THE FARMER'S REGISTER. 



2G3 



wiih preservativo, colorinir, or oihcr mailer, ihe 

 auihor has recourse to no mechanical, costly or 

 complicated means ; he finds all the force oC 

 which he has need, in that process, within the 

 tree itseKJ — the same force hy which its own sap 

 is elevated and distributed ihroiifrh its various 

 parts. This, alone, suffices to convey froiu the 

 base of the trunk io the very leaves all the liqni<l^ 

 whii-h he wishes to introduce, provided that ihe.se 

 are maintained- within certain limits of chemical 

 concentration. If a tree bo felled, wliile in full 

 sap and leaf, and the base of Ihe trunk be at once 

 plunged in a vat or reservoir conlainins the liquid 

 which it is desired the limber shall imbibe, tliat 

 liquid, in the space o( a few days, will ascend to 

 the very leaves, and penetrate every part of the 

 vegetable tissue, except the hearl*of«the tree, 

 which, in some instances of great age and hard- 

 ness, or imperfect vitality, resists the absorption, 

 and is not penetrated. 



" It is not entirely necessary that the tree shall 

 retain all its branches and leaves durins: this pro- 

 cess, although it is important that those of the 

 extreme top sho\ild retnain uninjured. 



" It is not important that the tree shall remain 

 standing durinfj the operation, which would not 

 always be convenient : it may be felled, and its 

 but submerged in the liquid it is destined to 

 absorb, when this will find its way to every part. 



" On the other hand, the tree may be treated 

 standing, if this be preferred ; for it is only neces- 

 sary that cavities be cut near the bottom, or the 

 trunk be partially severed by a saw, and that the 

 parts thus prepared be put in contact with the 

 liquid, to ensure the desired result. 



" This species of penetration, or alftor^tion, 

 which is effected in a tew days, without either 

 difficulty or labor, is, as will be readily seen, wholly 

 different from any means hitherto employed. 

 Previous methods are well known to consist ot" 

 forcing the ingredients into the pores of the wood, 

 by powerful pressure, or of introducing them by 

 the prolonged and imperfect action of liquids 

 prepared at much cost, in huge vats, in which the 

 timber ia kept submerged. 



" The new and ingenious process of Mons. 

 Boucherie has placed at the command of industry 

 an immense natural force, which enables it, with- 

 out cost, to conduct into the most delicate vegeta- 

 ble tissues all soluble substances which it may be 

 desirable to deposite there. 



" If the author has resolved, in a simple and 

 ready manner, the great problem which he at 

 first proposed, he has not manifested less sagacity 

 in his choice of the substances which he has 

 adopted for fulfilling all the indications announced 

 above. 



" To augment the duration and hardness of 

 wood, and to oppose its decay, either dry or hu- 

 mid, the crude pyrolignite of iron is to be introduced 

 into its tissue. This substance is wisely chosen, 

 because crude pyroligneous acid is produced in 

 all the forests, in the prosess of manufacturing 

 charcoal ; and it is easy to convert this into the 

 pyrolignite of iron, by simply putting it, even 

 when cold, in contact with scraps of old iron: 

 and because, also, that the liquid, thus prepared, 

 contains much creosote, which, independently of 

 the salt of iron, itself possesses the property of 

 hardening, and of guarding against the attacks 

 of decomposition, as well aa the destruction 



caused by insecls, wood and limber employed 

 in constructions and (or oiher purposes, 



" Aulhenlic experiments tried in the cellars 

 of Bordeaux, upon hoe[)9, prepared by the 

 author, have proved in the most conclusive 

 manner, the prolonged duration of wood, after 

 subjection to his process. The ordinary hoops 

 It'll to powder, upon the least application of (brce 

 to iheiM, while those of the same age, which tiad 

 been subjected to his preparation, were as solid as 

 upon the first day they were placed there. 



" If he wishes to preserve the elasticity of 

 wood, and to render it less conibustible, the 

 author has found in the employment of chlorine 

 with an earthy base, the means of accomplish- 

 ing these ends. Ever preoccupied with the 

 diought that his discoveries, to be most ser- 

 viceable, must receive universal practical applica- 

 tion, the author has not contented himself with 

 ihe employment of the chlorate of calcium, not- 

 withstanding its great cheapness, but he has 

 analyzed the sea water from the pits of the salt 

 works, which is without value, and by so doing 

 has obtained therefrom all the qualities necessary 

 to his purpose. The different woods prepared 

 by his saline solutions preserve their flexibility, 

 even after several years' exposure to the air; and 

 ihin sheets of this wood were twisted into spirals, 

 first in one direction and then in the contrary one, 

 without their suffering the slightest fracture or 

 injury of any kind. Exposed to the air these 

 thin pieces were neither split or otherwise injured, 

 however dry they became : and, finally, thej' 

 were so far incombustible as to be incapable of 

 sustaininrr or propagating conflagration. 



" To these hishly useful properties, which the 

 constructors of ships, bridges, dwellings, &c., will 

 readily appreciate, and turn to profit, the author 

 has joined others, less important certainly, put 

 still new, and not without interest, in the arts. 

 He colors woods in clouds so varied and casual as 

 to promise much utility, by the employment of his 

 method in ornamenting the most ordinary woods, 

 so as to fit them for the fabrication of furniture, 

 and for other purposes of ornamental use. 



" The specimens of this kind, now before the 

 Academy, relieve us from all details upon this 

 head : and it therefore suffices for us to say : 



" That the pyrolignite of iron, alone, gives a 

 very beautiful brown tint; 



" That by causing tannin to be absorbed by 

 the tree, after the pyrolignite of iron, Ihe mass of 

 the tree is rendered black, while some portions 

 exhibit tints of blue, black and gray ; 



" That by introducing, first, the pyrolignite of 

 iron, and afterwards the prussiate of potassa, a 

 fine Prussian blue is produced ; 



" That by introducing, successively, the acetate 

 of lead and the chromate of potassa, a lemon, or 

 chromate of lead color is produced ; 



" That by introducing into ihe same trunk, the 

 pyrolignite of iron, prussiate, and acetate of lead, 

 and chromate of potassa, the whole wood assumes 

 a series of clouds of blue, green, yellow and brown, 

 which collectively produce the most varied and 

 pleasing effect. 



" The colors and shades may be varied alm&st 

 to infinity, according to taste or fancy : as che - 

 mistry is sufficiently rich, in agents of this nature, 

 to satisfy the wants, and even the caprices, of the 

 most fastidious. 



