514 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



of copper and creosote are the only things used. Soft cheap 

 wood would absorb about eight pounds of creosote to the cubic 

 foot. It should receive from eight to ten pounds to produce the 

 desired effect; this would cost about one cent per cubic foot. 

 Applying it hot would be better. The wood could be put through 

 this process in about ten days. 



Mr. Garbanati said that from Mr. Johnscui's statement they 

 would shortly have no timber, Mr. Mason having stated that 

 timber only lasted seven years. The Royal George had been 

 raised after having been sunk for a long time, with her wood 

 quite hard and in a good state of preservation. He did not think 

 that the ties of railways would have to be relaid as often as Mr. 

 Mason said would be required. There has been instances where 

 timber exposed to air had lasted 100 years. The buildings that 

 tumble down are those put up by ourselves, while the houses put 

 up by our forefathers still remain or have to be pulled down. 



Mr. Dibben said that Mr. Mason did not allude to houses when 

 he stated his opinions, he alluded to bridges. He (Mr. D.) did 

 not think that keeping water out of wood would totally preserve 

 it. New Jersey contains a very bad soil for timber posts — the 

 same posts planted in it would last longer in a swamp. An 

 acquaintance of his who had occasion to put up a piece of fence 

 very often was advised to try coal-tar. He did so, and the last 

 time he put it up he put in every second post steeped in coal-tar, 

 and the remaining ones without it. This was ten years ago, and 

 the ones he steeped are now as good as ever, while the others had 

 to be replaced. An old tree in St. John's Park, twenty-five feet 

 six inches in diameter, was blown down, the butt of which is 

 nearly all decayed, while on the top there was a branch growing, 

 in the centre of which a portion of it was decayed. 



Mr. Hedrick could not see any good effect to be derived from 

 the use of sulphuric acid; the first eff'ect of it on wood is to 

 char it and leave us charcoal, the next stage is to reduce it to a 

 composition like sugar. 



Mr. Hough stated that nature performed her part towards pre- 

 serving timber for us; as she draws the sap from it in winter, 

 returning it again in spring. 



Mr. Garvey said there were four plans of preserving wood 

 which could be used with advantage. The first was, to hermeti- 

 cally seal up the wood. This could be accomplished by using 

 paints, varnish, &c. Second, was by producing all the chemical 



