The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-04-08
NEW METHODS or TREATMENT
AS the Length OF the Life of Timber
is Increased the Drain Upon the
Forests is Lessened and More
Wood is Available For Use.

proper preservatives 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 contin-
ues, but up to the present time, at
least in America, complicated and ex-
pensive plants have been necessary
for the work and wood preservation
has often been too expensive an OPP
Grafton to allow treated timber to
come into general use"
Methods in wood preservation have
undergone marked change in the
last few years, however, and the work
which few years ago was limited
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 promin-
emily in the industrial life Of this
country.
Each year railroads are treating an
increasing portion of their cross ties,
miners their mine props, farmers
their fence posts and the men OF
many other industries are bringing
preservatives into play to close the
pores and prepare the timber they
use to resist the fungi which cause
decay. The work points the way to
one of the chief means of the con-
servation of the nations resources,
for as the length OF the life of tim
Der is increased the drain upon the
forests is lessened, and more wood
made available for use.
In nearly all localities in the Rocky
Mountain and Pacific states is found
an abundant supply of certain kinds
OF timber which have only a slight
commercial Importance. Engelmann
spruce, iodgepole and other kinds of
pine, aspen, and cottonwood are only
a partial list OF the kinds of wood
which are strong enough and abund-
ant enough to win high value for con-
struction purposes, were it not for
one single defect which has prevent
ed their general adoption. When ex-
posed to the soil and weather they
decay so rapidly that they have to be
renewed too often to justify their
use.
Dead timber Of lodgepole pine and
other species also is found in large
tracts, but is sharply Disseminated
against by all constructing engineers
and contractors. AS a matter Of fact
the dead timber, provided it is sound,
is just as good as green timber of
the same species; and indeed, in some
ways, is even more valuable For it
is we'll known that thoroughly sea-
soned timber is both stronger and
more durable than the same timber
when green. Timber which was kill
ed by fire or insects, and which is
still in a sound condition, differs from
green timber chiefly in being thor
oughly seasoned-that is to say, it
is stronger, more durable and lighter
And so not only are the freight rates
considerably reduced, but a better
grade Of timber secured.
Even in thoroughly seasoned con
dition lodgepole pine, Engelmann
spruce. and the other species men
toned above, are by no means dur
able woods when compared with
Douglas fir, Oregon cedar, and the
other. kinds OF wood which are used
so extensively in construction work.
complete with such timbers in spite
Of their lower price, they must be
made to last longer under unfavor-
able conditions.
After several years study, the Unit
ed States Forest Service has proved
that in many cases the complicated
and expensive plants are not ncces-
sary for the proper treatment Of
many kinds Of timber; and that many
of the timbers which decay most rap
idly in the natural state, are among
the easiest and cheapest to treat.
Many Of the species mentioned above
offer little resistance TO the entrance
of the preservative. The principle
of the method is to immerse the
thoroughly seasoned wood in hot
bath of the liquid, leave it in for
few hours, and then either plunge it
into cold bath Of preseryative, or
else run out the hot liquid from the
treating tank, and fiji it up again with
liquid Of lower temperature This
requires only the simplest kind of