THE PRESERVATIVE TREATMENT 



mended that the walls and floors of chicken houses be painted 

 with creosote to check the spread of chicken lice; while creo- 

 sote on the scratching floors will keep down the dust. It is 

 also believed by some that creosoted swine houses will help 

 prevent the development or spread of hog cholera, because 

 creosote is an antiseptic. In fact, any non-durable wood 

 used in exposed places, on foundation walls, or wherever 

 experience has shown that the conditions are favorable to 

 decay, may well be treated. 



The durability of shingles will be greatly increased by 

 creosote treatment. It not only prevents decay but keeps 

 the shingles from "fuzzing" and curling in dry weather. In 

 cases where cistern water is used for drinking, the creosote 

 from the shingles may give it an unpleasant taste for a 

 time. This can be very largely avoided by allowing the 

 shingles to season several weeks after treatment before lay- 

 ing them, or by diverting the water from the cistern until 

 the taste disappears. 



The treatment of silos is also advisable. Experience 

 indicates that the silage is not contaminated by the creosote, 

 and cattle seem to find no taste or odor which is objection- 

 able. The staves where possible should be treated and al- 

 lowed to season several weeks before erecting the silo, or the 

 silo allowed to stand for a time before being filled. 



When farmers' cooperative telephone lines are con- 

 structed the treatment of the poles would effect a large sav- 

 ing in the cost of upkeep. For this purpose the brush treat- 

 ment will generally be found the most suitable, since the 

 number of poles to be treated will be comparatively small. 

 The open tank treatment will, of course, give a much longer 

 life than brush treatment, but the cost of the tanks, the 

 extra oil required, apparatus for handling the poles, and the 

 extra labor may not be justified unless a large number are 

 to be treated. Pole braces should be butt treated like the 

 poles, and the roofs and mortises in the poles painted lib- 

 erally with creosote. 



In all timber construction exposed to the weather, 

 where wood comes in contact with wood, stone, concrete, 

 or other material, moisture collects and decay usually begins 

 at the point of contact. The wood should be painted liber- 

 ally with creosote wherever it touches other material in this 

 way. If two pieces of wood touch each other, the creosote 

 should be applied to both. 



Fourteen 



