42 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN. 
the holes 6-8% was obtained. The soluble matter was 
precipitated from the 2% KOH solution with dilute HCl 
and dried at 100° C. 
Woop BETWEEN THE ROTTED AREAS. 
The wood between the holes is darker in color than 
the normal wood, but cannot be distinguished from it 
structurally. Numerous fungus threads pass through the 
walls or have punctured them in many places. Near the 
holes much of the humus compound occurs, and many of 
the pits show the peculiar arrangement of oil globules. 
The specific gravity of sound heart wood and that of the 
wood between the holes, was determined by weighing 
blocks and measuring them. As the plates of wood 
between the holes as a rule are but 4-3 inch wide, and 
the mass of wood not occupied by holes but } inch long, 
the pieces to be measured had to be rather small. To 
bring the two tests under similar conditions, the blocks 
from normal wood were made of similar size. The blocks 
were dried at 100° C. until approximately constant weight 
was reached. The specific gravity of sound wood was 
found to be .508; that of the other, .401. These figures 
are probably only relatively correct, but as each is the 
average of a number of blocks, they seem to show that 
even if no visible change has taken place in the wood 
between the holes, some change must have occurred, 
otherwise there would not have been so great a difference 
in specific gravity. Very pecky cypress planks which had 
been exposed in lumber yards for many years, were exam- 
ined. The powder and wood fibers which had filled the 
holes had been washed out and had left a smooth, even 
surface. The wood was to all intents and purposes very 
sound, and no change except numerous perforations in the 
walls, and the presence of much humus compound, could 
be detected. 
20 
