634 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



partial doses of oil, or mixtures which 

 are cheaper than pure creosote. In 

 Europe much heavier treatments are 

 given, the practice on most of the 

 French and English railroads, for ex- 

 ample, being to impregnate sleepers 

 practically to refusal. The Prussian 

 State Railways, on the other hand, 

 have recently adopted an empty cell 

 treatment. The amount of preserva- 

 tive should be determined largely by 

 the traffic and maintenance of way prac- 

 tice. On most American roads where 

 cut spikes are used and the tie-plates 

 are small or eliminated entirely, it 

 would be folly to inject enough preser- 

 vative to protect the tie from decay for 

 thirty years and have it wear out in a 

 third of this time. In Europe, where 

 screw spikes and heavy plates or chairs 

 are standard equipment, mechanical 

 wear is reduced to a minimum and a 

 more expensive treatment is justified. 

 It will be a mark of distinct progress 

 when American roads protect their ties 

 from wear as well as from decay. 



All woods do not have the same 

 capacity for absorbing preservatives, 

 owing to differences in the wood struc- 

 ture. Red oak will treat readily, while 

 white oak and chestnut absorb only a 

 superficial coating, even under high 

 pressure. The sapwood of most species 



treats easily, but the heartwood of most 

 timbers is resistant. The best results 

 can be obtained only by thorough 

 knowledge of the characteristics of 

 various woods and manipulations of the 

 treatment accordingly. 



Wood preservation has become a 

 commercial necessity, and because it 

 saves the wood consumer dollars and 

 cents, will remain an important indus- 

 try. The railroads and other large wood- 

 consuming corporations incur heavy 

 initial expenses for plants and increase 

 their current costs on wood material in 

 order to profit by reduced annual 

 charges through the longer life of the 

 material. The small wood consumers 

 cannot take advantage of the pressure 

 treatment unless near a commercial 

 plant; but the brush and open tank 

 treatments are available to farmers, 

 fruit growers, and others who need to 

 preserve their posts, stakes, lumber, etc. 

 Whatever is done by corporations or 

 individuals, the broader aspects of wood 

 preservation should not be overlooked, 

 since any reduction in the drain on the 

 forests will tend to conserve the timber 

 supply and keep prices down. Low 

 lumber prices, in turn, mean conserva- 

 tion in the pocket-book of every indi- 

 vidual citizen. 



PENNS } X VAN I A 'S TRADE. 



Lumber and timber iiidnstries in Pennsylvania employed on an average o/ 32,073. In the 

 census of 1859 the lumber industry of Pennsylvania ranked first among the States.^ In 1909 

 the production of lumber was 1,462,771,000, zvhich was a decrease of 36.3 per cent, from 1899. 

 About o6 per cent, of the lumber manufactured was soft zvood; oak 20 per cent. 



KENTUCKY'S STATE FORESTER. 



At a recent meeting of the Kentucky State Board of Forestry. Mr. .J. E. Barton, formerly 

 connected zvith the U. S. Forestry Service, zvas elected State Forester for Kentucky. 



FIRE PREVENTION. 



The Pacific Logging Congress believes in the expenditure by the z'arwus Shttcs and 

 Provinces of liberal and adequate appropriation for forest fire protection. ^ Jo this end the 

 Congras has indorsed the efforts being made for the creation of field military posts, near 

 the 'national forests, zvith a I'iezv of utilizing the national troops zvhere emergencies arise in 

 the protection of the national forests from fire. 



