472 THE HANDBOOK FOR PRACTICAL FARMERS 



tank four feet high and about three feet in diameter, set up over 

 a brick fireplace with a stovepipe smoke stack. Such an outfit 

 will cost about fifteen to twenty dollars. Often an old iron boiler 

 can be found that will answer the purpose. A galvanized iron 

 tank has usually too thin a bottom to set up over an open fire. 

 Such a tank, however, can be utilized and heated by means of a 

 three-inch U tube. In this case, since the creosote is very inflam- 

 able, it should be shielded from the open fire. In either case, a 

 false bottom should be Dlaced in the tank for the posts to rest 

 upon. 



Preparatio7i of the posts for treatment. — The posts should be 

 thoroughly seasoned before treatment, as the presence of much 

 water in the wood tends to prevent the entrance of the creosote. 

 Ordinarily, posts loosely piled will season sufficiently in from 

 five to seven weeks. All the bark should be removed, especially 

 the papery inner bark, as it prevents the creosote from entering 

 the wood. Usually only about forty inches of the lower end of 

 the post is treated. This will bring the treated portion of the 

 post six to eight inches above the surface of the ground when the 

 posts are set. It is at the surface of the ground where the 

 fastest decay takes place. Unless the wood is very perishable, it 

 is not usual to treat the tops of the posts, but it can be easily 

 done by inverting the post in the tank after one end has been 

 treated. Merely dipping the tops in the hot creosote will have a 

 favorable effect. When the tops are not to be treated, it is well 

 to cut them oif obliquely, so as to shed the rain. 



Where posts are to be given a preservative treatment, it is 

 possible to select a much smaller post than is generally used. 

 Large posts are selected for fence posts, because they will last 

 longer than small ones before decay sets in. A fence post of five 

 inches average diameter is large enough and strong enough for 

 the line posts, and is the best size for the preservative treatment. 

 Round posts are preferable to split posts, because hardwood, 

 except in the cases of cottonwood and sycamore, does not absorb 

 the creosote readily. 



Carrymg out the treatment in a single tank. — Creosote which 

 at ordinary temperature is not a liquid, should be heated in the 

 tank to about 220 degrees F., or just above the boiling point. 

 A higher temperature will tend to weaken the wood and a 

 large amount of the creosote will be evaporated. The tank 

 should then be filled with fence posts. Sufficient creosote should 

 be used to cover at least the lower forty inches of the posts. 

 After heating for a couple of hours, the fire should be withdrawn 



