THE PRODUCTS OF THE WOODLOT 149 



owner should have in mind the grades and sizes of ties for 

 which there is a market in his region and manufacture them 

 accordingly. Formerly only hard, durable woods were used 

 for ties, such as white oak, locust, etc. Owing to the growing 

 scarcity of the more durable woods many other kinds of woods 

 are in demand. The process of treating wood with creosote 

 to prolong its life in contact with the ground has made possible 

 the use of many perishable woods for ties, such as hard maple, 

 beech and birch. 



It may be possible, owing to the location of the woodlot 

 or the market, that logs made into ties will yield far more 

 than when sa,wed into lumber. Such facts can be determined 

 only by careful investigation of the conditions. The aim 

 should be in cutting the trees in the woodlot for sale to manu- 

 facture the products that will yield the greatest profit. 



Fence Posts. — Fence posts are cut in different lengths ac- 

 cording to the demands of the user. The standard post is 7 

 feet long. The size around will vary often with the use. Line 

 posts, for example, need not be as strong as corner posts. 

 Usually larger posts are in demand for it is believed that 

 they will last longer in the ground before rotting off. Posts 

 should be large enough so that they will have sufficient heart- 

 wood to furnish the strength desired when the sapwood 

 decays, for the sapwood of all kinds of posts will decay 

 quickly. 



Many kinds of woods are used for fence posts. The 

 length of life of posts will depend primarily on the durability 

 of the wood. Some kinds of posts will last but two or three 

 years in the ground before rotting off, such as hickory, soft 

 maple and birch, while others will last many times as long, 

 as locust, cedar and chestnut. The more durable the wood 

 the greater the value of the posts. By giving fence posts a 

 preservative treatment with creosote the most perishable woods 

 can be made to last many times as long as they ordinarily 

 would. This process is described in a subsequent chapter. 

 Posts should not be left lying on the ground after being cut, 



