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Show IFIR0PR00F PAS TREES j Ecaver county residents are advised ad-vised to fireproof Christmas trees j this season so that fires will not ' interfere with holiday joys, accord-! accord-! ing to County Agent Hyrum Stef-I Stef-I fen. ! Trees can be made fire resistant through the use of ammonium sulfate, sul-fate, Mr. Steffen said. When the treatment is properly applied, a tree cannot be made to blaze even when exposed to a large flame. But a tree that has not absorbed enough solution miy be fire resi.il-ant resi.il-ant in the sense that it cannot be ipnited by a match or an electric spark, and yet may catch fire from a large flame near it. A method for fireproofing Christmas Christ-mas trees is described in leaflet No. 103, distributed free upon request re-quest by the U. S. Department of Agriculture. "Christmas trees are a serious fire hazard," the bulletin says. "The risk is especially great where a large tree is used at a public gathering gath-ering place, such as a school or church. "Fresher cut trees do not ignite easily because of the moisture,pres-ent, moisture,pres-ent, but the moisture soon evaporates evapor-ates and the tree becomes dry. When a tree is dry, it catches fire easily. This is epecially true of Christmas trees, becauro they contain con-tain substances that are-easily ignited. ig-nited. The Christmas tree can be made practically fireproof, however, how-ever, by replacing the moisture with a fire-resistant substance." The bulletin described a method for making Christmas trees fire-resistant as follows: (1) Weigh the tree and divide the weight in pounds of ammonium sulfate needed. (2) Place the ammonium sulfate in a jar or pail and dissolve in water, using 114 pints of water for each pound of ammonium sulfate. sul-fate. A narrow-mouth container is preferable. (3) Just before treating, treat-ing, saw off the stem of the tree about an inch from the top, preferably prefer-ably at an oblique angle, or in a V shape. (4) Set the tree in the solution in a cool place, away from direct sunlight, and leave it there until most of the solution is absorbed. ab-sorbed. For best results, the treatment should be given at a moderate temperature, 55 degrees to 65 degrees Fahrenheit, before the tree is placed in a warm room, because be-cause the solution is not taken up satisfactorily when the atmosphere is warm and dry. Calcium chloride may be substituted substi-tuted for ammonium sulfate and it should be used in the same proportions propor-tions and in the.same way, the bulletin says. The bulletin cautions that while the methods given in the leaflet, if followed carefully, will reduce the fire hazards of Christmas trees, it should be borne in mind that no inexpensive method is known that will make a Christmas tree completely com-pletely fireproof. Then when a tree is made fire resistant by the methods described in the publication, publica-tion, lighted candles, matches and other open flames should be kept away from it. The degree of resistance of a treated tree depends upon the amount of solution taken up by the tree. If the greater part of the solution is taken up, the tree should have a high degree of fire resistance. resist-ance. Some stores now have fireproof cotton for sale, the bulletin states. But, if this cannot be obtained, cotton cot-ton may be made fireproof by the following simple method: Prepare a solution by dissolving seven ounces of borax, three ounces of bwic -oid lur.d m ounces eif poap powder in two quarts of hot water. Place the cotton on concrete floor or a surface which will not be injured in-jured by wetting and sprinkle with the solution while it is still warm. Directions for fireproofing curtains, cur-tains, clothes and simiar materials are given in Farmers Bulletin No. 1786, which may be obtained free from the U. S. Department of Agriculture. |
