Part IV.] K. S. Pearson: Antiseptic Treatment of Timber. 93 
\iv) Sleepers of Indian timbers creosoted at the instigation of 
Messrs. Millar’s Timber and Trading Corporation. 
The writer is indebted to the above firm for the following information. 
In 1911 Messrs. Millar’s Timber and Trading Corporation sent 6 sleepers 
•of Abies Pindrow (Silver fir), Picea Morinda (Spruce), Pinus longi- 
folia ( Chir ), and Pinus excelsa ( Kail) to England to be creosoted. 
The sleepers, after treatment, were returned to India and handed over 
to North-Western Eailway to be laid in the line. 
The report of the Engineer, who supervised the treatment on behalf 
of the firm, states that the creosote employed had a specific gravity 
1*070 to 1*076, 75 per cent, distilling over at 610°F., Tar acids 8—10 
per cent. The treatment consisted in subjecting the sleepers to a pres¬ 
sure of 95 lbs. per square inch, the temperature of the oil being maintained 
at 75°C. The results were as follows :— 
Species. 
Weight per 
cubic foot, 
untreated. 
Absorption, 2 
hours treatment, 
in lbs. per 
cubic foot. 
Absorption, 
6 hours treat¬ 
ment, in lbs. 
per cubic foot. 
lbs. 
lbs. 
lbs. 
•Silver fir 
• 
33-3 
2-54 
3-15 
Spruce 
• 
30-7 
1-58 
2-5 
Chir pine 
• 
47-2 
7-32 
8-47 
Blue pine 
• 
34-5 
101 
1*51 
On cutting open the sleepers, it was found that, at 6" and 18" from 
the ends, the penetration in the case of 4 Silver fir,’ ‘ Spruce ’ and 4 Blue 
pine’ was unsatisfactory and incomplete. The ‘Chir’ pine, however, 
showed good absorption, with the whole area impregnated at mid-length! 
The sleepers on being returned to India were laid in the line, and the 
latest information from inspection reports is given below :_ 
[ M3 ] 
