Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-07-27
TIMBER SEASONING.
Bureau of Forestry Experiment q
With telegraph Poles.


The bureau Of forestry at It's new ex-
pertinent stations in Wisconsin and
Michigan will make seasoning tests Of
cedar and tamarack telephone and tele-
graph poles which have been slbmerg.
ed in water for varying lengths Of
time. This is an entirely new line of
experiment. That immersion in water
seems to affect the rate Of seasoning
has often been noticed. Rafting Is said
by many lumbcrmen to improve tim.
Der. and logs which have lain for a
long time In swamps are in some places
eagerly sought for their superiority for
certain uses. But just why this should
be true and what practical use can be
made of the fact in seasoning general.
~ are matters which have never been
thoroughly nscertained.
1t is known that the sap of green
wood contains certain soluble sub
stances-albumcn, starch, sugars, tan
min, etc.--which undoubtedly are
lcached out OF timber immersed in wa
ter to n greater or less extent. In ordi-
nary seasoning these substances are
left behind as the water evnporates
and are deposited on the cell walls. As
seasoning begins on the outside these
deposits must act rs clogs. which virtu-
ally bottle up to n certain degree the
water in the interior. 1t is possible
also that chemical or physical changes
in the wood cells are produced by soak
ing.
Timber seasoning is Mt best tedious
and slow work. 1t can be done fairly
we'll in ten or twelve months. but thor
ough seasoning requires from eighteen
to twenty-four months, the time vary.
ing with the different kinds of wood
If the bureau of forestry realizes its
expectations from these new expert.
mcnts the time required for seasoning
poles will be reduced onc-third and
possibly much more. This would prove
IN exceedingly valuable economy. II,
in addition. the durability of the poles
can be increased in this way the saving
both to users Of poles and to the cause
of forest preservation will be cnor-
nous. for every year added to the serv.
ice Of poles cuts OF proportionate de-
mnnd upon the forests for their re-
newal.
In these new tests the poles will be
submerged in water for different peri
DDS from one week up to decide what
length of time will give the hest re-
suits. They will then be placed OH
skids about two feet above tho ground
and left to dry. They will touch each
other. but will be laid only one layer
deep. At the expiration of every thir.
ty days each pole will be weighed md
also measured to ascertain any shrink
ago OF its circumference. Unsonketl
poles have furnished n circumference
shrinkage of one-slXteenth to one.
eighth inch in thirty days and Of one.
fourth inch in six months.
An important matter In seasoning Is
the loss In weight. Past experiments
with white cedar poles have shown a
loss in weight Of about one-third after
sixty days Of drying. In the case of
chestnut poles the same length OF time
showed 10 per cent loss. These poles
are long and very heavy, and such a
large weight reduction means n tlccid.
ed saving in freight charges and In,
creased ease In handling. But this nd.
vantage, though important, IL small In
comparison with the gain in heightened
service. Further. with greater resist
ance to decay It will be possible ia
lower the present butt diameter re-
Quiremcnt, which Is now based on the
certainty that rot will soon weaken
the power of the pole to Withstand
strain at the surface Of the ground. Al
together, II the soaking process fulfllls
what 1t seems to promise, 1t will have
q notable bearing OH one Of the large
branches of timber consumption. as q
moments thought of the number Of
poles In use in the entire country will
show.-Aiilwaukee Wisconsin.
Not 10 he Fooled.