The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-09-15
FENCE POSTS.

Information that ought to prove most
valuable to the farmers in all sections
OF the country, and especially those in
the great central west, is contained in
bulletin recently issued by the forest
service bureau of the federal DEPART
ment OF agriculture 1t concerns fine
lie the fence posts and how it can be
prolonged by proper treatment. Iowa
was used as field for investigations
along this line by the forest service 1t
was found that the farmers in that
state use every year 81 ,4OO, 900 worth of
renee posts, which cost the equivalent
OIL 100000 for setting them in the
ground. And it is the belief of the
agricultural department that a part of
this expenditure might be saved.
The opportunity for economy is found.
first, in using the kinds of posts which,
taking into account both cost and dur
ability. are cheapest in the long run.
and. secondly, by treating the posts to
prevent decay, particularly those
which decay most quickly. When a
farmer sets post which will have a
comparatively short life, he loses not
only through having to buy new post
but also because of the additional la
OOI 4uNOlNCu III oCII1AlS IL II True
that in both cases no money outlay
may be involved, for he may set the
posts himself, after getting them from
his own wood lot. OF the posts used
last year in Iowa, 20 per cent, 1t is esti-
mated, we're grown on the farms where
they were used, or were obtained from
other farmers or wood lot owners, and
only 30 per cent were bought from lum-
Der dealers. Nevertheless, the farmer
is out his labor and the part of the
product of his wood lot which is used
up, even though he does not pay out
any cash.
1t was found that the average life of
a fence post is IA years and the aver
age cost 1877 cents. There is, however,
great difference in the lasting proper
ties of different woods. Usage orange
lasts more than five times as long as
willow does, and for length of service
it heads the list of post timbers in the
state. The comparative life of other
posts is shown in the following list,
ranging from the longest period to the
shortest: Red cedar, locust, white oak,
northern white cedar Cor arborvitae).
catalpa, black walnut, butternut. red
oak and willow. The average cost of
posts varies for different woods, and
for the same woods in different locali-
ties. Red cedar is most expensive, at
an average of 26az cents each, and will
low the cheapest. at cents.
The life of such posts would be much
extended by giving them preservatiye
treatment Preservative treatment in
creases the life of all wooden posts and
more than doubles the period of use
fulness of these which are mostly sap
wood. The two million dollars spent
yearly by the farmers in buying and
setting fence posts might be materially
lessened by putting into practice the
well known methods of wood preserva-
ton. 1t costs much less to treat a post
than to buy a new one and set 1t in the
ground, and in addition much wood
could be saved for other purposes. The
department of agriculture has made a
special study of practical methods of
preserving farm timbers. so that it is
able to inform interested inquirers how
to do this for themselves.