240 PRINCIPLES OF AMEftlCAN FOfcESTHY. 



hydroscopic. These chemicals, either alone or com- 

 bined, have given some very good results, but have not 

 been entirely satisfactory. They have been used in 

 fire-proofing warships, "where great results have sometimes 

 been realized, as, notably, in the war between China and 

 Japan, where this treatment is said to have given Japan 

 a great advantage in the greatest naval battle of that 

 war. If a fire-proofing process were discovered that 

 combined the merits of cheapness without injuriously 

 affecting the qualities of the wood, it would be much 

 sought after, and its application would be almost endless. 

 In order to be effective such a process must not only be 

 cheap, but must not prevent the wood from holding paint 

 varnish and glue well, nor injure its fiber, nor corrode 

 metal in contact with it nor tools used in working it, 

 neither must it increase its tendency to absorb moisture. 



