94 A Difcoitrpe of Foreft-Trees. 



th e cleaving ••, and this is good in F/r, both for the hettcrjirippi»g 

 :i.ad feafotiing. ■ • 



2. Some again commend Bnryitigs in the Earth 5 others in 

 wheat 5 and there be feafonings of the Fire^ as for the Icorching 

 and hardning of Files which are to ftand either in the vpater^ or 

 the earth : Thus do all the Elements contribute to the Art of 

 Seafoning. 



4. And yet even the greeneft Timber is fometimes defirable for 

 fuch as Carve and Turn 5 but it choaks the teeth of our Saws i, and 

 for Doors ^Windovps^ Floors^ and other clofe Works, it is altogether 

 to be rejefted i efpecially where Walnut-tree is the material^ which 

 will beJure to {brink : Therefore it is beft to chufe fuch as is of 

 tvoo or three yesLVS feafoning, and that is neither moift nor over- 

 dry i, the mean is beft. Sir Hugh Plat informs us that the Veneti- 

 ans ufe to burn and fcorch their Timber in a flaming /re ^ continu- 

 ally turning it round with an Engine, till they have gotten upon 

 it an hardjblackjf tf^/y cruft^and the Jecret carries with it great pro- 

 bability i for that the wood is brought by it to fuch a hardnefs and 

 drinefs, ut cum omnif futrifa^io incipiat ab humido, nor earth nor. 

 water can penetrate it 3 I my fclf remembring to havefeen Char^ 

 coals dug out of the ground amongft the mines of ancient build- 

 ings, which have in all probability lain cover'd with earth above 

 1500 years. 



5. Timber which is cleft is nothing fo obnoxious to rift and 

 cleave as what is hcvpn 5 nor that which is fquar'd , as what is 

 round ^ and therefore where ufe is to be made of huge and maifie 

 Columns, let them be /"tf/iret/ through from end to end 5 it is an ex- 

 cellent prefervative from fplitting5and notun-philojbphical j though 

 to cure this accident, the rubbing them over with a wax-cloat his 

 good , Painters Putty, d^c. or before it be converted, the fmearing 

 the Timber over with Cojv-dung, which prevents the effefts both of 

 Sunund ^ir upon it, if of neceffity it muft lye expos'd : Butbe- 

 fides the former remedies I find this for the clofing of the chops 

 and clefts of ^ree« Timber, to anoint and fupple it with the fat of 

 powder d-beef -broth, with which it muft be well foak'd, the chafm's 

 fiU'd mthjpunges dipt into it , this to be twice done over : Some 

 Carpenters make ufe of greafe andfaw-duji mingled j but the firft is 

 fo good a way (fays my Author) that I have feen Wind-flwckctim- 

 ber fo exquifitelyclofed, as not to be difcerned where the defeds 

 were ; This muft be us'd when the Timber is green : Finally, 



6. I muft not omit to take notice of the coating of Timber in 

 Worky us'd by the Hollanders for the prefervation of their Gates, 

 'P'ort-cnUis's, Draw-bridges, S luces, and other huge Beams and Con- 

 tignations of Timber expos'd to the Sun, and perpetual injuries of 

 tht Weather, by a certain mixture of P/^f A and T^r, upon which 

 • they ftrew Imall pieces of Cocl^le and ether fiells, beaten almoft to 

 powder, and mingled with Sea-fand, which incrujis and arms it 

 atrer an incredible manner againft all thefe aflaults and foreign 

 invaders. 

 Vfes. 7. For all ufes that Timber is efteem'd the beft which is the 



moft 



