April 25, 1918 



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Fighting Weeds In the Millyard 





Lumber yards, mill yards, tramroads, skidwuys, niul other spacos 

 important in lumber operations are often overgrown with grass auj 

 weeds which become nuisances. Such growth by collecting and hold- 

 ing dampness increases the rate of decay of all wood on or near 

 the surface of the ground, and tlius adds to the loss of crossties, 

 ekids, foundations, platforms, and also of lumber in the stacks. 

 For that reason the question of the removal of the grass and wce<ls 

 becomes one of no small importance and perplexity. 



There is no easy way to prevent the growth of grass where con- 

 ditions of soil, dampness and tcmi)cruture are favorable. The slow 

 process of pulling it out by hand or digging it out with hoes or 

 cutting it with scytlies and sickles gives only temporary relief, for 

 a new crop speedily takes the place of the old. 



The lUireau of I'lant Industry at Washington, D. C, has been at 

 work several years experimenting with poisons in destroying vege- 

 tation in places where it is not wanted, as on railroad rights of 

 way, in tennis courts, paths, manufacturing premises and elsewhere. 

 Materials Recommended 



It appears that of the substances tried there are three better 

 than any of the rest, namely, arsenite of soda, common salt, and 

 some form of petroleum. The best one of these for each case will 

 depend upon conditions. It seems to be more economical usually 

 to make a number of comparatively light applications for the pur- 

 pose primarily of killing the foliage rather than one heavy one to 

 afifect the roots as well as the tops. 



In the case of most kinds of vegetation excepting the grasses, and 

 especially for vegetation of a broad-leafed character, arsenite of 

 soda is highly eflfcctive. The commercial grade may be obtained at 

 about twenty-five cents per pound from some of the wholesale chem- 

 ists. If large areas are to be treated, it can be made at home more 

 cheaply by boiling one pound of white arsenic and two pounds of 

 sal soda in a gallon of water until a stock solution is formed. From 

 ten to twenty pounds of the commercial arsenite of soda or from 

 seven to fourteen pounds of the white arsenic in the home-mixed 

 formula, either one diluted to make from fifty to 100 gallons of 

 solution, is sufScient to kill most of the foliage on one acre. 



Common salt may be applied dry, provided it is fine grained and 

 is scattered very uniformily. Salt may be applied more uniformly, 

 however, if it is made into a saturated solution, one pound to one 

 and one-half quarts of water. The latter is usually the most satisfac- 

 tory form. It should be used at the rate of from three to five tons 

 per acre, depending upon the character and rankness of the vegeta- 

 tion. 



Of the petroleum products, fuel oil is about the most satisfactory, 

 although this is sometimes difficult to obtain, and then only in barrel 

 or tank-car lots. Near the oil fields, crude oil as it comes from the 

 well, can be obtained cheaply and is quite satisfactory. The petro- 

 leum products should be applied at the rate of from 300 to 40O 

 gallons per acre. If small areas are to be treated, so that the mat- 

 ter of expense is of little consideration, kerosene may be used. The 

 petroleum products seem to be the most effective of all when applied 

 to narrow-leafed vegetation, such as grass; salt seems to be the 

 next in effectiveness on such plats, and arsenic third. 



A spraying outfit is best for applying liquid material, excepting 

 the salt brine, with which a sprinkling can or sprinkler will do faster 

 work. The petroleum products are very hard on the rubber parts 

 of spraying outfits, but it is ne<'essary to use a sprayer in that con- 

 nection on account of economy of application ; with very small areas 

 where economy is not to be considered the oils can be applied througb 

 a sprinkling can. 



Regions Compared 



The nuisance of weeds and grass in lumber yards is much more 

 common in southern states than in northern for the reason that the 

 growing sea.son is longer in tlic South, and tlip olpnients of decay have 

 more time to work. It is well known that the bluing of lumber in mill 

 yards is more common in the South than in the North, and that is in 



part ,luo to tho ranker growth of vcgctati 

 great. I- dampness of the premises. 



the conh'oqi 



The Value of Trimmings 



Trimmings have been generally sold at too low a value by saw- 

 mills. One of the most conspicuous examples of this is furnished 

 by trimmings from quartered oak fiitches. These nitches for the 

 veneer mill are an important item with the sawmill having good 

 oak in its stumpage. Fair prices are obtained for fiitches, but not 

 so for the clear strips that come off in the form of trimmings. 

 Clear quartered oak strips are in the main no higher in price today 

 than they were ton years ago. The i)ractico of flitch makers who 

 sell these strips for whatever they can get for them— and too often 

 the price is low — has resulted in a queer condition in the oak 

 flooring trade. Tho price of plain oak lumber has gone up until 

 the average oak flooring man asks nearly as much to make plain 

 oak as ho does quartered oak. The whole explanation is found 

 in the comparatively low price asked and obtained for FAS 

 quartered oak strips made as trimmings for flitches. 



This is but one instance of many which might be cited of 

 sacrificing trimming without getting the full market value for it. 

 Berhaps it is the most conspicuous instance in the hardwood 

 trade but there aro many others. There are trimmings from tie 

 timber including oak, beech and other hardwoods. On all sides 

 there are trimmings from squares, car timber, ship and bridge 

 timbers, also trimmings incidental to making agricultural squares, 

 and it is seldom that these aro appraised at their full value when 

 the millman undertakes to make them. He has apparently devel- 

 oped the habit of figuring to make a profit out of the original 

 orders they are working on, and of considering what they may 

 obtain for trimmings as just that much extra, consequently they 

 have never sought to find and obtain full value. 



The right idea is to study the trimmings incident to making any 

 line of hardwood product, then find out what they will fit in best, 

 seek this market and strive to get the same measure of value out 

 of the trimmings that is obtained for the regular specified stock 

 being cut. 



Consult Official Bulletin for War Information 



Owing to the enormous increase of government war work, the 

 governmental departments at Washington are being flooded with 

 letters of inquiry on every conceivable subject concerning the war, 

 and it has been found a physical impossibility for the clerks, 

 though they number an army in themselves now, to give many of 

 these letters proper attention and reply. There is published daily 

 at Washington, under authority of and by direction of the Presi- 

 dent, a government newspaper — The Official V. S. Bulletin. This 

 newspaper prints every day all of the more important rulings, 

 decisions, regulations, proclamations, orders, etc., etc., as they are 

 promulgated by the several departments and the many special com- 

 mittees and agencies now in operation at the National Capital. 

 This official journal is posted daily in every postoffice in the United 

 States, more than 56,000 in number and may also be found on file 

 at all libraries, boards of trade and chambers of commerce. By 

 consulting these files most questions will be found readily an- 

 swered; there will be little necessity for letter writing; the un- 

 necessary congestion of the mails will be appreciably relieved; 

 there will be fewer correspondence sacks for the railroads to 

 handle, and the mass of business that is piling up in the govern- 

 ment departments will be eased considerably. Hundreds of clerks 

 now answering correspondence will be enabled to give their time 

 to essentially important war work, and a fundamentally patriotic 

 service will have been performed by the public. At the same time 

 the government employes themselves can materially lessen the con- 

 gestion of mails by eliminating some of their own superfluous stuff. 



