The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-03-26
The Reason
Why Wood Decays

a NdSullSJOui AhilC'l G0.--I ilCo VI
en- by the hut dwellers of the Baltic
centuries ago are as sound today as
when first placed The wooden cof-
fins in which the Egyptians buried
their dead are still preserved in per-
feet condition after thousands Of
years of service.
The longevity OF timber under these
two extremes of climate and mois-
ture conditions has naturally made
people ask, What causes wood decay?
The answer is. fungi and bacteria,
low forms OF plant life which live
in the wood and draw their nourish-
ment from 1t. The little organisms
are so little that a microscope is re-
quired 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 hundred or
so dollars year for fence posts are
alike drawing upon the knowledge 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
decay. In studying the means of
decay wood-preserving experts have
learned many things about the OBJ
noxious fungi which sap the life of
timber.
The small organiems can grow
either in light or in total darkness;
but all of them require requisite
amounts of air, food, moisture and
heat. If one or more of these es-
sential requirements is lacking, they
can not live, and the decay of tim
Iber will not take place. Wood con-
stantly submerged In water never
rots, simply because there IS an in
sufficient supply OF air. This condi-
tiou accounts for the soundness OF
the old Baltic piles, On the other
hand if wood can be kept air dry 1t
will not decay because there will then
be too little moisture. The timber
used by the Egyptians will last in
| definitely 50 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
absolutely air dry condition. In fact,
a large percentage OF the timber
which is used Is exposed to- the
weather, and is subjected to decay
simply because 1t contains air enough
and enough water for the decom-
posing organisms to get a foothold.
Decay is most serious where the at
mosphere is warm and damp, because
these conditions are most favorable
for its development In the coal
mines OF Pennsylvania timber de-
Gays in two or three years because
the temperature is warm and con-
slant and the air Is damp. And in
the South, the warm, humid atmos-
phere often causes the timber to rap
idly decompose.
Decay may be prevented by two gem
eral methods, by treating the wood
with antiseptiCs thus poisoning the
food supply of the organisms which
cause decay and by treating it with
| pho NHiCu ItHueI III 'WttlcIpIbuhs a
combination of these two methods
is most commonly used, as when wood
is treated with cresote which fills
up the pores in the timber and keeps
out water and is also a powerful an
tiseptic.
The United States government con-
siders the investigations of the pre-
,sewatiYe treatment of timber of such
importance that the bunsiness OF one
branch OF bureau In the Department
4 OF AgriculuIre-the "Offlce of Wood
Preservation in the Forest Service
at Washington, is given over entirely
to the work of experiments in co
operation with railroad companies
and individuals in prolonging the life
Of railroPd ties, mine props, bridge
timbers, fence posts and transmits
sion poles Advice and practical as
sistance is furnished all who request
this advice Of the Forester. The
lengthening Of life OF timber means
the saving of thousands OF dollars
annually through doing away with
the heavy expense OF labor and cost
OF materials for renewals
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