FARM TIMBER

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 28 November 1938, Page 5

FARM TIMBER

FENCING PROBLEMS CORRECT METHODS OF HANDLING MACROCARPA SHELTER BELT VALUE If, as it is said, “we never miss the water until the well runs dry,” many of the older generation must now look back with regret to the “good old days” when fencing timber was to be found in profusion almost along the line of the fence itself. These days are fast vanishing with New Zealand’s native bush. The puriri arid the broadleaf are all but exhausted, and the totara, even now scarce, is year by year becoming increasingly expensive. Soon its price must prohibit its use for general fencing purposes. For most farmers the fencing problem, already difficult, is now becoming acute, and the day of the substitute cannot be far distant. Reinforced concrete posts or iron standards are expensive, and though the development of the electric fence may ease the problem to some extent, fortunate is the man whose farm can show a belt of well-grown macrocarpa trees. Originally planted on many farms as windbreaks or shelter-belts, this quick grower soon becomes a giant, and while a few of them will continue to serve a useful purpose in providing shade, too mr.ny mature trees may result in a waste of valuable ground. Dealing with this subject in the Journal of Agriculture, Mr P. S. Syme, Instructor in Agriculture at Warkworth, states that although in no way comparable to totara for durability, macrocarpa posts and strainers can still compete if produced by farm labour from farm timber, as their low cost compensates to some extent for their inferior lasting qualities. In addition to providing useful fencing material, wellgrown trees will also supply a wealth of excellent fuel from the bent or twisted wood and the smaller side branches. CORRECT HANDLING If such timber is to be exploited economically, however, it must be expeditiously handled, and this can only be oone if the work is performed methodically and free use is made of laboursaving appliances. In felling a tree a scarf is first cut on the side to which the tree is to fall, and the cut is then completed by means of the saw working from the opposite side. Before proceeding to cut the tree into lengths a careful examination should be made in order to decide how the timber can be utilised to best advantage with a view to providing the maximum number of gale-posts, strainers, stays, posts, and battens. When this has been decided the sections can be sawn at the appropriate places, wedges being used where necessary to ease the passage of the saw. The saw should be fitted with a detachable handle, as withdrawal sometimes presents difficulty when working heavy timber. Macrocarpa can be easily split provided the grain is straight, and it is usual to bore a single charge hole near the middle of the log down to its centre, using a l*in auger. The quantity of blasting-powder should be proportioned to the size and toughness of the log—if too much is used excessive shattering may result in damaging and wasting timber. The amount of powder and the best place to lay the charge can best be learned by experience. PLACING THE FUSE When a charge of powder has been

poured into the hole a length of fuse is carefully tamped by driving in a wad of paper and following this with dry earth or sand. The tamping stick and mallet should be gradually packed by introducing small quantities of earth and tamping alternately, care being taken not to use excessive force, particularly in the early stages of the operation. Before the fuse is lighted the end should be split to expose the powder. The fuse burns at the rate of about 2ft per minute, so that an ample margin should be allowed for safety. When the explosion occurs the splinters are mostly thrown out at right angles to the section rather than towards the ends, and this should be kept in mind when taking shelter. LIFE OF FARM-GROWN TIMBERS Some care is necessary in deciding the best direction of split in order to split the wood cleanly and at the same time get the most out of the section. Usually the timber will split eascier if the wedges are inserted at the thin end and “down” the tree. There is considerable difference of opinion among farmers regarding the effective life of farm-grown fencingtimbers. For macrocarpa this is variously given as from five to twenty years or mo: ?, but much depends on the quality of the wood and whether or not it has been properly seasoned before being used. Soft sap-wood at its best is of little value for any but temporary fences, but well-seasoned heart-wood will last sufficiently long to justify its use even for permanent fences. SKIM MILK PAINT Skim-milk makes quite an inexpensive and enduring paint. It is made as follows: Stir into one gallon of skimmilk about 31b of Portland cement, and then add colouring desired. It is necessary to stir the mixture frequently. Six hours after using, this paint will be as immovable and unaffected by water as month-old paint. EGG SHELLS—HIGHLY NUTRITIOUS A Washington (U.S.A.) professor states that the shell of the egg is highly nutritious. Large quantities of calcium, a chemical needed for building bones, is wasted because no way has yet been discovered of making the shell palatable.