The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-03-29
WHY WOOD DECAYS.
Explanations Made by Department In
Agriculture Bureau.


Washington, March 25.-Piles driven
by the hut jewellers Of the Baltic cen.
turtles ago are as sound to-day as when
first placed. The wooden collins in which
the Egyptians buried their dead are
still preserved in perfect condition after
thousands Of years Of service.
The longevity of timber under these
two extremes OF climate and moisture
conditions has naturally made people
ask, What causes wood decayi The
answer is, fungi and bacteria, low forms
Of plant life which live in the wood
and draw their nourishment from it.
The little organisms are so little that
microscope is required to see them,
yet their work results In the destruction
Of billions of feet OF timber each year
and the railroad corporation with its
cross tie bill running up into seven
figures and the farmer who spends a
hundred or so dollars a year for fence
posts are alike drawing upon the knowl-
edge of experts in all parts of the world
in efforts TO learn the most economical
and most satisfactory method of pre-
serving wood against the inroads of de-
cay. In studying the means Of prevent
ing decay wood preserving experts have
learned many things about the obnoxious
fungi which sap the life of timber.
The small organisms can grow either
lfe.hA ~ -, fn4a Ia hut AZ
them require requisite amounts Of air,
food, moisture and heat. Ii one or more
of these essential requirements is lack
ing, they cannot live, and the decay Of
timber win not take place. Wood con-
stantly submerged in water never rots,
simply because there is an insufficient
supply of air. The condition accounts
for the soundness Of the old Baltic piles.
On the other hand, if wood can be kept
air-dry it will not decay because there
will then be too little moisture. The
timber used by the Egyptians will last
so long as II is bone-dry.
There are great many cases, how
ever, where it is impossible to keep
wood submerged in water, or in an abso-
lutely air-dry condition. In fact, large
of the timber which Is used IL
exposed to the weather, and is subjected
to 'ecay simply because it contains
enough air and enough water for the
organisms to get foot.
hold. Decay is most serious where the
atmosphere Is warm and damp, because
these conditions are most favorable for
its development In the coal mines OF
fx~ssa x.aa has
three years because the temperature is
warm and constant and the air is damp.
And in the South, the warm, humid at
mosphere often causes the timber to
rapidly decompose
Decay may be prevented by two gem
aral methods, by treating the wood with |
antiseptics, thus poisoning the food
supply Of the organisms which cause
decay and by treating 1t with oils which
render it waterproof. A combination of |
these two methods Is most commonly |
used, as when wood is treated with Gre
osote which fills up the pores in the
timber and keeps out water and is also
! powerful antiseptic.
The United States government consid- |
RS the investigations of the preserva-
tive treatment of timber Of such inn
1ortanee that the business of one brancn
If bureau in the department Of agri.
coffee of Wood Presrva.
ion" in the forest service at Washing
on, 10 given over entirely to the work
II experiments in cooperation with rail
cad companies and individuals in pro-
onging the life of railroad ties, mine
,rone hr;d,ra 4sy.aharr fa,aa y4as4r - L
poles Advice and practical
assistance is furnished all who request
his advice of the forester, The length.
ming of life of timber means the saving
# thousands of dollars annually through
Ioing away with the heavy expense of
abor and cost Of material for renewals.