REPORT OF THE SOCIETY 59 



home could be sold at a profit. Considering these several points, it may be said 

 then chat by employing as posts material treated with antiseptic dressings, 

 which make the wood more lasting, the quantity of cedar in the wood lot would 

 be conserved, the area cut periodically for firewood would be lessened, or, on the 

 other hand, would yield a good profit and further, a good sum of money would 

 be saved on the mainte/nance of the fence. 



If the farmer is obliged to purchase the material for his posts, the consider- 

 ation of the necessitj^ for economical expenditure becomes obviou;S. 



Kinds of timber that may be used 



In districts where post material can be obtained easily and at not too great 

 expense, it matters little what kind of wood is used, but for preference on,e would 

 select those kinds which last as long as possible. But in parts where timber is 

 not plentiful, one must exercise more care in the choice of the trees that are to 

 be cut down for making into fence posts. Apart from the cost, which is always 

 the most important matter, the following points must .be considered : — (1) 

 durability of the wood, (2) symmetry and size, (3) capacity of the wood to hold 

 a nail or staple, and (4), the ease, or othierwise, with which the wood absorbs 

 the antiseptic dressing applied. 



(1) Durability.— In a soil that is always wet, fence posts last longer than in 

 a site sometimes wet and sometimes dry. Further, posts from trees of slow 

 growth are always more dutable than those from qudck-growing trees. 



(2) Shape. — The best fehce posts are those from coniferous trees (soft wood) 

 such as the cedar, pine, spruce, etc., and evejy fence made with stakes of these 

 kinds has a much heater appearance than those having bent or twisted posts. 



(3) Capacity to Hold Staples and Nails. If it is n&cessary to u,se staples 

 and nails, then it is certainly desirable that the posts should be of hard wood. 



(4) Capacity for Absorption of Antiseptic Dressings. — If posts are employed 

 which have not been submitted to antiseptic treatment, then the time they will 

 last depends to some extent on the amou'nt of heart Avood they possess. For 

 this reason posts that have been "squared" last longer. If the posts are to be 

 treated with antiseptic solution, it is better not to remove the sapwood which 

 absorbs the solution better than the heartwood. So far as possible, it is better 

 that the heads of the posts should be cut or shaped to a point, so that rain water 

 shall easily run off. If frofet has been found to loosen posts when placed in the 

 ground, they should be sharpened at the lowet- end before fixing, so that they 

 can be well driven in with the aid of a mallet. In all cases, whether the posts 

 are treateid with antiseptic or not, it is a good plan to remove the biark, which 

 offers practically no protection. The bark should certainly be removed 

 thoroughly if the wood is to be treated, for if the inner bark is left on, it has the 

 effect of reducing penetration by the fludd. 



Before deciding upon any system of treatment whatever, the net cost shou^ld 

 be estimated, as influenced by the following factors : (1) the purchase price of 

 the posts, (2) the cost of removing the bark and seasoning the wood, (3) cost 

 of transport from the place where the trees were cut to where they are to be 

 used, (4) the cost of fixing in position, and finall}'', the expense entailed by the 

 treatment process. 



