456 Inquiries relative to the Structure of Wood. 



Hence it appears that 100 parts of the wood, after 24 

 hours' exposure in the large room, were composed of dry 

 wood and water in the following proportions : 



ioo parts of 



Poplar . 

 Lime-tree, seasoned 



" green 

 Beech . 

 Birch 



Fir ... 

 Elm 

 Oak . 

 Maple . 



Seerwood. 

 80.55 

 82.50 



83.31 

 81.44 

 80.62 

 82.4 



81.80 

 83-36 

 81-37 



Water. 



19-55 

 17.50 

 16.69 

 18.56 

 19.38 



7-53 

 17.20 

 16.64 

 18.63 



I suffered all these woods to remain in the large 

 room during eight days, but their weight was very little 

 augmented ; and as often as the temperature of the air 

 of the room was raised above 46 F. they lost weight. 

 So that the above may be considered as their habitual 

 state of dryness during the winter, in our climate. 



To ascertain the quantity of moisture habitually re- 

 tained by these woods in the summer, I made the fol- 

 lowing experiments. 



Thin shavings of the species of woods below, half an 

 inch broad, were thoroughly dried in the stove, and then 



