256 The Farm Woodlot 



gated. The latter makes a stiffer tank, but in either case 

 it should be reenforced around the top and bottom with 

 three-quarter inch angle iron. It should be perforated 

 six inches from the botton and two feet from the bottom 

 to receive a two-inch pipe. If the iron is plain, locknuts 

 should be provided to make the joint tight ; if it is corru- 

 gated, nipples should be soldered in. Into these openings 

 a four-foot "U" of two-inch pipe is inserted, as shown in 

 the figure. This apparatus works like the water-back 

 on a stove. A fire is built under the "U" pipe, and the 

 oil in the tank is readily heated. The temperature can 

 easily be controlled in this way, and there is less danger 

 from fire in case of an overflow from the tank. When 

 the hot bath has been completed, the fire can be removed 

 and the oil cooled as desired. When the butts of the posts 

 have been treated in this way, the oil left in the tank can 

 be applied to the upper portion of the posts with a brush. 

 This utilizes the oil which otherwise would be wasted and 

 insures the top of post from rotting while the butt is still 

 good. Such a tank can be bought for ten or fifteen dollars. 

 It is quite as effective as the more expensive double tank 

 outfit and is much more easily moved about. It is neces- 

 sarily much slower than the double tank process, but that 

 would not be very important where a comparatively 

 small number of posts is involved. 



The cost of such treatment cannot be stated definitely 

 in a general work of this kind. It will vary in different 

 parts of the country according to the cost of labor, fuel 

 and creosote. The creosote is of course the controlling 

 factor. The cost of fuel and labor are almost negligible 

 and, moreover, in many cases cost nothing but a little 



