The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1908-04-16
WOOD PRESERVATION /!
The Forestry Department SuS'
scsts Good Methods.

Timber thoroughly treated with
proper preseryatives will last almost
indefinitely, says government ex-
pert who Is an authority on wood
preservation. Engineers have known
for years that this Is true he con-
tinues, 'tbut up to the present time,
at least In America, complicated and
expensive plans have heen necessary
for the work and wood preservation
mas often been too expensive an oper-
alton to allow treated timber 10 come
into general use. -
Methods in wood preservation have
undergone a marked change In the
last few years. however, and the
work which few years ago was linz
tied to few experiments carried on
in scattered parts Of the United
States has grown with such rapidity
that wood preservation has become a
business which figures most pfomi-
nently in the industrial life OF this
country.
Each year railroads are treating
an increasing portion OF their cross
ties, miners props, farmers their
fence posts and the nen OF many
other industries are bringing preser
natives into play to close the pores
and prepare the timber they use to
resist the fungi which cause decay.
! l. Inf hA IN af
the chief means OF the conservation
of the nations forest resources, for
as the length OF the life OF timber is
increased the drain upon the forests
is lessened, and more wood made
,s~.eilable for use.
In nearly a.. localities In the Rocky
Mountain and Paclsc states Is found
an abundant supply OF 'cestain KINDS
OF timber which have only s..se.i
commercial importance. EnglemanI
spruce, lodgepoIe and other kinds Of
pine, aspen. and cottonwood are only
a partial list OF the kinds OF wood
which are strong enough and abun'
dant enough To win high value fol-
construction purposes, we're IL no,
for ore single defect which has pre-.
vented their general adoption. When
exposed to the soil and weather they
decay SO rapidly that they have to bs
renewed too often TO justify theil
use.
Dead timber OF lodgepole pine am
other species also Is found In large
tracts. but Is sharply Disseminated
against by all constructing engineers
and contractors. AS matter o
fact, the dead timber, provided IL Il
sound, is just as good MS green tin
Der OF the same species: and Indeed
In some ways, is even more valuable
For 1t is well known that thoroughly
seasoned timber Is both stronger AM
more durable than the same timbe
when green. Timber which wa
killed by lire or insects, and which
still in a sound condition, differ
from green timber chiefly In bein
, thoroughly seasoned--that Is TO say
= 1t Is stronger, more durable an
lighter. And SO not only are th
freight rates considerably reduced
: but better grade Of timber Is 81
. cured.
v Even in a thoroughly seasoned cor
c dition, lodgepole pine, Engelman
spruce, and the other species mel
8 toned above are by no means du
d able woods when compared wit
q Douglas Fir. Oregon cedar, and I'll
n other kinds OF wood which are use
so extensively 10 constructive worl
l. And before they can successfully con
IL plete with such timbers, In spite
Is their lower price, they must be ma,
70 TO last longer under unfayorabie CO
r ditions.
"a After several years study, Il
10 United States Forest Service b
A. proved that in many cases the col
70 plicated and expensive plants are n
,r necessary for the proper treatment
many kinds Of timber; and that ma
$, of the timbers which decay most IA
I. idly In the natural state, are amo
O. the easiest and cheapest To tres
of Many of the species mentioned abe
al offer little resistance 10 the entrar
r. OF the preseryative. The principle
A the method Is To immerse the tb
~ oughly seasoned wood In hot bath
the liquid, leave II in for few hou
ed and then either plunge II into C
mr. bath Of preservatiye, or else run {
t,e The hot liquid from tile treatl
Isl tank aud I'LL IL up again with lIqi
Of of a lover temperature. This
nd quires only the simplest kind OF .
chinery, and the cost of operation
he so slight that even cheap timh
We like fence posts and shingles can
of treated by the average farmer
a, small means.
led Although the Forest Service. by
,,o teDsive experiments In all portions
20, the country, considers that the ~
for ticability OF the process has been c
90 clusiyely proved, more or less difB'
~. tY has been encountered 10 Undue
md Others 10 adopt the process on a G
irb mercial scale. Iu orjer to demon
! ;, ate oeyond any doubt that the pro
is adapted To coma ercIal treatme