The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-02-24
THE TELEGRAPH AND TREES
FIVE TREES NEEDED FOR EVERY
 POLE.

Life of Latter but One-afth of Former
 --32,0OO,OO0 Poles in Use Requiring
 Immense FOrests-FOrest Service
 Studying Preservation Treatment of
 PoIes-ResuIts of the Endeavors. With the life of telephone and tele graph poles at it's present limit, the SOOOOO miles of existing lines, requiring 92,OOO,0O0 poles, must be renewed ap- proximately four times before trees suitable to take their place can grow. A pole lasts in service about twelve years, on the aveage, but is made from tree about 50 years old. In other words, to maintain a continuous supply five times as many trees must be grow ing in the forest as there are poles in use. The severity of this drain upon forest resources by the telephone and telegraph companies is obvious enough. Just as in the case of railroad ties the question of pole supply has thrust it. self into prominence. To lengthen the life of poles and in this way to moderate and conserve future supplies has become an important matter affecting the public as well as private interests.
 Since 1902 the Forest Service has been making thorough study of the pre- servative treatment of poles and of the value of the seasoning in relation to treatment In this work its first object has been, as in its studies of cross-ties and construction timbers, to make the timber last as long as possible, so as to check the annual demand for renewal and thus lessen so far as possible the drain upon the forest. Cooperating with telephone and telegraph companies railroads, lumber companies, and in dividuals, it has urged forward a series l of experiments covering all phases of | the problem, from the question of the best season for cutting, through sub sequent stages of handling, to the final setting of the pole. Some of the most importantresul ts obtained deal with l the seasoning process.
 Seasoning was studied in the first place to determine the rate at which ] poles become air dry, that is, lose as much moisture as they will part With through evaporation in the open air | The time of cutting was also carefully considered Experiment proved that poles cut in winter dry more regularly than those cut at other seasons, and all so show greater loss in moisture at the end of six months seasoning. The advantages of winter cutting are, there- fore even drying, with a minimum liability to check and light weight--an obvious advantage for shipment by freight. Spring or summer cutting se- cures more rapid loss of moisture at first, owing to the temperature, but only for three or four months. At the | end of from six to eight months spring and summer cut poles are found to have dried only three-quarters as much as winter-cut poles. Spring and sum- mer cutting, however, would result in saving in frieght and increased dura- bility if the poles are to be shipped and used within three or four months 1 after cutting.
 | The second point to be determined was the degree of shrinkage in cir | conference during air seasoning. This was found to be very slight averaging but little over 0.5 per cent at the butt and O.6 per cent at the top. The rapid shrinkage of wood does not begin until the percentage of moisture is reduced lower than is possible In the case of telephone and telegraph poles in out-of- | door seasoning,
 The effect of soaking in water upon the rate of seasoning was the third of the problem dealt with The experi- ments substantiate the common opinion that poles soaked from two to four weeks subsequently season at materi- ally increased rate.
 | Finally, 1t was found that checking in the course of seasoning is not serious when poles have been carefully cut Rapid-grown timber however, when so carelessly cut as to leave Jagged ends, was found to split badly at the butt and at the top. This is doubtless mere ly the widening of cracks started when the stick partially broke off in- stead of being cut clear through.
 Just how much thorough seasoning will add to the life of poles can not be told until the actual tests are made in service. The poles upon which the tests are being made have been set in a line where their behavior can be com pared with that of unseasoned poles. and will be closely watched. Upon large number of the seasoned poles a test was also made to show the value of various preservative treatments which is expected to throw additional | light on the subject of durability.