RECENT INVESTIGATIONS IN REGARD TO QUALITY OF TIMBER, 291 
upon, knots may be largely or altogether avoided, whereas tests 
on the breaking, bending, flexibility, etc., of timber, necessitate 
the use of pieces of wood of such dimensions that the avoidance 
of knots is practically impossible. It is probably unnecessary to 
point out that pressure-resistances obtained with cubes selected 
with due regard to the avoidance of knots, will vary greatly from 
results that would be obtained with oblong blocks or beams, as, for 
instance, a pile or a pillar. But where the object is to compare 
the strength of different species of timber, or of timber grown 
under varying conditions, or taken from different parts of a stem, 
cubes selected on a definite system, such as that adopted by Prof. 
Schwappach, would appear to be best suited for the purpose. 
There is ample room for similar work on British timbers, and 
more particularly with the view of comparing their technical 
properties with those of imported timber ; but we shall probably 
have to wait some time for its execution. 
