Determining Time Timber Was Cut. 405 



The amount of mineral substances, however, is still more subject 

 to variation than organic substances. The mineral composition 

 of the soil has a decided influence upon the amount of mineral 

 substances contained in a tree. Fliche and Grandeau have dem- 

 onstrated that a difference in the amount of ashes in the wood 

 of different trees of the same species may amount to one per cent., 

 while the difference in the amount of the individual components 

 of the ashes may often be as high as 16 per cent. 



In the following table are brought together results obtained by 

 a chemical analysis of the amount of ashes and the per cent, of 

 their soluble and insoluble components for ten samples of pine 

 wood cut at different seasons of the year. The time of cutting 

 of each sample was accurately determined beforehand:* 



No. of Total Per cent, of insoluble Time of cutting Actual time 

 Sample, per cent, and soluble portions, as indicated by of cutting, 

 of ashes. Insoluble. Soluble, chemical analysis. 



If sample No. 1, which contains the largest amount of ashes 

 and the largest per cent, of mineral substances insoluble in water, 

 be accepted as typical for wood cut in summer, then samples 3 

 and 4 must also be put in the same group, although as a matter of 

 fact they were cut in winter. If sample No. 6, which contains a 

 comparatively small amount of ashes and a comparatively large 

 amount of soluble mineral substances, be taken as typical for 

 wood cut in winter, then samples 2 and 7 must also be placed 

 in the same category, which, however, is contrary to the facts. 

 These results, therefore, clearly show that no dependence can 

 be placed upon these chemical methods of determining the time 

 of the year when a tree is cut. 



* P. I. Rashevsky, An Accurate Method of Determining the Time of 

 Cutting of Felled Trees (in Russian). Warsaw, 1897. 



26 



