The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-02-25
Treated With Creos0te / Makes
Fine Fence Posts
HITHERTO VAlUELESS LODGE
POLE PINE CAN BE MADE
VALUABLE TO FARMERS.

An experiment in the preservative
treatment of dead lodgepole pine for
fence posts, just completed by the
forest service, on the Henrys Lake
forest reserve in Idaho, has given re-
suits of economic value both to the
people of the community and to the
forest service. 1t has demonstrated
that fire-killed lodgepole pine is well
adapted to treatment with creosote Oil
by an exceedingly simple process.
The demand for durable posts by
ranChmen in the vicinity of Henrys
lake has hitherto been met by the use
spesice is now completely exhausted.
The only native trees at present avail
able for posts are lodgepole pine,
quaking aspen, and DauglOs fir.
Though durability varies with the
soundness and dryness of the posts
when placed in the ground and with
the character of the soil with which
they come into contact, in general, as
pen posts lasts from six to 10 years,
fir posts from five to seven years, and
pine posts only from three to four
years.
Lodgepole pine without preservative
treatment is thus too shOrt-lived to
make desirable posts or poles. The
idea of treating it was suggested by
the requirements of forest manage
ment On the Henrys Lake reserve.
Large bodies of dead lOdgepOle pine.
both standing and down-the legacy
of severe fires in 1902-are serious
handicap to the forest there. This tim
Der must be got rid of to make room
for young growth if the future forest
is to be we'll stocked.
Properly treated lodgepole pine
should last 20 years which equals
dar. BY treating the pine, and thus
making it serviceable for posts, the
forest service has found a way of re-
moving the encumbering timber at 4
good price and supplying consumers
with valuable posts at a reasonable
figure. Since the success of preserva-
tive treatment has been demonstra ted
the value of the wood has risen from 25
cents to approximately 40 cents per
cord.
Tho treatment was given in gal
vanized-iron tank fitted with steam
coils, in which from 40 to SO posts,
stripped of bark, were placed upright
Enough creosote was then run into the
ga feet heated to 200 degrees Far
enheit, or a little above the boiling
point of water at that altitude, and
afterwards allowed to cool.
The large quantity of fire-killed tim
Der on many of the forest reserves, the
pressing need for durable wood, the
steady rise in it's price due to the in
creasing difficulty IF obtaining it, and,
finally the ease with which post tim
Der can be treated, indicate that the
preselv a:ive treatment Of timber is 70
have an important development
throughout the west. This, besides
meeting the demands of the people and
reducing the drain upon the forest
will lead to the Improvement of con-
ditions on the reserves and insure bet
ter crops hereafter.
To Put In Plants.
1t is the intention of the forest SER
vice to establish experimental treating
plants where there are bodies of dead
timber On the reserves and a demand
for durable wood can not otherwise be
met. Experimental work will be con-
Quoted with zinc Chord and other pro-
cesses as the needs of the different re-
gions and the thorough testing of each
process may require.
AS a result of the post experiment, it
is understood that a company will take
up the treatment of deal lodgepole pine
on commercial scale in the spring
They are satisfied that the simplicity
and economy of the open-tank process
introduced by the forest service will
enable them, with certain notifications
of apparatus. to treat and sell not only
fence posts. but telephone poles and
posts used for irrigation works. They
count upon q local market already in
good part developed by the confidence
which the fence-post experiment has