Public Opinion BORER IN TIMBER

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 107, 8 May 1934, Page 4

Public Opinion

BORER IN TIMBER

Sir, —Every now and then there is an article in the papers concerning the destruction of buildings in New Zealand by the woodborer. Having studied the question for more than fifty years, 1 have ample proof that when timber is felled at the wrong season it is of no use for permanent building whatever unless wholly immersed in some preservatives alter cutting to required lengths. It is the sap of the tree that is the food of the borer and, of course, the more sap in the wood the sooner the borer attacks the wood. As an instance of white pine. In a boundary fence my neighbour renewed his battens three times while my white pine battens were on. As there are no milling laws in New Zealand, the majority of milling wood is felled in the summer months and therefore of no use for permanent building. There is a lot of wood coming from Australia and there is supposed to be careful inspection over there before coming to New Zealand. 1 have seen hardwood sleepers for the permanent railways just riddled with the little round hole and am sure that a man would not count the holes in one sleeper in two days. It is an absolute farce to s:iy that there is competent inspection in. Australia of any wood coming to New Zealand. Some of the hardwood telegraph and telephone poles have the sapwood riddled with a borer. Birds are very useful in killing insects, but as the most timber is felled during the summer and the wood boring insects have such a lovely feeding ground, there is no hope of the birds keeping the borers down, as the summer has its

own season for producing millions oi' non-wood-bo ring insects and we have no migratory birds to help the New Zealand birds. In your paper of 24th inst. it is mentioned that trees of under 30 yeais, when cut, wer<y the breeding ground of the borer, but from’ my experience of the growth of New Zealand trees they are too smail for milling at 30 years. The whole secret of good wood is to have it from country with a rock, stone or good heavy clay subsoil and felled when the sap is down, because if the minerals are not in the soil tho timber is not durable. From my experience cf New Zealand woods 1 am positive that felling timber trees in the summer and putting it through a kiln-drying process docs nut improve its resistance to the borers. It is a case of “where ignorance is bliss it is folly to be wise” And simply a case of loobng the people. Air Dingwall, in his lecture, says to remove any boards attacked by tho borer. Now, he must know that most of the New Zealand houses arc lined with scrim and paper, so what chance has the owner of knowing what is behind the scrim and paper until . irreparable damage is dune? How about removing studs, ceiling joists and flooring joists? What is going to be a very heavy loss in New Zealand is the money lent on working men’s houses simply through the timber being felled when the sap is up. A\ lion the sap is dried in the wood the borer is, sure as the i sun shines, going to destroy the house in a few years. Yours sincerly, “ R. A. MONTGOMERIE. Taukoro, May 4.