The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-03-09
WOOD PERSONALITIES.
Increase in Use Indicates Progress il
Forest Conservation.

An increase from three and one.hali
million gallons 81 the oil Of coal tar, OF
ereosote, as Il Is popularity known, i'm
ported into the city OF New York III
1904. TO an amount estimated to be al.
most twenty-five million gallons last
year is one of the indications pointing
TO the progress Of the nation wide move
ment TOT conservation OF forest resour.
ees.
II il creosote which the government
and scores Of corporations and private
wood users have found Ia be one OF the
most satisfactory preventative for rail-
road ties, mine props, telephone and
telegraph poles, 4ence posts, and for tim
bers used for other commercial purposes
Lengthening the life of timber in use
means the lcssening Of the drain on the
country's forests, and what is more i'm
poptant 10 the average business man,
Il means the saving Of thousands Of dol
lars annually spent for the labor Of the
frequent renewal made necessary when
untreated timber is used.
Ten years ago the strongest advocates
for the creosoting method OF preserving
wood could scarcely have hoped for the
present advanced state OF this industry.
Creosoting Is bacoming the aeknowledg-
I'd standard means Of increasing the life
% timbers.
Formerly the production of creosote
from both coal tar and wood tar, far
exceeded any demand for wood treat
ing purposes. However. the number OF
wood preserving plants has grown 20
rapidly within the last four years that
this country is now able TO supply its
own demand for coal tar creosote.
A brief study Of the importation
columns Of the trade journals shows the
effect Of the growth of the wood pre-
serYation industry In the whole year
Of 1904 the New York imports amount
ed to only 100000 gallons. BY the
end Of 1907. the importation had in
creased 10 l7,500O 600 gallons. while for
the present year conservative estimates
place the imported coal tar creos0te at
between % to 25 million gallons.
The year has started most suspicious
~; during a fye.weeks' period in De-
cember and January the importation
through New York alone, was $4,000
tons. giving a weekly average Of 5000
tens OF $4,000 gallons. II Is sufficient
that during this same period the impor
tation Of related by.products from coal
monium carbonate chloride, sulphate.
kept pace with that of creosote, Am
pnd sal ammoniae' entered 10 the
Of 100, 227. 1850, and 400
tons, respectively. If these had been all
made into the sulphate. the equivalent
product would have been $50 tons per
week. The estimated ratio Of twenty /
pounds Of sulphate to one and one half |
gallons of the ereosote oil would make |
m equivalent production OF 10000 gal |
IONS Of creosote This is not far diff |
ferent from the $4,000 gallons which |
we're really imported Since these am
monia products and creosote are being /
in this relation, it Is plainly |
svident that the production Of creos0te |
q not alone deficient, but also coal tar
products in general.
The production of creosote in this |
in all probability, continue to
se far less than the consumption. The I
wood preservation industry has been in
Is infancy only. and enormous demands
nav be expected in the future. The
lDkfs anu NuHStAHfitig 1hc Wal thA III
lustries. have until recently been az
heir best, but even at their best the
upply of by-products has run short. On
his account. we should turn to other
ources to supply the increasing demands
or creosote preseryatives.
a great help may be eventually af
orded BY the increasing use of wood
mr. creosote which has not been in high
avor in the past. It is gratifying to.
lota that within the last few years
ONE Of the more important wood dis
illers have been turning into a profit
hose oils and tars which were former
' run to waste. The demand for these
lroducts is increasing, and this recoy-
red by-product has been asserted to be
ot only revenue for the producer but
lso a valuable preventative for the
reatment OF structural timber.