Periodical Literature. 



297 



lachrymans, but the evidence is very doubtful. After a discus- 

 sion of the need for close-grained, properly seasoned, resinous 

 pine, or, in case of inferior timbers, of a suitable preservative 

 treatment, in important structures, the writer's conclude with the 

 statement that the increasing prevalence of "dry rot" in England, 

 Germany and America is probably due to the increasing use of 

 poorer lumber. 



Rapid Destruction of Timber Beams from Dry Rot. Eng. News, 191 1. 

 66:727-729, figs. 1-4. 21 D. 



Dry Rot the Cause of Collapse of a Factory Building during a Fire. 

 Eng. News, 1909. 62:620-621, figs. 1-3. 2 D. 



Under the name 'Kulba' a new patented 

 New preservative material is being introduced in 



Preservative. Germany. It is a solution of sodium zincate. 

 Hitherto alkaline solutions were tabooed as 

 destroying the wood fiber, but this material contains besides the 

 zinc, an excess of free alkali. It reacts neutral and does not at- 

 tack the wood fiber. 



Apparently the albuminoids of the wood cells act as protective 

 colloid which prevents the sedimentation of the zinc-oxide, while 

 the alkaline zinc solution kills the living cells of the fungus. 



The material is colorless, non-poisonous and non-odorous, and, 

 moreover, is very much cheaper than any of the other preserva- 

 tives and claimed to be more effective, the cost of Kulba com- 

 paring with zinc chlorate as 1.14:18. It may also be used as an 

 insecticide, and reduces inflammability of wood. 



It is manufactured by Hartman and Schwerdtner at Gross- 

 schonau. Saxony. 

 Bin neues Holzschutzmittel. Holzkaufer. April, 191 1. 



MENSURATION, FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT. 



Dr. Dock points out that in accurate sur- 

 New veys the use of short measures like chain 



Line and steel tape gives rise to various errors 



Measure. on account of the necessity of applying them 



frequently on long lines, on account of kink- 

 ing, changes of length due to temperature difficulty of straighten- 

 ing and other accidents due to topography. To overcome this a 



