344 Forestry Quarterly. 



After a few experiments, some 7,000 ties were treated. The anti- 

 septic was applied in open bath, heated to 60 to 8o° C. in a tank 

 holding 15 ties, immersed for half an hour, the arrangement being 

 capable of treating 450 ties per day at a cost of about 6 cents per 

 tie, the absorption being 1^ pound of antiseptic at 4 cents per tie, 

 oak and beech being used. According to experiments the same 

 absorption takes place in ten minutes as in half an hour, and by so 

 much the process may be cheapened. 



As these ties were laid down in 1907, there has not been time 

 for an endurance test, but after immersion cross sections were 

 made which showed the sapwood fully penetrated and the heart- 

 wood at least at the ends, where, the author claims, the fungus is 

 most likely to get in. Sixteen months later, sections were cut, and 

 at first sight, showed no trace of the impregnation, but exposed to 

 the light for a day, a browning took place throughout the sapwood 

 and part of heartwood, which, the author argues, shows that there 

 was no displacement of the oil, but a chemical reaction, the nature 

 of which remains unexplained. 



Another antiseptic to be tried is Green Oil (Huile verte), also 

 a derivative of creosote, which sells at about 2 cents per pound, 

 and can be applied cold with brush. With this oil too, when the 

 wood is sectioned the impregnation is not visible, but on exposure 

 the wood turns green, then brown, showing the effect of treatment. 

 This would reduce the cost per tie to about 3 cents. 



Another antiseptic made in Belgium is Cresoyle, a hydrocarbon 

 oil, by-product from the distillation of tar, of the density 1.05, and 

 same cost as Carbolineum. 



Phenol is also said to be cheaper than creosote and more effi- 

 cacious. 



While these are all products of tar distillation, a new source 

 of antiseptics is found in a derivative of fluor — salts of hydro- 

 fluoric and fluorsilicic acid called Hylinite, developed in Austria. 

 It is inodorous, colorless and inoffensive, thereby becoming useful 

 in house protection, especially as it also reduces inflammability and 

 combustibility. It easily penetrates wood, and can be applied by 

 brush and is very cheap. It costs less than 2 cents to cover a 

 square yard with two coats. Different woods take up different 

 quantities, but 8 to 10 pounds per cubic foot may be an average. 

 Most satisfactory experiences with this antiseptic are reported. 



