148 [Senatk 



What woods are aest for the various parts of ships and carpentry? 



Chairman, — The original outward doors of St. Peter's Church, at 

 Rome, were of cypress, and are six hundred years in use. A quota- 

 tion from Tredgold, page 79, is read. 



Mr. Brown. — Sleepers for a railway in Cuba, were made of green 

 wood, crooked, they warped three inches. A cane made of a crooked 

 Jigui stick, was planed straight but warps again. 



Mr. Clowes presented from a lady, a printed communication 

 marked A., relative to the ash tree, which was read. 



Chairman. — Wood designed for furniture may be well seasoned by 

 placing it in a room heated to a greater degree, than the furniture is 

 to be exposed to. 



Mr. Brown. — There are fourteen species of the ash (^Praxinus) 

 very various in their qualities. The excelsior of Europe and the 

 white ash of America, and nearly all our ash trees, produce manual 

 We have the mountain ash in abundance; there was no necessity for 

 importing it from Europe. It is extensively disseminated by means 

 of birds who feed upon its fruit. We have paid jive dollars each for 

 young trees from Europe^ while it abounds in America ! It is the 

 identical tree of Europe. It is like our locust, attacked when about 

 fifteen years old by a worm called the borer, and often destroyed. 

 The ash tree is and has been an object of superstitious regard all over 

 the world! Schoolcraft says that our native Indians in all past time, 

 and the present, make offerings to it, of the branches of other trees. 

 These offerings, and their remains, are still found at the foot of the 

 ash. In Scotland it is deemed an anti-witch tree! 



Mr. Glen. — Our black ash wood is bad for burning, but is used for 

 flooring, being good for scouring, as it will give no splinters. Dry- 

 ing wood in a close room will not answer so well as a current of air. 

 All woods shrink in drying, more or less. Pine but little, because 

 the atmosphere penetrates it but little ; when planed off after long 

 exposure, it will again shrink a little. 



The reason why pine warps but little, is, that it is a non-conductor 

 of heat and light, being resinous. 



Kyanizing makes wood brittle, and thus diminishes its pliability 

 and its strength. 



Chairman. — It appears that woods containing resin are on that ac- 

 count stronger. Tredgold. recommends injection of pine wood with 

 resinous matter. 



Mr. Brown. — Surfeiting wood with oil adds much to its strength. 

 Chairman. — It is said that trees extend their roots as far as their 

 heights! 



Mr. Brown. — Magnolias do not. Some trees penetrate the earth 

 more deeply. Lombardy poplar extends its roots more than double 

 its height. Roots in their growth are known to displace stones in 

 the foundations of buildings. 



Trees in Europe grow tall. Some Lombardy poplars in France 

 attain 250 feet of height. It is said that Lombardy poplar roots have 

 been traced 400 feet. 



