42 



trees with few supports to withstand heavy winds. They are blown 

 down and become a prey to fires which pass over that land again. 

 Or the fire may burn away the bark of a tree, girdling it and leaving 

 it standing a prey to injurious insects which are thus invited to and 

 lostered in starting a breeding colony in these dying trees. Finally, 

 finding no living tissue to feed upon, these insects go at once to the 

 broken branch, or scarred trunk of a living tree, and proceed to start 

 their work of destruction. 



These two types of fire-killed trees we have to deal with largely 

 on the reserves in this State. A method to dispose of them must be 

 found. Standing or lying, they are a detriment to young growth, 

 both by crowding and because of fire menace. 



In the w ork of the U. S. Forest Service, it has been proved by many 

 strength tests that fire-killed timber, for instance white pine, or fir, 

 (Cir. No. 113, U. S. F. S. ) is about twice as strong as green white 

 fir; and that it is 9-10 as strong as kilndried timber where it has 

 received the same treatment. 



So there should be no hesitation in offering fire-killed timber as 

 .second-class lumber, and also as timber ready for preservative pro- 

 cess. As the moisture has evaporated, there is no watery sap to act 

 as a mechanical barrier to the entrance of the preservative. Green 

 or unseasoned timber must be piled for several weeks before it is in 

 proper condition for treatment, else it has to be subjected to several 

 processes to season it artificially. Artificial seasoning is expensive 

 and is liable to reduce the strength of the timber; therefore, sound 

 fire-killed timber is really more valuable for preservative purposes 

 than green. The dead timber being perfectly seasoned is more easily 

 handled and cheaper to ship. Making the larger material salable for 

 mining timbers, railroad ties, telephone poles, dimension stuff, and 

 posts, which have a ready sale in our State, results in a double 

 economy, the prevention of waste, and the saving of more valuable 

 material for better uses. 



The principal defect of fire-killed timber is check. This appears 

 soon after the death of the tree, and apparently does not increase 

 later. To prevent decay on the surface, fire-killed timber should be 

 barked soon after it is killed. If the bark has been left on, the sap- 

 wood will be found somewhat decayed. Most of the conifers, and 

 some hardwoods, will last a long time, if not lying flat on the ground. 



In the west, especially in Colorado, where the mines of one city 

 alone, Leadville, (Cir. No. 113, U. S. F. S) use each month 350 M.ft. 

 B. M. of fire-killed timber for mine props, fire-killed timber is de- 

 cidedly preferred to green timber because it is perfectly seasoned and 

 light In Denver, fire-killed timber has been used for a number of 

 years for boxes and crates with excellent results, being odorless and 

 not liable to shrink or warp. 



