12 BULLETIN 1208, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
developing on it and by direct contact which permits the mycelium 
to grow from one stick to another. Bark debris (PI. VIII, Fig. 2) 
and fragments of rotten wood on the ground form an excellent bed 
for the growth of fungi, since the mass is usually in a moist condition. 
The wood which is in too bad condition for pulp should be burned, 
and noticeably infected wood which is still usable should be segre- 
gated and utilized as soon as possible and not mixed in piles with 
with sound material. 
In order to insure better surface drainage (PI. VIII, fig. 3) and 
greater cleanliness, it is advisable to surface yards with cinders 
(PI. VIII, fig. 4) to a depth of 4 to 6 inches. Incidentally, this will 
keep down the grass and weeds which impede air circulation around 
the base of piles. 
At most mills the cleaning-upprogram must be carried out grad- 
ually as opportunity permits. Where debris has been accumulating 
for a number of years the task will call for concerted and special 
effort. In some cases it may even prove advisable to change the 
location of the yard rather than attempt to put it in satisfactory 
condition. This would apply particularly to low yards where large 
amounts of filling are required 
Every yard should be sufficiently drained to insure immediate 
run-off after rains. Earth is much better for filling than barker 
waste or other woody debris, which if not kept saturated with ground 
water will soon rot and furnish an uneven and unstable foundation 
for the piles. In any case the yard should be heavily cindered. 
One Wisconsin mill employs a clean-up crew to look after the 
general sanitary condition of the yard. At least one or two men are 
continually at work digging out weeds and grass (PI. VIII, fig. 4), 
raking up bark debris, etc. The wood yard at this mill is well drained 
and is surfaced with cinders, and there is no appreciable loss from de- 
cay during the storage period which is usually not longer than two 
years. This condition shows quite conclusively the advantages to be 
derived from a good location and attention to sanitary details. 
Spraying the ground beneath piles with a "weak tannic acid 
solution " (19) or any other antiseptic, is not recommended. Tannic 
acid is not an effective fungicide, and treatment with an effective 
antiseptic is too expensive in proportion to the benefits derived. 
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS 
It is believed that if the recommendations just given are consist- 
ently followed, losses in stored wood can be for the most part pre- 
vented. The big outstanding fact is that present conditions, wherever 
they favor fungous attack, must be corrected before mills can hope 
to eliminate deterioration from these causes. The extent of loss 
in the wood yard has never been fully realized. All other operations 
about the mill are closely scrutinized, and are corrected wherever 
losses are exposed. Why except the wood yard? It may require 
expert assistance to get the best results, but once the system gets 
under way it becomes largely a question of close attention to detail. 
Money will have to be spent, just as it must be spent in the replace- 
ment of old machines with more modern ones in order to meet close 
industrial competition. Taking as a very conservative estimate a 
shrinkage in value of $1 to $1.50 per cord for wood cut one and one- 
