MIXHANICAL Tl^SlS MADE AT WASHINGTON^ UNIVHRSITY 



ST. LOUIS. !lO 



HSTING LABORATORY, 



Writtou by Prof. J. I(. John.son (reiiriiiti-d with corrections from liiillctiu 6) 



SAWING, STOltlNtx, AND SEASONING. 



On arrival of the logs iu St. Louis they were, sent to a sawmill and cut into sticks, as shown 

 in Figs^ 1 to i. 



In all cases tlie arrangements shown in Figs. 1 and 2 were used, except when a detailed study 

 of the tind)er iu all parts of the cross-section of the log was intended. A few of the ino.st perfect 

 logs of each species were cut up into small sticks, as shown iu Figs. 3 and 1. The l(jgs tested for 

 determining the effects of extracting the turi)entine from the Southern pitch ])ines were all cut 

 into small sticks. 



In all cases a " small stick" is nominally 4 inches square, l)ut when dressed down for testing 

 may be as small as Si inches square. The "large sticks" vary from by 12 to 8 by 1(5 inches in 

 cross-secti<in. 



All logs varied from V2 to 18 feet in length. They all had a north and south diametral line, 

 together with the number of the tree and of the log plainly marked on their larger or lower ends. 



The stenciled lines for sawing were adjusted to this nortli and .soutli line, as shown in the figures. 

 Each space was then l)randed by deei> dies with three nund)ers, as for instance thus: -', which 



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signifies that this stick was number 4, in log .;, of tree 25. A facsimile of the stenciling was re ' 

 corded in the log book, and the sticks there minibcred to correspond with tlie numbering on the 

 logs: After sawing, each stick can be identilied and its exact origin determined. These three 

 numbers, then, become the identification marks for all specimens cut from this stick, and they 

 acconqiany the results of tests in all the records. 



After sawing, the timbers were stored in the laboiatory until they were tested. The "green 

 tests" were made usually within two months after sawing, while the "dry tests" were made at 

 various subse(iuent tim(>s. One end (<!<) inches) of each small stick was tested green, and the 

 other end reserved and tested after seasoning. The seasoning was hastened iu some cases by 



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