Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1909-07-14
FENCE
POSTS FROM DECAY
Same Of the Most widely Used Pre-.
servatives.

came Of the Most Widely Used Pre-
servatfves.
Every farmer is familiar with tho
,otting of his fence posts at the sur
face of the ground. The labor OF re,
oIacing them and how to secure new
and durable posts are sources OF con.
uant annoyance and expense. Even
the more durable woods, such al
chestnut, white oak and cedar, decay
in eight or ten years. 1t is true that
there are few kinds of wood in the
limited States, such as locust and
osage-orange, which give much
louger service, but their supply,
never very large, is rapidly becoming
exhausted, and the farmer must now
ook to some other source for his
posts. Perhaps directly on his farm
there may be patch of woods which
Includes such trees as black oak,
beech, maple or pine, and cotton
woods and willows may grow along
the banks of his streams. These are
trees which heretofore have been
thought of little or no use for posts,
because OF the rapidly with which
they, are attacked by decay. In their
natural condition they will rot in two
or three years-too soon to pay for
the labor of setting them. The forest
service in its study of prolonging the
life of fence posts has found cheap
and simple methods of preserving
them in a sound condition for an in
definite length of time, even though
they are the poorest and naturally
least durable woods.
Decay is not simple process like
the crumbling of stone or the rusting
Of iron. 1t is caused by low forms
Of plant life which thoroughly per-
meates the wood, discolor 1t and
cause 1t to become disconnected and
''rOtten." To preserve the timber in
n thoroughly sound condition, 1t is
only necessary to render the wood
nnft for the growth of these organ
SINS. This is done by injecting into
h substances poisonous to plant life.
One of the most widely used pre-
servatives is creosote, one of the by
products of coal tar. When it is in
ected into the wood decay will be
retarded indefinitely and an old-field
bine or a cottonwood fence post,
Rhen properly treated, will easily
Five life OF twenty years or longer.
such a preservatiye treatment costs
hbOut 10 cents per post. The creo-
ote can be applied by painting the
wood with a brush or dipping it into
she liquid, but much better results
pin be obtained if it is actually in
ected into the wood instead of
merely coating the outside. Ii the
brush" method, or painting, is used !
PIE DO aPPAACh ~ y
temperature of about $50 degrees F.
FwO coats should be given at least
lwenty-four hours apart. If the posts |
re dipped directly into the preserva-
I've the creOsote should be heated to |
bout the same temperature. The |
Pest results of all can be obtained
py first heating the posts in a bath |
4 hot creosote and then either trans
bring them quickly to a bath of
.reOsote at a lower temperature, or
Use shutting off the heat and allow
pg the posts to remain in the oil as
cools, BY such method the sap
FOOD will become thoroughly perme-
ted with the creosote. Full details
md specific directions for the treat
nent of different kinds of posts may
r obtained by application to the
forester, Washington, D. C.