CHAP. X.] 



BRITISH OAK. 



59 



to be of better quality than those referred to in Table 

 VII. The following are the results : 



TABLE XIV. 

 Tensile Experiments. 





Very little appears to be known of the amount of 

 resistance offered by British Oak to a crushing force, 

 when applied in the direction of its fibres. Some 

 experiments of the kind have, it is true, been made, 

 both in this and in other countries, but the results, as 

 published, are far from being satisfactory, inasmuch as 

 they vary to a great extent, as between author and 

 author, and afford no reliable measure of the strain to 

 which a pillar or column can be safely loaded. 



The difficulty of carrying out these experiments is 

 indeed so great, and withal so extremely tedious, that 

 it is no matter of surprise more has not been done in 

 this direction. I have, therefore, with the view of 

 supplying a want long felt, availed myself of every 

 opportunity to extend this important inquiry, by experi- 

 menting not only upon English Oak timber, but upon 

 perhaps a greater variety of woods than has ever before 

 been attempted. 



