Rocky Ford enterprise., 1907-03-01
POSTS OF DEAD WOOD
FIRE.KiLLEp LopGEPoLE PINE iS
WELL ADAPTED.
Preserved With creosote by a Cheap
Process II FuIfills All Require.
Ments-oiseovered by Gov.
ernment Experiments.

Washington.-An experiment In the
preservative treatment OF dead lodge
pole pine for fence posts. Just com.
pleted by the forest service. on the
Henrys lake forest reserve In Idaho.
has given results OF economic value
both to the people OF the community
and to the forest service. 1t has
demonstrated that fire-kilied lodgepole
pine IL well adapted To treatment with
creosote 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
OF red cedar. but the supply Of this
species is now completely exhausted.
The only native trees at present avail.
able for posts are iodgepole pine.
Iuaking aspen. and Douglas 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.
aspen posts last from six to ten years.
FIR posts from five to seven years. and
pine posts only from three to four
years.
I.odscpole pine without preservative
treatment Is thus too short.lived To
make desirable posts or poles. The
idea Of treating II was suggested by
the requirements OF forest manage
mcnt on the Hcnrys lake reserve.
Large bodies OF dead iodgcpoie pine.
both standin. and down-thc legacy Of
severe fires In ia02-are serious
handicap to the forest there. This
timber must be got rid OF to make
room for young growth II the future
forest II TO be well stocked.
Properly treated iodgcpol. pine
should last 20 years. which equals the
life Of the former favoIitc. red cedar.
iiy trcatin. the pine. and thus making
u Scrviccabic for posts. til. forest
service has found n way Of rcmovin.
the cncumbcrins timber at good
price and supplying consumers with
valuable posts at n reasonable figure.
Since the success OF prcscrvatiyc
treatment has been demonstrated the
value OF the wood has risen from :s
cents To approximately 10 cents per
cord.
The treatment was given In n Eal.
vanizcd.iFon tank fitted with steam
coils. In which from 10 TO so posts
stripped OF bark were placed upright.
Enough crcoRo,. was then run into
the tank to NubmcTR- the butts for
about two and thFccauart-r feet. heat
cd to 200 degrees Fair. or little
above the boiiinE point of water at
that altitude. and afterwards allowed
Ia cool.
The large quantity of frc.kiilcd tim,
bcr on many of the forest reserves.
the pressing need for durable wood.
the steady risc In its price due to the
increasing difficulty of obtaining II.
and. finally. the ease with which post
timber can be treated, indicate that
the prcscryatiyc treatment of timber
10 to have an important development
throughout the west. This. besides
meeting the demands of the people
and rcdncin. the drain upon the for.
eat. will lead TO the improvement, of
conditions on the reserves and insure
better crops hereafter.
II Ia the intention of the forcS, scry.
Ice to establish experimental treating
plants where there ara bodies Of dead
timber on the reserves and demand
FOR durable wood cannot otherwise bo
met Experimental work will be con.
Quoted with zinc Chord and other
processes as the needs OF the different
regions and the thorough testing OF
each process may require.
As result OF the post experiment.
Il is Understood that company will
take up the treatment Of dead lodge.
role pine on commercial scale in the
spring. They are satisfied tina, 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 teic.
phone poles and posts used for irriEa.
tion works. They count upon local
market already in good part developed
by the confidence which the fence.
POS: experiment has inspired.