The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1909-07-09
PREVENT DECAY
Of FENCE POSTS
SIMPLE AND EFFECTIVE METHOD
OF PRESERVING WOODS-OF
INTEREST TO FARMERS-THE
DIMINISHING OF MATERIAL
CAUSES EXTRA PROBATION.

Every farmer is familiar with the
rOtting of his fence posts at the sur
face o. the ground. The labor of re
placing them and how to secure new
and durable posts are sources OF
constant annoyance and expense.
Even the more durable woods, such
as chestnut, white oak and cedar, de-
cay in eight or ten years. 1t is true
that there are a few kinds of wood in
the United States, such as locust and
Osage-Orange, which give mucn long
er service, but their supply, never
very large, is rapidly becoming eX-
hausted, and the farmer must now
look TO some other source for his
posts. Perhaps directly on his farm
there may be a 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 the streams. These are
trees which heretofore have been
thought of little or no use for posts,
because OF the Tapidity with which
they are attacked by decay. In their
natural condition, they viii rot in two
or three yeaTs-tOO soon to pay Tor
the labor of cutting them. The For
est Service in its study o. prOlOnginS
the life Of fence posts has found
cheap and simple methods of pTeserV-
ing them in a sound condition for an
indefinite time, even though they are
the poorest and naturally least dura-
bic woods.
Decay is not a simple process like
the crumbHng of stone or the rustinS
of iron 1t is caused by low forms OF
plant life which thoroughly permeate
the wood, discOlor 1t and cause 1t
10 become disconnected and rotten.
To preserve the timber in thorough
ly sound condition, it is only neces-
sary to render the wood unfit for the
growth of these organisms. This is
done by injecting into it substances
poisonous to plant life
Use of Creosote.
One OF the most widely used pre-
servatives is creOSote, one Of the by
products of coal tar. When it is in
jected into the wood, decay Will be
retarded indefinitely and an Old-Tield
pine or cottonwood fence post when
properly treated viii easily give 4
life of twenty years or longer. Such
a preseTVatiYe treatment costs about
ten cents per post. The creOsOte can
be applied by painting the wood with
a brush or dipping it into the liquid,
but much better results will be OBJ
tanned if it is actually injected into
the wood instead of merely coating
the outside II the brush" method
OF painting, is used, the creosO+e
should be applied at temperature OF
about $50 degrees +. Two coats
should be given at least twenty-four
hours apart. If the posts are dipped
directeIy into the preventative, the
! creOsOte should be heated to about
! the same temperature. The best re-
suits Of all can be obtained by first
heating the posts in a bath of hot
| creOsote and then either transferring
them quickly to a bath of creOsOte at
| a lower temperature or else shutting
off the heat and allowing the posts to
remain in the oil as it cOOls- By such
a method, the sapwOOd will become
/ thoroughly permeated with the creO-
sote. Full details and specific direc-
| lions for the treatment Of different
kinds Of posts may be obtained by
application to the Forester, Washing
! ton, D. c.