This paper consists of 3 contributions First: There are still people who consider wood poles a disposable commodity much the same as paper cups and toilet paper. The idea of conservation is still new in this field, but soon conservation will be a necessity. Only two percent of the forest recources of North America are being replaced. What does it mean? We will run out of poles a lot sooner than oil. Wood poles are a renewable resource, but not in our lifetime. It takes more than 50 years for a tree to grow to pole size. Second: A new high speed labour saving system has been developed for applying, without excavation, pentachlorophenol preservative grease from 4 inches above to 14 inches below the groundline of standing wood poles. This equipment utilizes preservative grease under pressures of up to 3,000 psi as the hydraulic medium to drive, with a 7,000-pound force, a perforated spade into the soil surrounding a pole and deposit preservative in contact with the pole. Ontario Hydro experience with 47 of these machines over six years is detailed. Third: Current groundline treatment techniques employed by Ontario Hydro using a 10 percent pentachlorophenol gel will produce in creosoted or PCP-oil treated pine poles, pentachlorophenol retentions which exceed the toximetric threshold by 2-5 times after 8 years exposure. There is no significant difference in the results obtained by either the spade or bandage procedures.

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