Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-12-01
A NEW TIMBER SEASONING
PROCESS,
The Bureau Of rOrestry VIII soak
Poles in water and Then Investi-
rnfe Their Int Of SeaHoninG.

The bureau of forestry. at its new ex-
pertinent stations in Wisconsin and Mich
igan, will make seasoning tests OF cedar
and tamnrack telephone and telegraph
poles which have been submerged in
water for varying lengths of time. This
Is an entirely new line of experiment.
That immersion in water seems To snect
the rate Of seasoning has often been no.
ticed. Rafting IL said by many lumber
men to improve timber. and logs which
have lain for Il long time in swamps arc
in some places eagerly sought for their
superiority for certain uses But Just
why this should he true. and what prac-
teal use can bc made Of tho fact in sea-
sonng generally. are matters which have
never been thoroughly ascertsincd.
I, Is known that the sap Of green
wood contains certain soluble substances
-a'bumcn, starch. sugars. tannin, etc.
which undoubt edIy are leached out OF
timber immersed in water to a greater
or less extent. In ordinary seasoning
these Substances are left behind as tn"
water evaporates and are deposited on
he cell walls AS seasoning begins on
the outside these deposits must act as
clogs which virtually bottle up 10 GER
tain degree the water in the interior. II
is possible also that chemical or ply
steal changes in tho wood cells are pro-
duccd by soaking.
Timber seasoning is at best tedious and
slow work II can be done fairly well
in 10 or T. months, but thorough season
ing requires from IS 20 q months. the
time varying with the different kinds OF
wood. II the bureau Of forestry realizes
its expectations from thesr new expert
ments, the time required for seasoning
poles will he reduced onc-third, and pos
siby much more. This would prove an
exceedingly valuable economy. IL, III adj
dition. the durability OF the poles can be
increase in this way, the saving both
to users of poles and to the cause of
forest preservation will he enormous.
For every year added TO the service of
poles cuts off proportionate demand
upon the forests for their renewal.
In these new tests the poles will he
submerged in water for different periods,
from one week up, TO decide what longth
of time will give tho best results. They
will then he placed on skids about two
feet above the ground and lef. TO dry.
They will touch each other. hut will he
laid ONLY one layer deep At the ~Npira
ion of every 80 days each pole Will be
weighed. and also measured To ascertain
|any shrmkaGc ~ its circumference. In
soaked poles have furnished a circun-
ference shrnkase of onc-siXteentr 10
one eighth inch in 30 days, and of ono
fourth inch in six months.
An Important matter in seasoning is
the loss in weight. Past experiments
with white cedar poles have shown loss
in weight of about one-thrd after ~
days of drying. In tho case of chestnut
poles the same length of time showed q
n per cent. loss. These poles are long
and very heavy. and such large weight
reduction means a decided saving in
freight charges, and increased ease in
handling, But this adva ltage, though
important. is small in comparison with
the gain in longthened service. Further,
with greater resistance to decay il will
hc possible to over the present butt
diameter requirement. which is now
ba sod on the certainty that rot will soon
weaken the power of the pole to with
stand strain at the surface OF the around.
Altogether. if the soaking process fulflls
what it seems to promise. it will have a
notable bearing on one Of the large
branches of timber consumption. aS a
moments thought nj the number Of poles
in use in tho entire country will show