88 



The species and number of these posts shipped into certain regions 

 of -the state is governed, as in the case of lumber, largely by freight rates. 

 During a nine-months period ending June 30, 1923, one southern pine 

 lumber company alone shipped 138 cars containing over 148,000 creo- 

 soted yellow-pine posts into the central prairie region of the state. The 

 number of imported posts will probably increase. In the southern part 

 of the state white oak posts sell at the lumber yards for 16 cents and red 

 cedar and sassafras at 30 to 40 cents. Mulberry posts sold in Union 

 county for 7 cents each in the woods, but this species is generally reserved 

 by farmers when selling timber for mine props. In northern Illinois 

 white cedar posts from Wisconsin sell at 25 to 45 cents, red cedar at 45 

 cents, and creosoted longleaf pine at 50 cents each. Native white or 

 burr oak posts could be bought in the summer of 1922 in northern Illi- 

 nois for 15 cents and Osage orange and black locust for 40 cents each. 



It is probable that sapling or second growth white oak will not last 

 in the ground much over 8 years, hence it will pay to treat such posts 

 as well as those of the less durable species. The open-tank treatment 

 with creosote, in which heavy absorption or practically complete pene- 

 tration of the butt of the post is secured, is recommended for all species 

 listed on page 86 except red cedar, Osage orange, black locust, mulberry, 

 and catalpa. When so treated, all of the remaining species except willow 

 and Cottonwood will last 20 years and probably considerably longer, thus 

 reducing the annual renewal to less than 5 per cent and making red oak, 

 elm, soft maple, and other inferior species last as long as the more durable 

 species. The wood of willow and cottonwood does not take treatment 

 uniformly, and due to this fact posts may develop decay in a shorter 

 time than would be the case with some of the other species. Yet when 

 these two species are available in quantity they will pay for the cost of 

 securing and treating them in spite of this drawback. 



According to MacDonald ('15) the total initial cost for treated 

 cottonwood posts 7 feet long and iyi inches at the top-end is 40 cents 

 with creosote figured at 30 cents a gallon. This makes the annual charge 

 for the post in place 1.6 cents, if it gives a service of 25 years, and 2 

 cents a year if it lasts 20 years. 



In comparison with this the annual charge for an untreated white 

 cedar post costing 35 cents with 10 cents for setting, a total of 45 cents, 

 would be 3.2 cents per year if it lasted 14 years and 4.5 cents if it lasted 

 only 10 years. The results, then, seem to stand 2 to 1 in favor of the 

 treated cottonwood post over white cedar untreated. 



