Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1905-12-16
TIMBER SEASONING.
Bureau of Forestry Experiments
with Telegraph Poles.


with telegraph Poles.
The bureau of forestry at its new ex-
pertinent stations In Wisconsin and
Michigan will make seasoning tests OF
cedar and tamarack telephone and tele-
graph poles which have been suhmerg-
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 lumbermen TO improve tim
Der, and logs which have lain for
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 he
made of the fact in seasoning general
Is are matters which have never been
thoroughly ascertained.
Ii Is known that the sap of green
wood contains certain soluble sub
stances albumen. starch, sugars, tan
min. etc.-whch undoubtedly are
leachcd out OF timber immersed in wa
ter 10 n greater or less extent In ordi-
nary seasoning these substances are
left behind us the water evaporates
and are deposited ON the cell walls. As
seasoning begins on the outside these
deposits must act MS clogs which virtu-
ally bottle up 10 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 ut best tedious
and slow work. II can be done fairly
well in ten or twelve months. but thor
ough seasoning requires from eighteen
to twcnty-four months. the time vary
ing with the different kinds Of wood.
II the bureau of forestry realizes its
expectations from these new expert
ments the time required for seasoning
poles will be reduced onc.third and
possibly much more. This would prove
an exceedingly valuable economy. II.
In addition. the durability of the poles
can he increased in this way the saving
both to users of poles and to the cause
of forest preservation will he enor-
ice of poles cuts of proportionate de-
mand upon the forests for their re-
newal.
In these new tests the poles will he
submerged in water for different peri
DDS from one week up to decide what
length of time will give the best re-
suits. They will then be placed on
skids about two feet above the ground
AMI left to dry. They will touch each
other. but will be laid only one layer
deep. Al the expiration of every thir
~ days each pole will he weighed and
also measured 10 ascertain any shrink
age of its circumference. Unsoaked
poles have furnished Il circumference
shrinkage of one-siXtccnth 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
loss in weight of about onc-third after
sixty days Of drying. In the case OF
chestnut poles the same length of time
showed n 10 per cent loss. These poles
are long and very heavy. and such Il
large weight reduction means n decid-
ed saving in freight charges and in
creased ease in handling. But this adj
vantage. though important, Is small in
comparison with the gain in heightened
service. Further. with greater resist
ance TO decay 1t will be possible TO
lower the present butt diameter re-
quirement. 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 fulfills
what 1t seems TO promise. II will have
a notable bearing on one of the large
branches of timber consumption. as n
moments thought OF the number OF
poles In use in the entire country will
show.-Milwaukee Wisconsin.