200 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



due to a recent ordinance that all side- 

 walks be laid next to the property line. 

 In places where soil conditions were 

 bound to be unsuited for tree life it was 

 necessary to excavate and replace with 

 top soil. 



Gas leaks and overhead wires, have 

 caused considerable trouble but the 

 assistance of the Public Service cor- 

 porations have helped somewhat to 

 ehminate these features. 



In the borough of Wilkinsburg the 

 poplar tree predominates, causing un- 

 favorable conditions such as clogging 

 sewers, lifting sidewalks and nesting 

 places for insect pests. The Commis- 

 sion each year is removing several 

 hundred of these trees, replanting with 

 better suited trees. The sidewalks are 

 placed about one foot from the curb, 

 necessitating cutting into the walk 

 wherever a tree is to be planted. Soil 



conditions are most unfavorable and 

 good top soil is at a premium. 



In the borough of Dormont, situated 

 on the South Hills and protected to a 

 certain extent from the menace of 

 smoke, the walks are placed against 

 the curb with the planting on the inside, 

 giving the trees all possible advantage 

 for growth. Shale formation predom- 

 inates, blasting has in many instances 

 been resorted to with satisfactory results. 



Norway Maples are being planted 

 almost exclusively, the restdts after 

 three years, showing several streets of 

 sturdy well shaped trees. 



The slogan, "Plant a Tree," is the 

 b}"-word which is inaking these boroughs 

 a wave of green during the summer 

 months. With the many difficulties to 

 overcome the "planting game" con- 

 tinues and each citizen is taking his or 

 her part. 



MORE DURABLE PINE POSTS 



C 



ODGEPOLE pine posts are made de- 

 cay resistant by Supervisor Bene- 

 j diet, of Hailey, Idaho, at a cost 

 of 7 cents each. Mr. Benedict 

 reports he needed 500 posts to construct 

 a pasture fence at the Greenhorn Ranger 

 Station on the Sawtooth forest, and 

 could not obtain jtmiper, or red cedar, 

 except by shipping a long distance. 

 In the ground, lodgepole pine untreated 

 rots quickly. Given a bath in hot 

 creosote from the bottom to a point 

 above the ground line when set sufficient 

 to penetrate the outermost layers of 

 the sapwood and all the openings 

 through which decay could enter the 

 post should last from 12 to 20 years. 

 To this end all the posts were given a 

 bath of an hour in creosote, which was 

 heated in two of the 50-gallon steel 

 barrels, from which the tops had been 

 removed . Larger tanks would be better. 

 About 15 posts were placed in each tank, 

 and 16 tanks full were treated in a dav. 



one man, John Sims, doing all the work 

 in practically two days at a cost, in- 

 cluding the creosote, of $35. 



The posts were cut from live timber 

 in latter May and seasoned three 

 months. The absorption was about 

 three-fourths of an inch, and since the 

 seasoning checks had formed and were 

 therefore reached with the preservative, 

 it is believed this treatment should be 

 adequate. 



A total of seventy-five gallons of 

 creosote, or three-twentieths of a gallon 

 per post, was used. The treated posts 

 will be interspersed with untreated ones 

 for comparison of durability. Two 

 tanks of corrugated iron have been 

 purchased for treating pine stubs for 

 stubbing the forest service telephone 

 line from Ketchimi to Pole Creek, 

 built in 1909 and 1910. These are 

 5 feet high, and should each hold 15 

 stubs or ?i^ posts. 



