THE DECAY OF TIES IN STORAGE* 

 By C. J. Humphrey 



Pathologist, Bureau of Plant Industry, in Co-operation with the Forest 

 Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin. 



The present paper was prepared at the request of your association 

 for an article dealing in as simple terms as possible with the more 

 common fungi which attack ties in storage. As the fungi concerned 

 in the decay of such timbers vary to a considerable extent with the 

 region and also the kinds^of wood under consideration, a paper cover- 

 ing the situation in any comprehensive manner would necessarily be 

 quite extensive, and would involve a careful study over the entire coun- 

 try. For this reason it was considered advisable by the writer to limit 

 the discussion to those fungi commonly found on hardwood and pine 

 ties throughout the centralf United States. 



Several tie yards at Metropolis and Joppa, 111., were selected as 

 representative of this region. Ties are concentrated at these points in 

 large numbers, coming in by rail or water from a wide tributary area. 

 Upon arrival these ties are sorted and air seasoned and the obviously 

 defective ones culled. These culls, running up into the hundreds of 

 thousands, offered a very favorable field for study, as a large propor- 

 tion had been culled for decay, much of which had developed before 

 the ties reached the yards. 



In the production of ties it is customary to yard them first locally 

 near the point of cutting. Since many are rafted they are preferably 

 yarded near the rivers, from which they can be reached at high water. 

 Storage conditions at these local concentration points are usually very 

 poor, and no particular care is taken to safeguard the stock from decay, 

 hence many ties have to be rejected at these points by the buyers. Many 

 others, however, find their way to the permanent yards, and when in- 

 fected with fungi continue to deteriorate until fully air dried. It is 

 only within comparatively recent years that the producers have even 

 considered the use of many timber species known to be very susceptible 

 to rot. At the present time, however, almost all species known to the 

 local flora are acceptable if they otherwise conform to specifications. 

 This has led to serious loss from decay, much of which is preventable. 



In order to present the broader aspects of decay control I will 

 digress at this point to indicate the fundamental factors involved in 



* Acknowledgments. My thanks are due to Dr. C. I*. Shear. Bureau of 

 Plant Industry, Washington, D. C, for determination of the species of Hypoxylon, 

 Daldinia, Hypocrea and Lasiosphaeria; to Dr. E. M. Gilbert, University of Wis- 

 consin, for identification of Exidia glandulosa; and to Jennie M. Pitman, University 

 of Wisconsin, for the coloring of the plates herein included. I wish also to express 

 my appreciation to A. R. Joyce and others at Metropolis, 111., for their many 

 courtesies and assistance which made the study possible. 



t Since the paper was originally prepared I have received request for another 

 plate covering a few additional fungi most likely to be found on ties in ,the 

 northern United States. Plate VIII has been included for this reason. Many of 

 the fungi recorded for the more southern region, however, will likewise be found 

 in the north. 



3 



