The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1890-07-26
DOMESTIC ECONOMY.
HOUSEHOLD AND AGRICUL-
TURAL TOPICS DISCUSSED,
Budget of Useful Information Relating
to the Farm, Orchard, Stable, ParIOr and
Kitchen.



About this time of wear we hear
that the IL onth of July, or the summer
months, is the proper time for cult in G
tlmbe to last well, and to do the most
service Now, my experience, covering
more than thirty years Of cutting large
quantities of all the varieties of wood
and timber, has proved that the spring
and summer months are the poorest of
the year for cutting timber to last.
Other operators of experience in my
neighborhood have avoided cutting ship
timber and other hard wood timber as
much as possible during the spring and
summer months. They have considered
December and January to be the best
months fol cutting, although experience
proves that October, November. and
February will answer very we'll. Tim
Der should always be cut while in DOR
mant state, both for wood and for man.
ufacturing purposes.
This has been proved by cutting hard
wood and timber and allowing the same
to lay over for a year or two. / have
always found the summer-cut timber to
decay much the quicker of the two.
Farmers would find it 10 their advan-
tage to cut their fencing stuff and draw
1t IN early winter TO tie place where
wanted. Their teams are strong and can
draw more at that season of the year
than IN the hot days OF spring. Again,
by this method they Will have better
material, and also hasten their sprin @
work.
There is a popular belief that posts
set top down will last longer than when
set butt down. Such is not the fact.
Both the butts and tops of the trees are
the poorest to last i'll the ground. The
former is open grained and spongy,
while the latter is the last grown and
the most sappy. hence quickest to de-
cay. To prove this, set the first post
butt down and the second post top
down. The first post will rot in the
ground first, but with the second the
upper end will rot first.
The proper way is to cut off TWO or
three feet of the butt, and then set the
posts butt down, or else set the first cut
with the top down and the rest butt
down. " hen cutting small trees for
fence stakes, l Settle first cut top into
the ground, and find they last niger
than any other way.
Some scientists claim that if posts are
set butt down that the sap cells Will be
brought into action, and supply the posts
with moisture. This argument does not
convince me, for | can hardly believe
that a section of dead tree, without
root or branch, can perform the func
tions of Il live tree.
In order to prove the truth and fallacy
of the above, set oak and pine posts
after they were perfectly seasoned.
When they had been set several years |
bored them late in the fall, alter the
rainy season was over, also in the
spring, near the ground, and midway
above the ground, always finding them
dry. All who have post fences to main
tam shou have their posts cut at the
time he rein described, and season them
thoroughly before setting. My expert
ence for many years shows me that posts
cut and set III a green state never season
or dry through; and the first change is
towards decay. -.Jo$eph Barnard, IN
american CltttirdtOf.