On the Dry Rot. 175 



cut in the summer, the disease first made its appearance in the 

 alburnum, which, in many cases, after a few years, entirely dis- 

 appeared, but the heart-wood remained sound and dry. And 

 here let me observe, that in the examination of this description 

 of timber, I have always found it sound and dry, which leads me 

 to beheve that this is owing to the peculiar state of the heart- 

 wood at the time of the death of the tree, and therefore it is more 

 impervious to water, which of itself, waving every other consid- 

 eration, would make it more durable. 



Our woods afford many facts which, if rightly examined, would 

 go to show that the doctrine I have advanced is the true one. 

 Trees may be found uprooted and lying prostrate, from which the 

 alburnum has disappeared in consequence of dry rot, and yet the 

 heart-wood remains sound ; stumps of dry limbs are observed 

 projecting from aged living trees, which from appearance have 

 been in that situation for ages, and from which the alburnum has 

 also disappeared, yet the heart-wood will be firm and sound ; 

 trees are seen standing erect, on the alburnum of which the dry 

 rot seems to have exhausted all its power, and caused it also to 

 disappear, but it had no power to act on the heart-wood ; and by 

 their dusky and ragged appearance such trees seem to have been 

 in that situation for a great number of years, and thus it appears 

 that time only was slowly decomposing their outer surfaces, for 

 if examined, it will be found that they are sound and dry within, 

 and much harder than the same kind of timber seasoned in any 

 other way. Can there be any doubt as to the fact that these 

 limbs and these trees received their death in the summer ? Others 

 also are found lying prostrate, with the heart-wood entirely de- 

 stroyed by the disease, yet the alburnum is in a tolerable state of 

 preservation ; others present nothing but masses of decay, and in 

 the bodies and limbs of others, holes will be perceived from which 

 once projected healthy branches ; and to one that is experienced 

 in timber, these are sure signs that death has entered into their 

 composition, however otherwise their appearance might indicate 

 a healthy state. These trees and these limbs received their death 

 wounds in the winter. 



There are numerous facts in the most common transactions of 

 life that will sustain me in my position. I believe that the gen- 

 eral practice throughout the northern and middle states is to peel 

 such trees as are to be manufactured into ship plank ; by saving 

 the bark, this probably makes the business more profitable than 



