Wood Preserving Department 



By E. A. Sterling, 

 Ex-President American Wood Preservers' Association. 



IT SEEMS a far cry from automobiles to creosote 

 wood, but really there is a close connection. The 

 automobile revived and developed the movement for 

 better roads, and motorists will continue to support bet- 

 ter highway construction and maintenance. With the 

 building of modern roads, including county, State and 

 national, arose the problem of economical, safe and per- 

 manent highway bridges. It is here that the auto and 

 wood preservation are on common ground. 



The steel bridge on country roads has been common 

 for years. Of late the concrete bridge has appeared as a 

 link over streams and depressions. The steel bridge is 

 not giving the service anticipated because in so many 

 cases allowed to rust and deteriorate from lack of paint- 

 ing. The concrete bridge or trestle is expensive and unless 

 well constructed suffers from expansion and contraction 

 where temperature fluctuations are extreme. To meet 

 the demands of economy and permanence, with a mini- 

 mum of expense for upkeep, the creosoted timber highway 

 bridge is now receiving consideration. 



A more logical bridge or culvert material is not known. 

 Creosoted timber will not decay, has the necessary 

 strength, can be worked and handled easily, is not affected 

 by heat or freezing, does not buckle, dent or puncture, 

 does not need painting, and in every way is the ideal 

 material for highway bridges. Recognition is now being 

 given to these advantages, and helpful information which 

 will effect a big saving to taxpayers is being put into 

 the hands of highway engineers and road commissions. 

 The Southern Pine Association has issued an attractive 

 and instructive illustrated booklet on "Culverts and 

 Bridges of Service," and the National Lumber Manu- 

 facturers' Association has in preparation a general trea- 

 tise on the same subject by a well known State highway 

 engineer. 



Nor is the use of creosoted wood on highways confined 

 to bridges. It serves for the sluices and ditch protection, 

 holding embankments, and for the posts and fence ma- 

 terial along improved roads. All of this development is 

 a conservation measure, because it gives long life to the 

 timber used, utilizes local material in many cases and 

 gives a value to timber which it might not otherwise have. 



THE crisis in the creosote market caused by the 

 shutting off of imports has been mitigated to a 

 considerable extent. While the European war still 

 prevents creosote coming from Germany, Great Britain 

 has been supplying considerable quantites of creosote oil. 

 Another influence is the increased domestic output of 

 coal tar and while all is not yet distilled so as to produce 

 the by-product creosote, the home supply has increased 



not only temporarily, but probably permanently. An un- 

 expected development of recent months was the receipt 

 of cargoes of Japanese creosote on the Pacific Coast. It 

 was only a few years ago that several Japanese delega- 

 tions studied the creosote industry in America, but they 

 have already applied the knowledge gained by producing 

 creosote for our markets. 



PROGRESS that is slow is often none the less sure. 

 For many years creosoted fence posts have been 

 advocated because economical in themselves and 

 a means of utilizing quickly decaying local timber, which 

 otherwise would often be wasted. This is practical con- 

 servation. State agricultural colleges and the United 

 States Forest Service have consistently advocated creo- 

 soted fence posts and large numbers are in use. Large 

 consumers, such as railroads, have also used creosoted 

 posts, but only recently have they been put on the market 

 in a wholesale way. A big lumber company is now adver- 

 tising posts which are thoroughly creosoted and can be 

 depended upon for almost unlimited years of service. 

 This not only means an economical, permanent and easily 

 handled post for the consumer, but is another step in 

 utilizing all parts of the trees which are felled for lumber. 

 The waste through lack of markets for by-products is 

 thus gradually being reduced, and actual conservation of 

 our forests brought a step nearer. 



THE small consumers of lumber are not expected to 

 know the details of its best use. Part of the new 

 conception of lumber merchandising is to give the 

 user more facts and information on which to select and 

 properly use the wood he needs for home building pur- 

 poses. Not a small part of this is concerned with proper 

 preservative treatment. As an aid to this end a new 

 educational bulletin has just been issued by the National 

 Lumber Manufacturers' Association of Chicago on "The 

 Preservative Treatment of Farm Timbers." It is one of 

 a series of farm bulletins, treating in a broad educational 

 way the proper design and use of farm structures. 



AMUNICIPAL creosote wood block plant for De- 

 troit, Michigan, has been recommended by the 

 Mayor in his annual message to the Common 

 Council. 



THE Louisville & Nashville Railroad Company is re- 

 constructing its timber-treating plant at Gautier, 

 Mississippi. There will be three retorts, one 68 

 feet by 115 feet, one 6 feet by 133 feet 1 inch, and one 7 

 feet by 133 feet 1 inch. 



