Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1909-03-27
WHY WOOD DECAYS.

Piles driven bN the nut jewellers OF
the baltic centuries ago are a. sound
today as when first placed The wood
en- collins In which the Egyptians bur.
led 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 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 nourishment
from IL. The little organisms are 80
little that a miscrocope Is required 90
see them. yet their work results in
the destruction OF billions Of feet OF
timber each year and the railroad
corporation with its Crosstie bill run
ming up into seven figures and the
farmer who spends a hundred or so
dollars a year for fence posts are alike
drawing upon the knowledge of ex-
perts I'm all parts OF the world in ef-
forts to learn the most economical and
most satisfactory method OF preserv.
ing wood against the inroads OF de-
cay. In studying the means OF pre-
venting decay woOd-preseTving experts
have learned many things about the
obnoxious fungi which sap the life Of
timber.
The small organisms can grow
either i'm light or i'm total darkness;
but all OF them require requisite
amounts of air. food, moisture and
heat. II one or more of these essen
tialrequirements is lacking. they cannot
live, and the decay Of timber will not
take place. Wood constantly submerged
I'm water never rOts. simply because
there is an insufficient supply OF air.
This condition accounts for the sound
ness Of old Baltic piles. On the other
hand. II wood can be kept airdry IL
will not decay. because there will then
be too little moisture. The timber
used by the Egyptians will last In
definitely so long as IL is bOne-dry.
There are a great many cases.
however. where IL is impossible TO
keep wood i'm water. or in an absO-
lutely airdry condition. In fact, a |
large percentage OF the timber which |
Is used is exposed to the weather. and |
is subjected to decay simply because
IL contains enough air and enough |
water for the decOmpOsing organisms
10 get a fOOthOld. Decay is most Sc
riOus where the atmosphere is warm
and damp. because these conditions
are most favorable for it's develop
ment. In the coal mines of Pennsyl-
vania timber decays in two or three
years because the temperature is
warm and constant and the air 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 antiseptlcs, thus poisoning the
food supply OF the organisms which
cause decay and by treating Il with
oils which render Il waterproof. A
OF thcss two methods is
E,ost commonly used as when wool Is
treated with CreOs Ote which fills UE
the pores In the timber and keeps out
water and is also a powerful anti
septic
The United States Government con-
siders the investigations Of the pre-
sentative treatment OF timber Of such
importance that the business Of one
group OF men In the Forest Service
Is given over entirely 10 the work OF
In cooperation with
railroad companies and individuals I'm
prOlOnging the life OF railroad ties,
mine props. bridge timbers. fence posts
and transmission poles. Advice and
practical assistance Is furnished all
who request this advice Of the Dis
trict Forester az Albuquerque. The
lengthening OF life OF timber means
the saving OF thousands Of dollars an
nually through doing away with the
heavy expense Of labor and cost Of ma.
terial for renewals.