Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-03-01
FARM FACTS

The amount of wood used on the
farms of the country and exposed to
rapid decay is enormous. 1t is esti-
mated that one billion fence posts and
rails, the. equivalent of six billion
board feet. are required each year. FOR
this class of material durability is the
first requisite. The naturally durable
woods were formerly Splentiful over
large ereas, but in many sections they
have now become too scarce and dear
TO use. There remains, however, an
abundance of inferior woods which,
when preserved from decay, are en-
tirely satisfactory substitutes.
Decay consists in the destruction OF
the wood tissues by low forms of plant
life. These organisms we term fungi
1t ia possible that bacteria may be as
ISOLATED in some cases, but as yet we
have no positive proof of it. 1t fol-
lows that the object of all preserva-
tive treatment is to prevent the de-
velopment Of these organisms, and that
the most effective treatment is the one
that accomplishes this for the longest
Ieriod.
Fungi require for their best develop
ment a certain balance between the
air the the moisture content of the
Thorough seasoning, on the one hand,
or thorough saturation with moisture
on the other, alters this balance to
such an extent that the growth of the
organism is either retarder or pro-
Eibited. Air seasoning only retards the
growth
There are several methods by which
timbers may be given more thorough
preservative treatment. The surface
OF the wood may be soaked with paint
OF some similar substance. Such
coating keeps the wood dry, and more
or less efrcctually excludes the en-
trance of the decay-producing organ
isms. Such coatings, however, should
be applied only to well-seasoned ma
terial, since they will also tend to re-
tard the escape of such moisture as
may be already within the timber.
Better preservatives are the products
of the distillation of coal tar and pc
troleum tar, which, in addition to pos
sessing the advantages of paint, are
antiseptic and poisonous to fungi. The
deeper such antiseptics penetrate the
wood the more lasting is their effect.
1t is we'll known that wood decays
most rapidly when placed in contact
with the surface of the ground, be-
cause the Notwithstanding organisms
find there more uniform conditions Of
heat and moisture to encourage their
development. For this reason the
ground line of a post must be thor
oughly treated, whereas portions of
require less treatment. The climate of
the locality should also be considered.
In the warm gulf states or i'll nois-
more thorough treatment than in
cooler northern climate or on the arid
plains
The impregnation of fence posts with
creosote is best accomplished by the
so-called "open-tank" process. This
consists of heating the wood for a GER
tain period and then cooling it in the
preservative. The principle is simple:
During the heating the high tempera-
ture causes the air and water contained
in the wood cells to expand, so that
a portion of this air and water is
forced out. The rest contracts as the
subsequent cooling progresses, and a
partial vacuum is formed, into which
atmospheric pressure forces the cool
preservative.
The simplest form of treating plant
consists of two creosOte barrels, placed
about seven feet apart and connected
by or 4-inch pipe. The heating is
accomplished by building a fire under
the pipe Each barrel should be set in
a shallow box or provided with some
gutter arrangement to catch the oil
in case of an unexpected leak. The
barrels should be shielded from the
direct heat of the fire. In some re-
spects the barrel tanks are not salts
factory on account of them leaking,
which is almost sure to occur after
few days use. Neverthe less, the bar
rel outfit will suffice when only a few
posts are to be treated and when, in
consequence, the treatments are few
and short.
Thorough seasoning should always
precede impregnation. Even air-dry
wood is unfit for treatment after a.
heavy rain and when thus saturated
should be permitted to dry for at least
three days.
BARREL OUTFIT FOR DIPPING IN
CREOSOTE
Bark retards or prevents the penetra-
ton of the preservative into the wood.
1t also uselessly increases the cost OF
treatment by itself absorbing oil. Peel
ing the posts before treatment is, there
fore necessary. Even the papery inner
bark should be carefully removed.
The tops of posts should be cut OBJ
liduely to shed rain water. A bevel
made with an ak is preferable to one
made with a saw, because it is smooth
er. &c.,