Tests were initiated to investigate the influence of various factors on the decay rate in a "Fungus Cellar". Birch and pine stakes treated with chromated copper arsenate and didecyldimethyl ammronium chloride, as well as untreated control stakes, were incubated in two soils in a Fungus Cellar test and installed at two field sites for comparative purposes. The visual rating vs actual stake weight loss relationship was also studied. Preliminary results from the initial Fungus Cellar test indicated differences in decay rates between birch and pine and also between soils. The decay rate observed for pine stakes was generally lower than birch in both soils. The decay rate was greatly accelerated in a Michigan soil with birch and pine over that observed in a Florida soil. Soil type had less impact on the primary decay present in the stakes. Soft rot was the primary decay associated with treated wood in both soils, while soft rot, basidiomycete, or combinations of the two were frequently found in untreated wood. The range of weight loss vs visual rating relationship was similar between wood species, treatment, and soil type. Weight losses tended to "overlap" the visual ratings regardless of the decay type.

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