Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-05-30
AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION
~ DR., ANDREW NJ SOULE -

ganisms and are carried over in the
soil or on the seed potatoes.
! In order to prevent diseases, dis
infect your seed-bed by applying
! formaldehyde SOLUTION made or one
quart to twenty gallons of water
used at the rate Of one gallon per
square foot. Treat the seed with
! corrosive sublimate, using one ounce
in eight gallons of water and treat
| for ten to fifteen minutes.
PrOlOnging the Life of Farm Timbers
Probably there is no matter OF
vital Importance to the farmer so
generally disregarded as the treat
ment of his farm timbers to resist
decay. At one time timber was COM
mon enough and cheap enough for
him to pick out the more durable
woods such as white oak or red ce-
dar, but conditions are vastly diff
ferent now and the average farmer
must use what he can get. This fire.
quently consists of the so-called sap
pine, and it has little durability in
contact with the soil, the result is
that his fence posts must be re-
nlaced every two or thre years.
When one considers the fact that
each year several billion fete of
woods is used on the farms in this
country for such purposes as fence
posts, building foundations, tele-
phone poles and silos, and that dura-
bility is the chief requisite for these
purposes. the importance of wood
preservation can be realized. Fence
posts especially should be treated
with preservative for the cost is
light, usually between twenty and
twenty-five cents per post, and the
life of the post is heightened from
two or three years to ten or fifteen.
Consider the labor and expense in
volved in replacing fence posts fire.
quentlv and then decide whether you
can afford not to use a preservatfve.
There are several preservatives
now in general use, but the best for
all general purposes is coal-tar Gre
osote. This is a brownish- black
heavy oil that is insoluble in water,
Denetrates wood easily and will not
leach out. 1t not only poisons the
wood against the attack of the fun
gus which causes the decay, but also
excludes to a large extent both air
and moisture. 1t is easily obtain
able in practically any town, and
should be preferred to any substi-
tutes so often found on the market.
The method Of treating fence
posts, and practically any other farm
timbers, is simple and inexpensive.
Two tanks, a thermometer and
some means Of heating are all that
is needed. The tanks should be
strong enough to hold the weight
Of the oil and the posts, should nof
leak, should be deep enough so that
the top of the oil will be a foot or
more below the top of the tank dur
ing treatment, and should be readily
heated. ANY tank of convenient
size that will satisfy these require
ments will do. The heating may b.
accomplished by fire beneath the
tank, or by means Of steam coils,
if steam is available. If an open fire
is used, care should be taken to
prevent the oil from leaking over
the side of the tank and taking fire.
Otherwise careleSSneSS may result
in the loss of the oil and the posts
The posts are heated for one or
more hours in the creosote at a tenn
perature of from $50 to 220. degrees
f. They are then quickly trans
ferred to a tank of oil having n
temperature of about 100 F., and
left there for an hour or more. II; ,
the hot liquid the air and moisture
in the wood expand and are partial
ly driven out. When the wood is
plunged into the cool oil the mois- !
ture and air in it contract and draw
the oil into the wood. Instead of |
a separate tank being used fer the
cool oil, the heating of the oil in
the one tank may be stopped and |
the wood and the oil allowed to cool |
together. This accomplishes the !
same purpose but a longer time is |
required, because the not oil cools |
very slowly. 1t is suitable, how |
ever, for heavy posts or poles which |
cannot be easily transferred from !
one tank to another. 1t can some !
times be used to advantage also by |
heating for two or three hours early |
in the morning or in the evening anG |
allowing the posts to cool all day'l
CT all night. This will make it pos !
sible to carry on the treatment with |
out interference with the regular |
work of the farm. Ordinarily it will
not be necessary to leave the posts !
in either the hot or the cool oil over
three hours, but the sapWood should |
be penetrated clear through before |
the treatment is stopped. The treat
ment should extend far enough up !
the post so that at least six inches /
of treated wood will be above the |
ground line when the pest is set.
One precaution to be remembered I
is that the posts should be careful
ly peeled and thoroughly seasoned |
before the preservative is applied. |
In peeling pine, care should be taken |
to remove the thin inner bark from |
the part of the post to be treated. !
If properly piled in a good location |
posts will usually season sufficiently |
for treatment in from 60 to 80 days |
of good seasoning weather.