TIMBER STORAGE IN THE EASTERN AND SOUTHERN STATES. 29 



beyond the eaves (fig. 32). Very few sheds are equipped with gut- 

 ters (fig. 31), and the drip during rains may run back along the 

 projecting pieces well into the center of the piles. When once 

 wetted the close piles will retain this moisture for long periods, 

 during which a serious outbreak of decay may be initiated, 



A few cases of severe'outbreaks in retail lumber sheds will be de- 

 scribed and illustrated later. 



YARDS. 



On account of very limited storage space, nearly all retail yards 

 fail to observe the proper spacing of lumber to insure ample ventila- 

 tion. The general tendency is to pile altogether too close to the 

 ground for safety, and in many instances the lumber is not spaced 

 as well in the piles as 

 it should be (fig. 33). 

 The principal danger 

 lies in the foundations, 

 which are very often 

 seriously infected with 

 rot (fig. 34) or are not 

 adequately constructed 

 to insure proper venti- 

 lation. The danger in 

 allowing 1 u m b e r to 

 come in contact with 

 the soil is evident in 

 figure 35. As the ques- 

 tion of foundations in 

 mill yards was dis- 

 cussed in considerable 

 detail earlier in this 

 publication and since 

 the fundamental con- 

 siderations apply with 

 equal force to retail yards, only certain features which serve to 

 connect these fundamentals wdth the direct problems of the retail 

 yard will be added here. 



Many retail lumber yards use solid or latticed foundations of 

 built-up plank running parallel to the alleys (figs. 36 and 37) ; 

 others resort to wood blocking for the support of the skids. The 

 use of concrete is very limited, but has given complete satisfaction 

 wherever introduced. It is usually laid down as solid foundations 

 parallel to the alleys. In one yard at Birmingham, Ala., the founda- 

 tions were 8 to 10 inches high, 6 inches thick at the top, and placed in 

 triple parallel rows spaced 7 feet apart (fig. 38). The advantage of 

 reinforcing the concrete is well shown in figure 39. 



Fig. 30. — An old, dilapidated shed on the Mobile River 

 in which the lumber is too close to the ground. Many 

 severe cases of rot have developed under just such 

 conditions. 



