Inquiries relative to the Structure of Wood. 469 



I picked out the woods intended for the experiment 

 from a joiner's workshop, and they all appeared to be 

 quite dry ; I had them formed into small boards, 6 

 inches in length and i an inch thick. From these 



D a 



boards I had some shavings planed off, about -^ of a 

 line thick, an inch broad, and 6 inches in length. 



When these shavings were sufficiently dry, they were 

 burned, one by one, under the mouth of the calorimeter; 

 and I took care to hold them, by means of a small pair 

 of nippers, so as to make them burn with a brisk flame, 

 and without the least smoke or smell or calculable 

 residuum in ashes. 



The following is the method I pursued in making 

 these experiments. 



The calorimeter, filled with water at a temperature of 

 about 5 of Fahrenheit's thermometer lower than that of 

 the apartment in which the experiments were made, was 

 placed upon its stand at the height of about 18 inches 

 above the table on which the apparatus was laid. 



The extremity of the calorimeter containing the open- 

 ing, which I call its mouth, projects about 4 inches be- 

 yond the edge of the stand, so as easily to admit the 

 point of the flame from the small piece of burning 

 wood ; and the height of the stand is so adjusted that 

 the operator may rest both his elbows on the table, 

 while his hands sustain the fragment of wood to be 

 burned. 



Near the calorimeter stands a small lamp, by which 

 the pieces of wood, or rather shavings, may, without 

 loss of time, be set on fire and burned in succession ; 

 and care is taken to have always in the hand a sufficient 

 quantity of the shavings, of a known weight. 



The very small portions of the shavings which remain 



