Show TIMBER DECAY COSTS MILLIONS MILI dONS millions of feet of or timber rind finished lumber rot every year in railroad ties bridges treaties trestles piles farm buildings fences fe aces poles and mine props the lumner consuming public of the united states pays perhaps thirty to forty million dollars a car to make good the losses from wood nood decay these great drains are a source of more and more concern each year chemists and engineers who have to do ith the uses of wood arc are working unceasingly on the problem the united states forest service has men who devote their whole time to it the importance of the problem cannot be overestimated millions of dollars arc are annually saved by preservative treatment of tim berv 0 but much yet remains to bo be learned wood decay is causer caused by fungus a vegetable growth sometimes so small that it can be seen only with the microscope its roots or branches like minute hairs hair force their way into the v tissues and absorb or cat away the solid parts the collapse which re results stilts is called deca decal timber is artificially preserved by forcing into its cells and pores certion substances gub arances which pr prevents cents the growth of fungi As long na ns this substance is I 1 present pre ent in sufficient quantity the germs of decay the threads and spores of fungus can not enter and the wood is iq preserved pres arved this thic often means doubling lingard and sometimes times trebling the life lire of or tho the timber the united states gohei ciment considers tile i investigations aves bigat ions of the pi estment ti of timber of such importance that the of the office ice of the tile united states forest service that of r bood preservation pie with new headquarters at madison alaon wi is agnen gil en over entirely to the tho work N ork of peri ments in operation cooperation co com companies pallies and other corporations and individuals in pio longing the life of railroad bics tics tic mine props bridge timbers fence force aft posts post sand and poles A i the lengthening of the life iti e of means tho the saving of 1 thousands of or dollars annually through doing away with the heavy expense of or lamorand lab labor orand and cost of material for renewals Wt fEL |