SAP-STAIN, MOLD, AND DECAY IN GREEN WOOD. 45 



Table II. — Condition of the spokes in car No. 2 upon arrival at its destination. 



Location in car. 



Material. 



Antiseptic. 



Condition. 



Percent- 

 age 



molded 



(based 

 on 840 

 spokes 



per rick). 



Ricks in the end of 

 the car contain- 

 ing treated spokes: 

 First rick 



White oak. . 



....do 



■ Red oak .... 



...do 



....do 



....do 



.do 



Untreated 



147 moldy; a few sap-stained 

 1 moldy 



17.5 





A few imtreated layers at top 

 Remaining layers borax, 5 



percent. 

 Top layers borax, 5 per cent . 

 Middle layers lime ... 



.1 



Second rick 



07 moldy; many sap-stained. 



7 moldy ; many sap-stained . . 

 4 moldy ; some sap-stained. . . 

 Spokes very dark in color. 

 3 4 moldy ; some sap-stained . . 

 300 moldy ; many with Pen- 



icilliuminallpartsofrick, 



badly damaged. 

 330 moldy; much sap-stain . . 

 292 moldy; much sap-stain . . 



No mold; no sap-stain. .: 



8 7 moldy ; many sap-stained; 

 3 1 2 moldy : many sap-stained 

 Not examined. . . 



7.9 



.8 

 .4 





Bottom layer salt 



4.0 



Fourth rick . . . 



Salt 



35. 7 



Fifth rick .... 



White oak . . 

 do. . 



Untreated 



39.3 



Sixthrick 



.do.. 



34.8 



Ricks in the door- 

 way and in the 

 opposite end of 

 the car: 



do.. 



do.. .. 







First rick . . 



do 



.do 



10.4 





.. ..do 



do 



37.1 



Third to sixth 



do. . 



do. . 





ricks. 











The proportion of infected spokes, based on the total number in 

 the different lots in the end of the car containing these spokes, is : 



Untreated 29 per cent moldy. 



Salted 32. 3 per cent moldy. 



Borax (treated) 7. 3 per cent moldy. 



Lime (treated) 1. 3 per cent moldy. 



These figures can by no means be used as a basis for an exact com- 

 parison of the values of the three preservatives. The location of the 

 ricks in the car introduces another and very important factor. To 

 note whether the hygroscopic property of the salt had a tendency to 

 affect the humidity in the end of the car in which the salted spokes 

 were stacked, thus influencing, perhaps, the amount of molding in 

 adjacent lots, it was decided to observe the unloading of the spokes 

 in the opposite end of the car. After two ricks had been unloaded, 

 however, it became evident that this was not the case, as conditions 

 in that end were practically the same as in the first. From the data 

 derived, at least from this lot, given in Table II, it would seem that 

 salt when applied dry to green spokes is of little value in controlling 

 either sap-stain or mold. Lime, though effective in preventing both 

 mold and sap-stain, yet because of its darkening effect on the wood 

 and its tendency to form calcium carbonate, which cases over the 

 surface and is said to dull the knives used in subsequent processes of 

 manufacture, is debarred from further consideration. Borax, how- 

 ever, with 7.3 per cent moldy spokes, seems to be somewhat effective 

 against mold, but of less value in controlling sap-stain. 



