The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-03-25
PRESERVING EXPERTS
LEARN MANY Things
Decay May Be Prevented by Treating
Timber With septics--Coating
of Oils to Protest Wood From the
Weather Is Recommended.

driven by the hut jewellers of the Bal
tic centuries ago are as sound today
as when first placed. The wooden
collins 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 moisture
conditions has naturally made people
ask, What causes wood to decay? 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 cor
porations with it's cross tie bill run
ming up into seven figures and the
farmers who spend hundred or so
dollars a 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 pre-
venting decay wood-preserving experts
have learned many things about the
obnoxious fungi which sap the life Of
timber
The small Organisms 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 essential require
ments is lacking, they can not live and
the decay Of timber will not take place.
Wood constantly submerged in water
never rots, simply because there is an
insufficient supply of air This con.
clifton accounts for the soundness of
the old Baltic piles. On the other
hand, If wood can be kept air-tight
1t viii not decay, because there will
then be too little moisture. The tim
Der used by the Egyptians will last in
definitely so long as it is bone-dry.
There are a great many case. how
ever, where it is impossible to keen
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 enough air and enough
water for the decomposing organisms
to get a foothold. Decay is most Sc
rious where the atmosphere is warm
and damp, because these conditions
are most favorable for its devotion
ment. In the coal mines of Pennsyl-
vania timber decays in two or three
years because the temperature is
warm and constant and the cir is
damp. And in the South the warm,
humid atmosphere often causes the
timber to rapidly decompose.
Decay may be prevented by two gen.
eral methods, by treating the wood
with antiseptics, thus poisoning the
God supply of the organisms which
'ause decay, and by treating it with
ills which render it waterproof. A
ombination of these two methods is
1ost commonly used, as when wood
5 treate dwith creosote which fills up
he pores in the timber and keeps out |
-ater and is also a powerful antisep- |
c.
The United States government con-
ders the Investigations of the pre-
arvative treatment of timber of such
nportance that the business of one
'anch of bureau in the department
agriculture-the coffee of Wood
reservation" in the forest service at
'ashington, is given over entirely to
e work of experiments in co.opera-
On with railroad companies and in
viduals in prolonging the life of rail
ad ties, mine props, bridge timbers,
nee posts and transmission poles. {
Twice and practical assistance is fur I
shed all who request this advice of |