The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-02
VALUABLE FACTOR IS EXPERIMENT STATION Forest Service Expert Hill Talks
 of MaplesViIIe COST OF TREATING WOOD Barbecue Thursday to Which All the Farmers Are Invited and
 New Interest VIII Be
 Aroused.
COST OF TREATING WOOD

c. |. Hill of the forest service of the department of agriculture of the United States arrived in Birmingham yesterday and leaves this morning for Maplesville Ala, where the plant for experiments in the preservation of lumber Is located. Mir Hill talked most Interestingly of the work of the station, and the value of the experiments as factor in conserv- ing the timber supply of the United States.
 A barbecue will be given at the station Thursday, at which POGO people are ex- pected. The governor will deliver an ad- dress and number of farming experts from various agricultural colleges will be present and make talks The plant of the station will be in operation the entire day and practical demonstrations of the value of treating wood with creo- sote oil will be made. MT. Hill will ex- plain the process of treating woods on cheap scale and on the advisablity of 1 the conservation of the timber supply of the country.
 When seen last night MT. Hill outlined the plans of the station. He said: For several years the department has been advocating the preservation of woods by chemical means. The two conservatives which have been most extensively used are chloride of zinc and creosote oil. The former Is not suitable for use on timbers which will be in water or in a damp climate, but the creosote has been found to be excellent. The softer and more  and the life of posts. billings and railway ties can be greatly prolonged, thus cut ting down the demand.
 The object of the station at Naples ] vile is to examine tho cost of treating the soft woods on a small scale. The method of the treatment is to be such as 1 to be in reach of the farmers of the state. and yet to be effective as if the woods were treated at large and ex- pensive factory. We are working in CO., operation with Commissioner J. A. Will | klnson.
 Particularly do we wish to success fully treat the old field pine, of which there is large supply In the state. We have shown that after the treatment of the old field pine, of which there is a large supply in the state. We have shown that after the treatment of the old field pine that it will last as fence post twenty years, and be, in fact, much better than Q white oak post. Many counties in the state are passing stock laws, and white oak. red cedar and black locust are becoming very scarce With | the creosote treatment pines gum syca- more. willow and such soft and easily decayed timbers will be available for posts and billings. It Is readily seen that if tho life of timber is doubled and trebled, 1t will cut down the demand, and thus conserve the supply.
 "The method of creosoting the wood Is to put the timber Into the oil, heat it to about the temperature of boiling water and let cool after a time. The heat drives out the air or water in the pores of the wood, and as tho timber cools inn pregnation of the pores with the oil | goes on. We are working out a plan to treat sap pine shingles, and a step fur ther would be to add the color, the re- suit being a stained and creosoted shin gle"
 1 MT Hill expects much good to result | from the barbecue Thursday. All the ia. mers and others interested are in- yited, and new interest in the experiments will be aroused among those to whom it will be of greatest benefit. There will be eighty-fve carcases cooked for the crowds