The concept that pre-treatment decay can cause wide variation in the treatability of wood and especially wood poles has caused much discussion and debate in wood preservation circles. Yet it seem only logical that if decay has effected the strength characteristics of the wood and caused a differential moisture content in the wood the treatment of the end product will be highly variable and the longevity of the product will be unpredictable. Quite simply the one proven solution to the problem seems to be to artificially season the wood, usually by kiln drying, prior to treatment. This paper briefly reviews 1984 observations of the success of one treating operation in the Republic of South Africa in reducing the deterioration found during proof loading of all the poles produced. A literature survey is included to review the research accomplished to date to show that the results are truly valid. It is hoped that this paper will serve as a literature reference to other researchers in this subject and that they will contribute their findings to the work of the working group on pre-treatment decay in wood.

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