON PAINT
About twenty years ago commenced uslnI
coal lar on fence posts, grape stakes, etc
l erected grape srbor with pine studdinl
four by four inches square, Get two feet In
the ground. Befnre putting them in the
ground, gave them q coat of coal tar
about two and one half feet of the lowe
end. do not recoliect whether the ta
was hot or only warmed in the SUM- Th'
srbor was taken down after standing eigh
teen years, and the posts were nearly al
sound; some of them had begun to decal
at the surface of the ground. Soon aftel
that had a sheet iron tank or kettle mad,
three feet high, and two feet in diameter
to heat tho tar in. 1t was set on brick oI
stone, so as to put wood snd chips under
with the care to get it far enough from tb,
buildings to be safe from IRE. Three post
were set IN the ground and board nsileC
on to lean the pests against as they wert
set in tte kettle, to prevent turning ths
kettle over. A wood lattice was put in
the bottom of the kettle to prevent the post
from Druising the sheet iron kettle witt
their weight on the bottom. put In eighl
or ten posts At time; heating the tar to
boiling, and keeping it hot and filed with
tar to its top when the posts were in. Lei
them remain about fifteen minutes, ther
take ont and put others in also con-
structed q grape trellis with two small
stakes five feet high, to fas'en wires to.
Those two stakes were Set brscing, and
fastened with q wire hinge at the foot to q
short stake driven in the ground; trellis &c
constructed as to let it down in winter.
These shot stakes which were to go in the
ground. were boiled in the tar. They were
many of them Of pine sappy wood, veiy
liable 10 rot, and ten or twelve Year, after,
on pulling them up, most If them were
sound. These several experiences have
proved TO me that coal tar thus applied on
dry wood is of great service to assist the
durability of posts and stakes. l began TO
apply coal tar to my wagon wneeis five
years ago. On q warm day in summer
the tar is sufficiently thin, but in cool
weather l would advise heating it, Have
the wheels clesn and dry, and he careful
that every JOINT or crack is filed with tar.
An old paint brush or rag closely wrapped
on The end of a stuck will do, with small
brush CT swab, to finish up at each end Of
the spokes, the hub and the felloe. 1t Is
hard, durable and impe-vious 10 water.
This is the object OF paint 1t Is the best
paint / ever used. If should order new
wagon | would order the wood work-not
only the wheels but all the wood work of
the wagon-yes, the wagon box-all first
painted with coal lar. A very desirable
thing it would be to keep the bottom Of
the wagon box from swelling and shrink
ing. Last year l painted my old rattle =
rap buggy all over but the cushions with
coal tar. 1t tIghtened the spokes and en-
tiIely stopped its rattle by filling its crew.
ces snd many loose joints. The wagon
tires will only need setting one half as Of
ten as they will without the cnal tar, if
when 1t is worn off the fell9s they ar.
painted over again with coal tar. see q
published statement this week that coal
Tar will cause the t,oards on the fence to
rot; it gives them the dry rot 1t is quite
likely that the board fence referred to had
the dry rot; but | don't believe it was
caused by the coal tar. Our railroads are
using it of late very generally on bridge
timber, etc,