In Experimenting on Timber, 249 



opposite view. A series of experiments upon sets of blocks 

 of varying area carried out by some one person would be 

 the only way to settle the question satisfactorily. 



These are the six minor conditions which it is necessary 

 to record in connection with any series of experiments, in 

 addition to which, of course, the particular species of timber 

 to which each piece tested belongs must be thoroughly estab- 

 lished. Local or popular names are almost valueless for the 

 purpose; the true botanical nomenclature must be used. 

 Some of the most extensive series of experiments carried out 

 in Britain and in these colonies fail lamentably in this 

 respect, and work which must have taken much time, and 

 cost much money, is thus seriously diminished in value. 

 As far as the work of experimenting itself is concerned it 

 should embrace the following lines of inquiry, and in each 

 case should be made upon timber both in its green state 

 and when seasoned: — Weight, resistance to crushing along 

 and across the grain, tensile strength, transverse strength, 

 elasticity, resistance to shearing along and across the grain, 

 and dTirability. 



In view of the early establishment in our University of a 

 complete testing machine, it is to be hoped that the coming 

 year may see some good and systematic work done in the 

 direction of timber testing. This should not prevent others, 

 however, who have no apparatus from assisting in the work, 

 for the more numerous the experiments the nearer to the 

 truth do we arrive. All that is necessary is the inclination 

 for the work, coupled with care and patience in carrying it 

 out. The roughest bushman in the interior, breaking a few 

 sticks with weights, and telling us all that is to be known 

 about these sticks and about these weights, adds to the 

 knowledge of the world, and his rough work, if only careful, 

 true, and full, may rank with that of high officials who work 

 in dockyards or laboratories with perfect machines and paid 

 assistants. He may even rank before them as a benefactor 

 if his work be complete, theirs imperfect, in the respect that 

 complete knowledge, however limited, is truth, and is es- 

 tablished for ever, whilst imperfect knowledge, however 

 extensive, may only lead us into error and confusion. 



