96 BULLETIN 1136, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
of the pile will of course equal the length of the stock. Low grades 
of softwoods, especially in narrow widths, are often self-stickered. 
Spaces between adjacent piles should be ample— feet if possible— 
and spaces between rows of piles should average 8 feet or more; main 
alleys should be about 16 feet wide. 
Stickers should be of clear, dry stock, entirely free from both 
stain and decay, not less than Wie -inch thick, and from 114 inches wide 
or more for hardwoods to 4 inches or less for softwoods. They must 
all be of the same thickness. The spacing between rows of stick- 
ers will vary from 2 feet minimum, for green hardwoods such as red 
eum, to 6 or 8 feet maximum, for softwoods. Under most condi- 
tions, 8 feet will be found too wide a spacing even for softwoods. 
Front and rear stickers should project an inch or so beyond the 
ends of the boards. 
The piles should pitch forward about 1 inch in 12 inches and should 
slope downward toward the rear the same degree. 
Roofs for lumber piles, which ordinarily are made of common 
grades of lumber, must provide protection from sun and rain; such 
roofs often are used repeatedly but in some instances are disposed 
of after they have been used a few times. They should be made 
of two overlapping layers of boards, should project at least a foot on 
all sides of the pile, and may if desired be given a greater slope than 
the pile itself. This may be done by elevating them above the top 
of the pile 4 inches at the rear and 8 inches at the front. In windy 
localities they may have to be anchored to the pile. 
Spaces between boards in the same layer should usually be from 
2 to 4 inches. As far as possible, the corresponding spaces in suc- 
cessive layers should be in vertical alignment. In large piles a 
single central chimney or two or more side flues may be formed by 
the method of piling in order to hasten drying. The lower parts of 
piles usually dry more siowly than the upper parts, and it is often 
desirable to open up the lower portions to counteract this tendency. 
In general, overhanging ends of long boards should be avoided. 
To do this, when it is necessary to pile “boards of uneven length to- 
gether, they should be box piled, either exactly as described on page 
80 for kiln work or possibly with some slight modification of that 
method. In any event, both ends of each board must be supported, 
and no board should be placed on a sticker that is not itself supported 
by_a beard underneath it. 
If drying is too rapid, as evidenced by excessive checking, the 
circulation should be cut down by using thinner stickers, wider. piles, 
or narrower spaces between boards; by spacing the pues closer to- 
gether; or by a combination of these means. If drying is too slow, 
as evidenced by staining, the opposite course should be pursued. 
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