WOODS AND PLANTATIONS. 427 



to a pressure varying from one hundred to two hundred Ib. per square inch, 

 for about ten or twelve hours. This is done in large iron tanks, and from 

 ten to twelve Ib. of the oil is thus pressed into each cubic foot of the 

 timber. The cost of creosoting amounts to about 4d. per cubic foot. 



The creosoting of railway-sleepers has of late years been generally 

 adopted by railway companies in this country with more or less success. 

 It is found that sleepers impregnated with dead oil decay much faster 

 on lines where there is a large amount of traffic, but that on those 

 railways where the traffic is limited the sleepers last longer. This 

 may account for some of the railway surface superintendents affirming 

 that creosoting is not of great value. I can only account for this 

 peculiarity in the decay of the sleepers by considering that the frequent 

 shaking on those lines where the traffic is large will tend to split and open 

 out the fibres of the timber in the sleepers, and thus admit the action of 

 the atmosphere upon them, and cause their decay sooner. There is also 

 very good reason to think that the state of the timber previous to its 

 being creosoted has much to do in its after preservation ; for example, 

 timber creosoted in a green state cannot take in the oil so effectually as 

 that which has been previously properly seasoned. 



From my own observations I am able to affirm that, if timber be 

 properly seasoned previous to being creosoted, this system is well worth 

 adopting. The odour of creosote is not pleasant when used on wood- 

 work about dwellings, or near to them ; but when used on fencing, 

 sleepers, bridges, &c., it is found very efficient. 



Some years ago 1 purchased a quantity of creosoted fencing from 

 Messrs Lauder & Mellenby of West Hartlepool, a few posts of which 

 we lifted some time ago, and found them quite as good as when they were 

 first inserted in the soil. 



All conditions being equal, the most resinous timbers resist decom- 

 position the longest ; also the older and more compact the grain of the 

 timber, the longer it will last when exposed to atmospheric influences : 

 therefore, in the first case, pine and larch timber lasts longer than non- 

 resinous trees. The old Scots pine-trees in the Scotch forests of Bal- 

 lochbuie, Abernethy, Duthill, and Kothiemurchus many of which are 

 three hundred years old are quite full of resin so much so, that 

 pieces of them will burn like a candle, and are used by the natives as 

 such. I have known fencing made of this old pine which has lasted 

 thirty years. 



An experiment is now being tried on one of the railways in the 

 north of Scotland to test the qualities of sleepers made from the 

 pine timber from the forest of Ballochbuie, the property of Colonel 

 Farquharson, and sleepers made of foreign timber and creosoted. The 



