The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1916-10-19

nondurable woods an average life OF
twenty years. A thorough treatment
with coal tar creosote will make o
wooden silo more resistant to decay,
less subject to shrinking and swelling
aud will also make painting unneces-
sary. The treatment of any nondur-
able wood. which Is used where CON
ditions are favorable to decay. will
! prolong its life for many years
For number of years the forest
service has been conducting expert
ments on the preservative treatment
of fence posts, poles and other forms
OF timber exposed to decay.
The preservatives tested In the ex-
periments included coal tar creosotes,
carbolineums. wood tar creosotes, wa
ter gas tar creosote, zinc chloride. tar.
crude oil. paint, linseed oil, whitewash
and cement coatings. OF all the vari-
Gus preservatives tested coal tar crea-
sote has given the best results. Car
b0lineums have given about the same
Increase Of durability under certain
conditions. The service tests upon
"Oou tdA NitOootC NutSt kuo tuh
creosote have not yet definitely estab-
lished their value, but these products
apparently will give good results. Zinc
chloride is satisfactory under certain
conditions. The other preservatives
have not proved satisfactory for farm
use
There are a number OF methods OF ap-
plying preseryatives to wood differing
considerably in cost and effectiveness
The methods best adapted to farm use
are the open tank process, the cold
bath or soaking treatment, the dipping
process and the brush or painting
treatment
The open tank process Is the most
thorough method practicable on the
farm The posts are heated for one
or more hours I'm the creosote oil at a
Of from $50 degrees to
900 degrees +. They are then quickly
TO another tank of oil hay
ing a temperature OF about 100 degrees
r.. and are left there for an hour or
more. In the hot bath the air and
moisture In the wood expand and are
partially driven out When the wood
Is plunged into the cool oil the air and
moisture In II contract and draw the
oil into the wood. Instead of a sepa.
rate tank being used for the cool bath,
the heating Of the oil In the hot bath
may be stopped and the wood and the
oil allowed to coal together. This &C.
the same purpose as the
cool bath but longer time Is required
because the hot oil cools very slowly.
In the cold bath process the wood l.
treated by soaking for a long time In
! tank of preservative at ordinary air
Since cold oils do not
penetrate wood readily. It is problb |
hat but few woods can be successfully !
mpreGnated with oils by this method
The dipping process Is considered !
only for preservatives OF an |
lilly nature. The wood Is simply heat
I'd in oil at from 900 degrees to 900 |
iegrees f. for from five 10 fifteen min
ties or longer. II is cheaper than the |
)pen tank treatment. but is much less I
effective.
=. Brush treatment or painting Is con
sidered suitable for oils only and con
'ists In applying two coats Of hot pre-
sentative to the wood. II has the ad
OF cheapness aud simplicity
md the disadvantage OF adding less
Durability than the foregoing methods.
The preseryative treatment Of farm
imbers offers opportunity for a profit
lbLe Industry Ia rural communities. In
many places a small wood preserving
plant can be probably operated in con.
leetion with threshing outfit. a feed.
mill, or sawmill. or several individ.
ials can cooperate In establishing and
perating a plant for the treatment OF
imbers used on the farms IN the
eighborbood.