The Cairo bulletin., 1906-03-12
RESERVE TIMBER.
A Million and Halt Ties TO be Cut,
a Large Percentage From Material
Once Without a Market.

terest attaches TO the recent sale by
the Government of about 40 900 1000
feet of timber on the Montana division
of the Yellowstone Forest Reserve To
a contracting company which will con
vert most of the timber into railroad
ties. r
This is one Of the largest sales
ever made of Government timber; the
price is advantageous; and a large
percentage fthe cut will be of spe-
cies which a few years ago was with.
out market value namely, lodgepole
pine. Further, ii may be said with as
surance that had not the preservative
treatment OF ties been shown to be
both practical and economical. such a
sale could not now have been made
for 90 per cent of the cut or approx
mately 100000 ties, is 10 be treated
with personalities by process which
experiment and trial have placed on
sound business basis
The purchasers Of the timber have
contracted to supply the Chicago Bur
lington and Quincy and the Northern
Pacific railway companies with ties
for period covering three years, The
timber for which they applied to the
government consists Of lodgepole pine
red fir. and spruce. A large proper
ton of the stand of lodgepole pine,
which grows very densely. Consequent.
~ after all the specified timber has
been removed, plentiful stand OF
young trees will be left, which ina few
years will again form forest of mer-
charitable dimensions.
The government will receive a
stumpage price of $3.50 per thousand
feet for the red fir and $500 per thQus
and feet for the spruce and pine.
The story of the entrance of lodge
pole pine into the timber market is an
interesting chapter in the history of
the use OF forest products Five years
ago this Tree was classed among the
nearly worthless, inferior timbers
growing in the Northwestern States.
II had never come into extensive use.
check in drying It's softness and light
ness, and The large percentage of sap
wood in its structure were disadyant-
ages which seemed to handicap Il
permanently Yet the possibility and
the need of finding substitutes for
scarcer woods had already led to the
closer study of a number of uneX
plotted species, and devices were be
ing sought by which artificial treat
ment might be made TO take the place
of natural adaptability TO specific
service
Among these devices were improve
mcnts in seasoning methods and the
use of preservatives. II was found
that preservative treatment, which
greatly prolonged the life Of certain
timbers. depends largely for its sue
cess upon the penetrability OF the
wood. which permits the preserYalYe
to enter the wood substance easily.
The loblolly pine WAS seen TO be ex
ceediRgly well adapted for preserva-
tive treatment. and also lodgepOle
pine, whose softness Is combined with
a high degree of permeability. In
1902 the seasoning and preserving OF
lodgepole pine was thoroughly taken
up by the Forest Service, in co-opera-
ion with the Chicago. Burlington and
Quincy Railroad and with the present
purchasers of reserve timber in Mon
ana. The results established its ser
viceabilty and thus opened new
field FOR the supply Of ties. upon which
he railroads are drawing So heavily.