Notice of the Seasoning of Timber, &c. 163 
rites appear as a very thin film, perfectly covering the woody 
fibre, which is not in the least mineralized or penetrated. It 
is exactly in the condition of seasoned wood, and burns read- 
ily, with the usual odour of that substance when burning. 
The surface of both the invested wood and stones, which is 
of the colour of the bronze in statues standing in the open 
ar, assumes, by being rubbed with the finger or broadcloth, 
avery brilliant metallic polish. 
If we mistake not, these minute bodies, which we are in- 
formed are so abundant as to be easily obtained by the 100lbs. 
are unquestionably of aqueous origin, as far as regards the 
investing coat of pyrites, and thus this fact, along with some 
similar ones, which have been observed elsewhere, may be of 
some use in illustrating the origin of pyrites in certain cases. 
Sept. 29, 1826. 
VII. Mr. Webster's notice of the seasoning of Timber, and 
of the acceleration of Water Wheels during the night—To 
the Editor.—In Nov. 1825, I weighed a cleft of green oak 
wood, and laid it in my garret. At the end of a year, I 
Weighed it again. The weight was as follows: 
ngreen, 6lb. 10 0z.=07z. 106 
Seasoned, 1 =do. 76 
Difference, 1 14 do. 30 
Then to ascertain what a ton would lose of weight in the 
Same time and under like circumstances : 
1060z.: 3002.: : 32,000 0z.: 3056 oz. = 566 lbs.—Loss of 
a ton. 
2000 Ib.—566 lb = 1434 Ib.—the weight of a ton of green 
wood after a year’s seasoning. ee 
I need not observe that wood will not season well until it - 
is split. It is almost in vain to attempt to season ronnd 
wood covered with bark. 
In the year 1799, I spent a night in making observations 
to asceriain whether the popular opinion, that. mill-w 
driven by water have an accelerated velocity, with the same 
head of water, during the night, is well founded. By an ar- 
ticle in a late number of the American Journal, I observe 
that Prof. Cleaveland has made observations with a similar 
view, which seem to disprove the results of my observations. 
But I am not satisfied with his experiment and observations. 
fT question whether the experiment can be fairly made, except 
