Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1906-07-25
F|RE.K|LLEO
TIMBER SALABLE
Says J. D. Warner
Inspector Of
Forests.
SUPPLY ON pECOs RESERVE
Is Large. Makes Good Box
Lumber Railroad Ties
and Poles.

After making a thorough inyestiga-
tion Of the Pecos and Jemez Forest
Reserves, Joseph Dewitt Warner, an
assistant travelling inspector connect
ed with federal forestry bureau, finds
that there is considerable burnt tim
ber that is available for commercial
purposes.
Most Of the trees which have been
killed by forest fires are in the Pecos
Reserve. Mr. Warner estimates that
the area of burnt timber in this re-
serve ir 10000 acres, and he figures
that it can be converted into 904,000
cords of fire wood 100000 railroad
ties, or 100000 poles.
Although it has been known for a
number of years that tire-killed tim
Der in the great forest reserves had
commercial value for railroad ties
and poles of various kinds in addition
to being used as fuel, it has only re-
Gently been demonstrated by the fores-
try bureau that there are many other
uses for this timber, and that in
certain requests it has actual advan-
tages over green wood, These facts
have been deduced from a study of
the Pixies Peak Forest Reserve, where
the ravages of fire have been particul-
arly widespread and destructive. Burn
ed timber is now being converted into
lumber for box boards and it has prov
ed excellent for this purpose. The
time that has elapsed since the burn
ing seems to make no great difference
in the value Of the wood, except in
cases where there Is little left Of the
tree. Timber used for box purposes
has been burned all the way from
three to fifty-five years.
Inspectors Now Looking Over Timhers
The government has four of its Off
cials In the forestry service now at
work inspecting the burned areas In
the various forest reserves with a
view Of having the trees thus killed,
felled and made use of instead Of
leaving them standing to rot and fall
Under ordinary conditions practical
Ily all of the timber can be used for
one purpose or another, and as al
ready mentioned good deal of 1t can
be utilized for making wooden boxes.
In this connection the following
from a recent bulletin issued by the
forestry bureau is of interest;
"Red fir is preferred for railroad
ties, then yellow pine, Timber pine.
and range pine. White pine has been
objected TO because of its lack OF
durability, but it is now taken In
many places. At Rosemont, Colorado,
burned timber of all kinds is made In
to ties, some of the material having
been burned fifty years ago. 1t is
asserted that dry ties last as long as
green ties and in many cases longer,
On the Cripple Creek short line they
were more satisfactory than green
pine ties from Texas. Dry ties hold
spike we'll, and a tie plate does not
cut into the wood so seriously as 1t
does In the case of a green tie. En-
glemann spruce Is as good as other
species as far as mechanical wear Is
concerned, but 1t decays much quicker
and SO should be given a preservative
treatment.
First Use OF Fire Timber.
Burned timber was first used for
boxes by the Denver Crate and Box
Company in February, 1903, the spe-
cies used being Englemann spruce
and lodgepole pine, with some red fir
and timber pine. The material used
had been burned from one and one1half
to four years. The Englemann spruce
was excellent, and the lodgepole pine
also gave good results. The fire sea
soning had driven the odor out of the
pine SO that 1t could be used for pack
ing crackers and biscuits. Also, on
account of the perfect seasoning the
boxes remained tight when put up
and therefore sold better than green
boxes.
"For mine timbers all species are
used, If of the requisite size, Dry
timber Is preferred because Of Its
lightness, durability, and stiffness, all
principally due to Its better season
ing.
Burnt Trees Sometimes Preferred.
"For many purposes fire-killed tim.
Der should be preferred to green tim
ber because 1t Is so we'll seasoned
This seasoning makes 1t more durable
than green timber, and also makes 1t
lighter, so that Its cost of transporta.
ton is appreciably less, and 1t. is
therefore available, not only for mum.
erous local uses, but for shipping long
distances. Actual experience with the
flre-kllled timber proves that Its utili
zation should be a source of profit to
the reserve"
Mr.. Warner has been In this city
for the past week. He leaves tomor,
row for Beaver, Utah.