Year: 1867




When 10 Cut Fence Timber.


The time was when the object was to


destroy timber, but now it is to save it.


When | was small boy | heard an old .


observing mechanic say that the life had


to be got out Of timber before it would
season. He said to pile up green lum-


Der, and 1t would take it about year to
season, and after the lumber was thor
oughly seasoned, let it be completely
saturated water, and pile it up in the
same manner, and in few DAYS or
weeks 1t would be completely dry. I
have observed that life clings to timber
with more tenacity cut at one season of
theyear than at another; it also depends
greatly on the treatment it receives after


being cut. Many varieties of timber If


cut IN the winter and left to absorb


moisture from the clouds and atmos-


phere will send out shoots and leaves


that will continue green all the next


season, which if boiled little or heated


70 boiling temperature, would very soon


season and dry out | have noticed


that timber quickly becomes close grain


ed and compact, and would be very du-


rable, while that which stayed green
long time after it was cut would ba
orash, light, open grained, and easily
absorb moisture, | have seen timber
| hanging in trees, broken in winter bv
sIeet, that in three years were nearly
rotten, while others on the same tree
were sound after being dead twenty
years l have seen trees girded late in
the tall, or in the winter, or early in the
spring, that would leave out the second
and some the third year, and in four or
five years they would be pretty well
rotted, while others girdled in the latter
part OF summer would soon dry, the
bark would crack open and. curl up, and
the timber would be sound. For many
years cut off allmy rail timber in the
winter, mostly in February; about
thirteen years ago | made some rails
out Of small black oaks, or what is called
here Jack oak. ] made some more the
succeeding August, and some posts of
the same timber. Those made in the
winter are rotten and worthless; those
made in the summer are heavy, solid,
and Sound-nOt even sap-rotten. and
many Of the posts are still standing.
Timber cut in June does not last az
well as if cut later: it is then soft, full
of sap, easily absorbs moisture, and
when seasoned is brash and light; but
If Immediately split, the bark peeled of,
and laid off Of the ground exposed to
sun and air until seasoned, it lasts pretty
well. | once cut lot of rail timber in
February, and left it till June, then
split and peeled off the bark, expecting
to get the benefit of the February the
Dry of firm hard wood and but little
zap, and of the June theory of the bark
EASILY peeling off and the rails quickly
the rails were lighter than
+ cut in August, and did not last wells
Hereafter intend to cut rail timber
md wood for fuel in August, and /
would prefer to have it split as soon IS
.ut, but if l cannot get it split, or e3en
ut down, what want to use before
August will girdle. Timber that il
onsidered worthless for fencing, on ac@
cunt of rOtting so quickly, such as
mn, aspen, quaking asp, or pople, and
Lack oak saplings, if cut and split
august and properly seasoned, will
Or ten years. Linn and aspen, if nj
. posts, should be stripped, or ITS
ill rot around the nail. Rails
-ronger and more durable than boa
'r fence, and, if properly split, moox
'nce can be made from the same tiJHS
er, unless it is very rough and kncl
,aiIs should be split SO as to have
art nearest the heart as near to 1
lge as possible and if split in that wa
icy will only season crack on the eide
rtherest from the heart-the edge
aarest the heart should always be
allied or put up.--IoVa Correspondence,
armers Club.