*92] 
the least doubt but that there are 
large quantities of ground in almost 
every county in England capable of 
affording an equal produce. 
I have only to add an assurance, 
that the results of theforegoing ex- 
periments are correctly stated ; and 
that © 
* Tam, Sir, &c. 
Tuo. Ann. Kyient, 
Elton, Herefordshire, 
April 13, 1795. 
Se 
On the Dry-Rot in Timber; in a 
Letter from Robert Batson, Esq. 
of Lime-HHouse, to the Society for 
the Encouragement of Arts, Ma- 
nufactures and Commerce ; Srom 
whose Transactions it is extracted. 
YPXHE society for the encourage- 
ment of arts, manufactures, 
and commerce, continuing to offer 
a premium for discovering the cause 
of the dry-rotin timber, and disclo- 
singra certain method of prevention, 
T beg leave to lay before them an 
account of a method I have put in 
practice, and which, at present, 
appears to me to have fully suc- 
@ecded. 
The dry-rot baving taken place 
in one of my parlours, in such a 
Manner as to require the pulling 
down part of the’ wainscot every 
third year, and perceiving that it 
arose from a damp stagnated air, 
and from the moisture of the earth, 
I determined in the month of June, 
1783, to build a narrow closet next 
the wall through which the damp 
came to the parlour, which had the 
desired effect; but, though it put a 
total stop to the rot in the parlour, 
the evil soon appeared in the closet ; 
fungi of a yellow colour arose, toa 
great degree, in varioys parts of it, 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1795. 
In the autumn fof the year 1706, 
the closet was locked up about ten} 
weeks; on opening it, numerous 
fungi were observed about the low- 
er part of it, and a white mould 
was spread by a plant resembling @ 
vine or sea-weed, and the whole of 
the inside, China, &c. was covered 
with a fine powder of the colour of 
brick-dust. It being then cleaned 
out, I soon perceived (what indeed 
I di¢ not expect) that the evil. had. 
-impregnated the wood so far as to 
run through every shelf therein, 
and the brackets that supported | 
them ; it had also seized upon, and 
destroyed, a moveable board for 
breaking sugar on. I therefore, in 
the beginning of the year 1787, de- 
termined to strip thé whole closet of 
lining and floor, and not leave a par- 
ticle of the wood behind; and also 
to dig and take away about two feet 
of the earth in depth, and leave the 
walls to dry, so as to destroy the 
roots or seeds of the evil, When, 
by time, and the admission of air, 
and good brushing, it had become 
sufficiently dry and cleansed, I filled 
it, of sufficient height for my joists, 
with anchor-smith’s ashes ; knowing 
that no vegetable would grow in 
them, My joists being sawed off to 
their proper lengths, and fully pre- 
pared, they and their plates Were 
well charred, and laid upon the ash« 
es ; particular directions being given 
that not any scantling or. board 
might be cut or planed in the place, 
lest any dust or shavings might drop 
among the ashes. My flooring- 
boards being very dry, I caused 
them to be laid close, to prevent 
the dirt getting down, which, I 
thought, in a course of time, might 
bring on Vegetation, 
The framing for lining the closet 
was then fixed up, having all the 
4 lowey 
