52 



THE -\EW GENESEE 



EARMER, 



OL. 



For the I\'eio Genesee Famer. 

 Importntit Discoven-»!Io\v to rcnclpr Wood 

 iinpcrishable and lucombustiblp. 

 Messrs. Editors:— A discovery of the highest im- 

 portance appears to have been made in France, by 

 which the long-eought prcssrvaiiou of wood from or- 

 dinary decay, combuslion, &,c., ia finally achieved. — 

 This has been done by introducing into the wood it- 

 self, ihronjh the agency of ve;;otable life, the 6ub- 

 Btanccs which contribute to these important ends. 



It has, indeed, beei\ long known to a.iiaieur Botan- 

 ists, that the (lowers of house plants, &c., may be 

 colored by the introduction of coloring matter into the 

 organization of the plants ; and that the flavors of 

 fruits may sometimes be injured or destroyed by liquids 

 poured upon the ground, at the root of the tree, at the 

 ssasoa of their ripening, which are subsequently im- 

 bibed into tiie vegetable circulation. But theee iiola- 

 ted facts have hitherto rcniaia^d with their possessors, 

 without any uselul suggestions having been drawn 

 f.om iLern, like a nndtiiude of other ericnlilic truths, 

 which only require to b« tpplkil to the arts, to produce 

 ihe most important results of uscfulncis to mankind. 



The announcement of this ditcovery comes to us 

 nnJer circum;tnncos which leave little doubt of its 

 truth. The discoverer having submitted his results 

 to the Academy of Sciences, of Paris, a commission 

 ^a; named from that highly scientific bo(iy, to inves- 

 tigate the subject, and make a report thereon. In the 

 top? of usefulness, I have made a translation of this 

 report, (omitting some portions, as irrelevant to my 

 purpose,) for your paper, which I fubjoin; deeming 

 it highly important that experiments should be exten- 

 sively made, the ensuing Bummcr, in conformity with 

 the discoverer's process, as shown in the report. It 

 would be no trifling result to secure timber, in all 

 situations, from decay, and our buildings from confla- 

 gration, at a cost BO trifling as to be within th.e reach 

 of ail. 



A physician of Bourdeaux, Mens. Boucherie, has 

 nrrived at the all-important result of rendering the 

 ^sue of wood almost entirely unattackable by those 

 causes of destruction to which it is ordinarily subject: 

 and at the same time hii processes render it much 

 more suitable to the various purposes to which it ie 

 applicable in the arts. 



A commission of the Academy of Sciences, at Pa- 

 ris, having been named, to examine the subject, 

 Mons. Duma?, in the name of the commission, made 

 in December lost, the following luporl, as the result of 

 its investigations: 



" The Academy has charged i\Ic8srs. Aragn, de 

 Mirbcl, Pnncdet, Gamhey, Audoin, iJous'-aingaull 

 and myself, with the examinatinn of the Memoir of 

 Mons. Boui:berie, relative to the preservation of wood, 

 the following is the result of our labors: 



" The Academy has already examined, with the 

 most lively interest, the preparations of the author; 

 and it has before it| at this moment, pieces of lh<'se so 

 remark.'ible that the ta^k of its commission is thereby 

 greatly abridged. Mons. Boucherie proposes to ren- 

 der wood much more durable, to preserve its eiasiieity, 

 to prevent the variations in volume which it expe- 

 riences through the agencies of dry and humid atnioe- 

 pheres, to diminish its combustildeneee, to augment 

 Its tenacity and its hardness; and, finally, to commu- 

 nicate to it variuHs and durable colors and odor^. 



" To assume that all these exigencies have been 

 satisfied, and that this has been accomplished by meth- 

 ods, cheap, simple and new ; and consummated 

 through the agency of subetances that are c,oiiitnon, 

 and which hear but a low price, is to iix the attention 

 of the Academy, in a few words, njion the important 

 features of the subject we are charged to examine. 



" Kor the purnoae of penetrating an entire tree with 

 preservative, coloring, or other matter, the authof has 

 recourse to no niechaiucal, cosily or coniplieotcd 

 means; be finds all the force of which he has need, in 

 tha't process, within the tree itself, — the same force by 

 which its own sap is elevated and distributed through 

 its va.-ious parts. This, alone, euliifca v^ convey frum 

 the b^s« of tUe tru"k to tho votf i«iv«{b all the liquids 

 ' - - * • - 



which he wishes to introduce, provided that these are 

 maintained within certain limiie of chyniical concen- 

 tration. If a tree be felled, while in full sap and leaf, 

 and tiie base of the trunk be at once plunged in a vat 

 or reservoir containing the liquid which it is desired 

 tlie timber shall imbibe, that liquid, in the space of 

 a i'ew days, will ascend to the very leaves, and pene- 

 trate every part ol the vegetable tissue, except the 

 heart of the tree, which, in some instances of gr<at 

 age and hardness, or imperfect vitality, resists the ab- 

 sorption, and is not penetrated. 



" It is not entirely necessary that the tree shall re- 

 tain all its branches and leaves during this process, 

 although it is important that those of the cxtieme top 

 Should remain uninjured. 



" It is not imporlant that the tree shall rcmoin 

 standing during the operation, which would not al- 

 ways be convenient: it may be iellcd, audits butt sub- 

 merged 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 stand- 

 ing, if this be prclerred ; for it is only necessary that 

 cavities be cut near the bottom, or the trunk be par- 

 tially severed by a saw, and that the parts thus pre- 

 pared be put in contact with the liquid, to ensure the 

 desired result. 



" This species of penetration, or absorption, which 

 is efTecteu in a few days, without either difilculiy or 

 labor, ie, as will be readily seen, wholly dift(;rent from 

 any means hitherto employed. Previous methods are 

 v.cll known to consist of lorcing the ingredients into 

 the ])orc8 of the wood, by powertul pressure, or of in- 

 troducing them by the prolonged and imperfect action 

 of liquids prepared at much cost, in huge vats, in 

 which the timber is kept submei'gcd. 



** The new and ingenious process of Mons. Bou- 

 cherie has placed at the command of industry an im- 

 mense natural force which enables it, without cost, 

 to conduct into the most delicate vegetable tissues all 

 soluble substances which it may be desirable to dcpo- 

 site 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 

 substar.ces which he has adopted for fulfilling all the 

 indications announced obove. 



"To augment the durotion and hardness of wood, 

 and to oppose its decay, either dry or humid, the crude 

 pyrolignite of iron is to be introduced into its tissue. 

 This substance is wisely chi. sen, because crude pyro- 

 ligneous ocid is produced in all the forests, in the 

 process of manufacturing charcoal; and it is easy to 

 convert this into the pyroligniie of iron, by simply 

 putting it, even when cold, in rontact with scraps of 

 old iron; and because, also, that the liquid, thus pre- 

 pared, contains much creosote, which independently 

 ol the ssltof iron, itself possesses the property ofhard- 

 eniiig, and of guarding against the attacks of decom- 

 position, as well as the destruction caused by insects, 

 v.'ood and timber employed in constructions and for 

 other purposes. 



" Autiicntic experiments tried in the cellars of 

 Bourdeanx, upon hoops, prepared by the author, have 

 proved, in the most conclusive manner, the prolonged 

 duration ol' wood, after bubjoclion to his process, — 

 The ordinary hoops fell to powder, upon the leaat ap- 

 plication of force to them, while those of the same 

 age, which had been subjected to his preparation, 

 were as solid as upon the iirst day they were placed 

 there. 



" If he wishes to preserve the elasticity of wood, 

 and to render it less combustible, the author has found 

 in the cmiiloymcnt of chlorine with an earthy base, 

 the mcone of accomplishing these ends. Kver pre- 

 occupied v.ith the thought that his discoveries, to be 

 most serviceable, must receive universal practical ap- 

 plication, the author hos not contented himself with 

 the emjiloyment of the chlorateof calcium, notwith- 

 standing 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 qnalities necessary to his purjiose. The difl<;r- 

 ent wooda prepared by his saline solutions preserve 

 their Uexibility, even after several years exposure to 

 the air; and thin sheets of this wood were twisted into 

 spirale, first in one direction and then in the contrary 

 ono, without tbrir 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, they were so for incom- 

 bustible as to be ijicapablc of sustaining or propagating 

 conflagration. 



" To these highly useful properties, which the con- 

 structors of ships, bridges, dwellings, Ac, will readily 

 ■pprcviate, tmd (urn to profit, the authoi' has joitioJ 



odiers, less important, ceitamly, butstdlnew, and 

 not without interest, in the arts. lie culvrs woods in 

 clouds so varied antl casual as to promise iniich utility, 

 by the employment of his method in ornan;eiiiiin{ the 

 most ordinary woods, so as to fit them for the fabrica- 

 tion ol iurnitnre, and for other purposes of ornamental 

 use. 



"The specimens of thiskind, now before the Acade- 

 my, relieve us from all details upon this head; and it 

 therefore suflices !or 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, the mass of the tree i» 

 rendered black, while some portions exhibit tints of 

 bine, black and gray; 



"That by introducing, first, the pyrolignite of iron, 

 and ai'terwai ds the pnissiaie ol Potassa, a fine Prussi 

 blue is produced; 



" That by introducing, successively, the acetate 

 lead and the chroniate of potassa, a lemon, or chromatf 

 of lead color is produced; ' 



"That by intmducing into the same trunk, the pjJ 

 rolignite of iron, prusbiaie, and acetate of lend, and 

 chromate of potassa, the whole wood assumes aserief 

 of clouds of blue, green, yellow and brown, whiclii 

 collectively produce the most varied and pleosingefi 

 feet. 



"The colors and shades may be varied almost to i 

 finity, according to taste or fancy; as chymistry ii 

 sufficiently rich, in agents of this nature, to satisfy tiM 

 wain.«, and even the caprices, of the most lasiidious. 



" We havcsaid nothing here, of the communication 

 of odors to woods, by inipregnniionso;' this kind, be- 

 cause this is an application cosily comprehended with- 

 out explanation; and also because it is too stricll] 

 limited to the demands of luxury to be placed in tilt 

 same scale of importance v\ilh the val liable result 

 which we hove above enumerated. 



" It is evident, Irom the bare announcement of a' 

 these results, that they hove not been, and never coul 

 be, the result of accidental discovery. The author hi 

 deduced them from simple ideas; and ihcy ate ii i 

 fruit of long continued and laborious stud.|s and e; if!"' 

 perimenta." '"*? 



The commission closed their labors with a recor 

 mendation that a copy of their report be transmitted 

 the ministers of agriculture and commerce, of the pu 

 lie works ond the marine, of finances and of war, whi 

 recommendation was adopted by the Academy. 



At a subsequent sitting of the Academy, that bo 

 received notice from the ministers of wor and of 

 nance, that they bad recommended the method of I 

 Boucherie to the special attention of the eommissioni 

 of engineers, the artillery, and the woods and foree-ij 

 This shows the importance that is attached to ths' 

 covery, by public functionaries, and by the first 

 tific men of this, oranynge. residing upon the 

 where its results have been witnessed and invi 

 ted. R. W. HASKI 



Buffalo, March 22, 1841. 



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Joiut Interest of the North and Sotitb iu 

 iater-State Trade. 



All classes at ihe North taxcilfor llerenuc — not 

 the Sovth. Tobacco Planters brginnivg to 

 stand their interests. The end nj State Stocks ( 

 remittance to pay foreign debts. 

 iMESsRS. Editors — The Cotton Planters of 

 South export more, and consume less, of their t 

 productions, than the farmers and manufacturen 

 the North. Hence our maratiine commerce rccc 

 its greatest stimulus from the South. iS'orthernii,] 

 carry both ways all that is raised of agricultural 

 pies, and all that is consumed of manufactures at| 

 South; and as Pcnnsylvonia, New Yoik, and l\ 

 England, are more legitimately the workshops foi 

 South, than all the rest of the world, we can eafiily| 

 of how great importance the South is to the North, 

 vica versa. 



But the South very much overrates her import! 

 to the Union, when she asserts that because sljej:' 

 large portion of our foreign debt with her cotton 

 ought on that account to receive her wince qud 

 without impost. 



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