The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1906-08-02
PRE- SERVING POLES.
MEANS OF SEASONING TELE-
GRAPH WIRE SUPPORTS.
Economy in the Use of Product
Which Is in Great Demand
and Rapidly Run
ming Out.

| WIN the lie Oh LelepnOno and tele-
| graph poles at it's present limit, the
| 100000 miles OF existing lines, requir-
| ing 32,000,000 poles, must be renewed
| approximately four times before trees
| suitable to take their place can grow.
| A pole lasts in service about II years,
on the average, but is made from a
!, tree about 60 years old. In other
words, to maintain continuous sup
ply five times as many trees must be
| growing 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 itself into promi-
nence. To lengthen the life of poles,
and in this way to moderate demand
and conserve future supplies, has be-
come an important matter, affecting
the public as well as private interests
| Since 1902 the forest service has been
making a thorough study of the pres
| ervation treatment of poles and of the
value of the seasoning In relation to
| u III IHiS WOEh llS OU-
ject has been, as In it's studies of cross
ties and construction timbers, to make
the timber last as long as possible, so
as to check the annual demand for re-
| newal and thus lessen so far as pos
| sible the drain upon the forest. Co
operating with telephone and tele-
graph companies, railroads, lumber
companies, and individuals, 1t has
| urged forward a series of experiments
covering all phases of the problem
| from the question of the best season
| for cutting, through subsequent stages
| of handling, to the final setting of the
pole. Some of the most important re-
suits obtained deal with the seasoning
| process.
| Seasoning was studied in the nrst
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
| also show greater loss in moisture at
| the end of six months seasoning. The
| advantages of winter cutting are,
| therefore, even drying, with mini
mum liability to check, and light
| weight-an obvious advantage for
| shipment by freight. Spring or sum
mer cutting secures a more rapid loss
| of moisture at first, owing to the tenn
perature, but only for three of 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 summer cutting,
| however, would result in saving in
| freight and increased durability if the
poles are to be shipped and used with
in three or four mouths after cutting.
| The second point to be determined
was the degree of shrinkage In cir
cumference during air seasoning. This
was found to be very slight, averaging
| but little over 0.5 per cent. at the butt
and 06 per cent. at the top. The rap
id shrinkage of wood does not begin
until the percentage of moisture is re-
duced 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 problems dealt with. The expert
ments substantiate the common opin-
ion that poles soaked from two to four
weeks subsequently season at a ma
terially increased rate
Finally, it was found that checking
in the course of seasoning is not seri-
GUS when poles have been carefully
cut Rapid-grown timber. however,
when so carelessly cut as to leave jag
ged ends, was found to split badly at
the butt and at the top. This is doubt
less merely the widening of cracks
started wnen the stick partially broke
off instead 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
compared with that Of unseasoned
poles, and will be closely watched. Up
on large number of the seasoned
poles test was also made to show the
value of various preservative treat
ments, which is expected to throw ad-
ditional light on the subject of dur
ability.
|