204 FARM FORESTRY 



be drawn and the posts left in the tank until cool. The posts 

 will then be treated. 



Two runs of posts can easily be treated in a day on the 

 farm without interfering with the regular work. The tank 

 can be filled with posts in the morning and a fire built that 

 will last about two or three hours before burning out. The 

 posts after being treated will cool down during the day and 

 by night will be treated. A new run of posts can be put in, 

 heated as before for two or three hours and allowed to cool 

 down over night. In cold weather the tank will cool down fast 

 enough to start a new run at noon. In this way three runs 

 of eight or ten posts each can be treated without much effort 

 every day. 



The Two-Tank Method. — Where a large number of posts 

 are to be treated the treatment can be given more quickly 

 and economically by using two tanks. The posts are heated 

 as before for several hours in hot creosote in the heating tank 

 and then immediately transferred to a second tank containing 

 cold creosote to cool for about an equal period. The result 

 will be the same as when only one tank is used. 



It is possible for farmers in the same region to cooperate 

 in the purchase of a fence post treating outfit, thus reducing 

 the initial cost. In this way larger equipment can be purchased 

 and the work handled in a more economical way. 



Length of Treatment. — The length of time necessary to 

 heat the posts in hot creosote and to cool them in cold creosote 

 to secure satisfactory penetration of the wood will vary with 

 different kinds of wood. Some woods absorb creosote readily 

 and are easily treated, while other woods require a long treat- 

 ment. In general posts should be heated for from four to five 

 hours in hot creosote and cooled an equal length of time. The 

 depth of penetration can be known by cutting into a treated 

 post. The more creosote a post absorbs and the deeper the 

 creosote penetrates into the wood the longer the post will 

 last, or, in other words, the longer the creosote will remain 



