Scientific Intelligence. 315 
This tree, Fugus Castanea, Linn. is very abundant in New- 
England andthe middle states; and occurs in the mountainous 
- districts, as far southward as South-Carolina, or perhaps even 
Georgia. It is one of the stateliest trees of the forest ; scarcely 
less distinguished by the beauty of its foliage, than by the du- 
rability of its wood. fs 
» By repeated analyses, conducted with the minutest attention 
toevery circumstance which could insure accuracy, it appears, 
incredible as it may seem, that the chesnut wood contains twice 
as much tannin as ross’d* oak bark, and six-sevenths as much. 
coloring matter (which gives a black with iron,) as logwood. 
Iam aware that nothing could be farther from the common ap- 
prehension than such results; but the uniform success. of a- 
great variety of experiments in tanning and dyeing, in addition to 
the other kind of evidence, should satisfy the most incredu- — 
- The leather tanned with it, has, in every instance, been su- 
perior to that tanned in a comparative experiment, with oak 
_ bark; being firmer, less porous, and at the same time more 
pliable. The reason for this difference, will probably be found 
inthe high state of oxygenizement of the bark, particularly of 
the epidermis, by which it is rendered to a certain degree acrid 
and corrosive. Dr. Bancroft was perhaps the first who no- 
ticed the oxygenizement of barks. He attributes the dark brown 
colorof the epidermis of his quercitron, to this cause ; and as 
aconfirmation of the idea, I have observed that ink made of 
the epidermis of another kind of bark, though at first not to 
be distinguished by the color from that made of the cellular and 
Cortical parts, is incomparably less permanent. 
“Asa material for making ink, the wood of the chesnut is 
Probably unrivalled. Combined with iron in any proportion, 
it gives, as it is dilute or concentrated, a pure blue or. blue- 
black; while galls, sumach, &c. &c. unless combined with a 
greater proportion than is consistent with the highest degree 
of permanency, afford a black more or less inclining toa red- 
“That is, the inner bark deprived of the epidermis or outer bark, by the sha- 
ving knife, etteces Vee ee aT map eee a 
on. T..No. 3. - 14) 
