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DURABILITY OF TIMBER. 



HE Commissioner of Agriculture. Washington, D.C., through 

 the Chief of the Forestry Division, in relation to the treatment 

 of timber in a late bulletin says : 



With proper after-treatment of the wood the time of felling 

 seems not to effect its durability. Early winter felHng [Decem- 

 JgJ^^^ ber] should have the preference, because less fermentable sap 

 is then in the trees, and the timber will season with less care, 

 more slowly and more evenly, and before the temperature is 

 warm enough for fermentation to set in. If the wood is cut " in the sap " it is 

 more liable to fermentation and to the attacks of insects, and more care is neces- 

 sarv in seasoning ; for the rapid seasoning, due to the warm dry atmosphere, pro- 

 duces an outer seasoned coat which envelopes an unseasoned interior liable to 

 decay. When cut m the leaf it is advantageous to let the trees lie full length 

 until the leaves are thoroughly withered (two or three weeks), before cutting to 

 size. With conifers this is good practice, at any season, and if it can be done, 

 all winter-felled trees should be left lying to leaf out in spring, by which most of 

 the sap is worked out and evaporated. 



Always remove the bark from felled timber to aid seasoning — but not from 

 the standing tree. 



Never allow the log to lie directly on the moist soil. 



If winter-felled, shape the timber to size within two weeks after felling and 

 leave it placed on blocks — not upon the soil — in the forest, or if shaped at home 

 place in a dry, airy — not windy — position away from sun and rain. 



If dried too rapidly, wood warps and splits, the cracks collect water and the 

 timber is then easily attacked and destroyed by rot. 



With large logs, checking may be prevented by coating the ends with some 

 ^atty or oily substance mixed with brick dust, or covering with a piece of linen, 

 doth, or even paper, or by simply shading them to lesson evaporation ; cracks 

 on the sides may be filled in with tow or cotton. 



When piling timber, place laths or sticks of uniform size at uniform distances 

 under each log, or post, or tie. 



Sufficiently thorough seasoning for most purposes is obtained in twelve to 

 eighteen months, while for special woik, according to the size, from two to ten 

 years is required. 



The best method of obtaining proper seasoning without costly apparatus in 

 shorter time, is to immerse the prepared timber in water, from one to three 

 weeks, to dissolve the fermentable matter nearest the surface. This is best done 

 by running water — if such is not at hand, a bath may be substituted, the water 



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