Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1906-02-07
WOOD FgNcg POSTS.

posts % reasonable prices has given On
impetus scarcely realized TO forest
planting in the Middle Wet N-~.-
papers. iarmers' institutes. 10 meme
clubs aud boards 81 trade throughout
she region are pointing out the need OF
such material eud dwelling on she
prufit t~aiiIei b5 the feE men who
planted tre~s years ago and whose
plantations have been suc.essful tn"
local supply OF ali for-st products Is
insignificant, aud timber. IL no; groSn
o, home. must be i'm , Orred. With The
continuous ret'-at ~ the sources o.
supply under III attack OF vigorous
demsni. the length ot the haul in
creases and The cOs, OF transportation
rises higher and higher. ", the re de
and pastures met be fenced. The
poets musr b- had.
The annual production Of fence po.,-
in the regular 'osg NC camps OF the
eoontry, rs reported 10y the last censIs,
i. s,1l5o5l. How msry ,im-s crater
than tins is the annual cn, from the
home wood lot no figures exi.t TO show:
b1t ny taking tn total number Of
farms and their screage ard making
conservative allowance for poets for
the fences inclosing each farm. IL has
zen es'lmat-d that Upward. OF Loco
0o.oco posts are Get ~seh year >ncn
figures sr- too va-t 20 mean anything
Even the nine million pos;s OF the
cpnsus. . mere drop in the bucket H
compared with the uureported produc.
ton, would. IL st Is fee, apart. girdle
the esrth, or would build q -oid pile
IS feet vide, 81 feet high. and . mile
long.
Durability and at least moderate
strength are the desirable quaiities FOR
fence pOsIs. Tne use Of species which
are not durable 10 expensive. both on
account, Of the more frequent renewal
which 10 necessary and because repair
ina i. constantly called Cor. Timber
OF ,he required quality 10 produced in
the Middle we., by hardy catalps.
black locust. and Osage orange.
Cstalpa 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
yeaw. In regions immune from the
locust borer black Locust will yield
Satisfactory returns from coil in which
caialpa would fail. and for this reason
is 10 adapted to 4 vide area where the
rainfall 10 light. Under ordinary con-
ditions, locusts should produce fence
msterial in fifteen years
Osage orange Also 10 not exactinG in
lie soil REQ uirements. II 10 being ex.
iensively planted for hedges and wind
breaks. from which . considerable
yield Of fence poets may be obtained
IL mskes satisfactory growth on dry
coils and reaches post sire in from ~.
teen TO twenty year,.
several other species, such A. white
willow. European larch, Russian mo-.
berry. and red cedar. are alec being
grown with good results. but none NJ
them is better fitted TO supply fence
posss than those tirst named
The Forest Service fully recognize.
the importance OF fence poets in farm
economy and the Grea, demand for
suitable timber. studies OF the growth
and durability ~ various speeies have
been made and the limits 81 the COM
mercial planting range OF each mas
been more closely defined Rspa-
growing specie. which are 10, durab"
have been studied - determine some
form 81 yressrva,ive treatment which
Will increase ne durability Further
wnVk slong 'ri- ~. 49, Nrt 'rh'-tly
add largely ~ TIL -, Of SPECIES vhi,h