American forests (17961326669) - Public domain book illustration

Title: American forests
Identifier: americanforests20natiuoft (find matches)
Year: [1] (s)
Authors: National Irrigation Association (U. S. ); New Jersey Forestry Association; South Jersey Woodmen's Association; American Forestry Association
Subjects: Forests and forestry -- Periodicals
Publisher: Washington (etc. ) American Forestry Association (etc. )
Contributing Library: Earth Sciences - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN



Text Appearing Before Image:
WOOD VERSUS SOME OF ITS SUBSTITUTES 245
Text Appearing After Image:
Grove of Hardy Catalpa on Place of Mrs. F. W. Kruckman, 14 Years from Seed. Webster Co., Iowa. FENCE posts can STILL BE GROWN AT AN ECONOMIC ADVANTAGE AND WITH DECAY-RESISTING MATERIAL ARE CHEAPER .\ND EASIER TO HANDLE THAN ANY SUBSTITUTE. rough material in any other form. The introduction of various metal substi- tutes for lath threatens to restrict the market for the wood product, causing a waste of raw material at the mill. Another field in which wood formerly reigned supreme but which is now gradually being usurped by substitutes is that of fence posts. It is almost universally recognized that the wood fence post is the most satisfactory form of fence support, because of the ease with which it can be placed in position, and the fence material attached to it, and the facility with which fence repairs may be made. The comparatively short life of posts made from some spe- cies of trees, and the increasing cost of posts made from the more desirable species has led to the introduction of substitutes both of concrete and of steel. The greatest market for the substitutes has been and probably will continue to be in the great agricultural section of the Middle West which is largely devoid of forest areas from which fence posts may be secured in large quantities. The high cost of wooden posts shipped into the region from distant points makes the prairie States a lucrative field for the concrete or metal posts. The concrete post is probably the more popular with agriculturists since it can be made on the farm at a reasonable cost. It is believed, however, that the future development of farm forestry will increase the consumption of wooden posts since each farmer may devote a limited area to the production of such fence posts as he requires from fast grow- ing species which are capable of treat- ment with chemical preservatives at a reasonable cost. For a great many years millions of feet of lumber were annually constimed in the construction and repair of side- walks in the smaller cities and in the villages of the country. The first com- petitor of wood for walks was the brick, which made a more durable structure, but which had many unsatisfactory features after it had been laid for some