Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1906-02-12
WOOD FENCE POSTS.

posss As reasonable prices has given IN
impetus scarcely realized TO forest
planting in che Middle wess. News-
papers. tarmers' institutes, women's
clubs and boards Of trade shrouRhout
the rssios are pointing ouS the need OF
such material and dwelling on she
profit realised by the fec men who
planted srees years ago and whose
plantations have been successful. The
local supply Of ali forest products 10
insignificant. aud timber, IL no, grown
nc home, mOst be imported. With the
continuous retreat Of the sources OF
supply under the attack OF vigorous
demand. the length OF the haul in
creases and the cost OF transportation
rises higher and higher. Yet the fields
and pastures met be fenced. The
posts must be had.
The annual pvoduction OF fence posts
in the regular Jogging campo OF the
country, ss reported by the last census.
10 s,7i5, eel. How msny times greater
than this 10 che annual cut from the
home woodlo, no figures exi.t TO show /:
but by taking the total number OF
farms and their acreage and masking .
conservative alloxance for posts for
the fences inclosins each farm, it has
been estimated that upwards Of /. Co.,
0OO, 900 posts are set each year. Such
figures are too vsst to mean anything.
Even the nine million posts Of the
census. q mere drop in the bucket a.
compared with the ureported produc.
ton. would. IL set Is feet apart, girdle
the earth. or would build . solid pile
IS feet vide, 30 feet high. and . mile
long.
Durability and at least moderate
strength are the desirable qualities for
fence pOsss. The use of species which
are nos durable 10 expensive, both on
account OF the more frequent renewal
which 10 necessary and beca use repair
ing 10 consssntly called for. Timber
Of the required quality /. produced in
she Middle West BY hardy catalpa.
black locust, and Osage orange.
Catalpa makes IN excellent growth
ON deep, porous, fertile soil, but only
ON such soil. Five or six.inch posts
should be ready TO cut in about ten
yeau. In regions immune from the
locust bores black locust will yield
satisfactory returns from soil in which
casslpa would fail. and for this reason
10 10 adapted to vide area where the
rainfall 10 light. Under ordinary con-
disions, locusts should produce fence
material In fifteen years.
Usage orange alec 10 not exacring in
Ice soil requirements. IL 10 being ex-
tensively planted for hedges and wind
breaks, from which . considerable
yield OF fence posts may be obtained.
IL makes Satisfactory growth on dry
coils and reaches post siIs In from az.
teen 60 twenty years.
Several other species, such ~ white
willow. European larch, Russian mul-
berry. and red cedar. are alec being
grown with good results, but none OF
them 10 better fitted to supply fence
posts than thcse first named
The Forest Service fully recognizes
the importance OF fence poets in farm
economy and the great demand for
suitable timber. Studies Of the growth
and durability Of various species have
been made and the limits OF the COM
mescial planting range Of each has
been more closely defined. Rapid.
growing species which are not durable
have been studied to determine some
form 81. preventative treatment which
will increase their durability. Further
work along this line will undoubtedly
add largely to the list 81 species which
can furnish the desired product.
LET WELL ENOllGA Al ONE